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99 Design / Affordable Logos

Over beer and cheese the other day, Melissa told me about a company called 99 Designs, which offers an affordable way to get exactly the logo design (or web/icon/print/t-shirt design) you’re searching for. Basically, you hold your own “design contest” (prices for logo design start at $269, but you write your own “design brief” and decide on the “prize” amount you’re willing to shell out), and then dozens (even hundreds) of designers enter their submissions. You pick the one you like, and only pay if you’re happy with the result (as an added bonus, you also get the copyright to the original artwork).

Love this idea! Anyone worked with them before?



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July 30th, 2010 | Posted by Jordan | Lifestyle | 4 Comments »

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  • dianeshipley

    As someone without much cash and even fewer graphics skills, I love the idea of cheaper designs. But as a freelancer (albeit writer) myself, I hate the precedent this sets: imagine if this is how writing commissions worked — compete with loads of other people, have your work voted on, only get paid if you're chosen. *shudder*

    And then you don't even get to keep the copyright, so you've sold all your hard work for less than $250. I think that would really devalue journalism.

  • jordanreid

    innnnnteresting, and didn't think about it that way. but couldn't it be a cool opportunity for finding additional work through referrals if you win? for example, people constantly ask me who made my business cards – so just through that one sale, the woman who made mine (marivi) has probably gotten ten more jobs without having to do any advertising at all.
    btw, do you know if designers usually get to keep the copyright on work they produce for others? i'd be interested to know.

  • dianeshipley

    Well, that's word of mouth, which I think is different and which most companies try to generate in different ways. I don't remember if you paid her or she made them for you on the condition you wrote about them (and I'm not judging if the latter), but I think there's a difference between a calculated PR strategy and competing in a cutthroat way. Maybe the “winner” would get a lot of work out of it, but 99 designs creates too many losers, and encourages the idea that people should work for nothing. That's OK for a short term if you're just starting out (internships etc) but not if you're a professional.

    Good point about the copyright — I'd guess they usually sell it, and that's part of the reason they charge more: you're paying for that originality, and all the work that went into it. The only times I've done something for free or no money is when I got something else out of it *and* I kept my copyright.

  • http://twitter.com/lisabagg lisabagg

    Diane, I'm totally with you. I'm a freelance designer myself, and I refuse (on principle) to work on spec. To put a lot of work and thought into something, then not “win” that job–that's no way to build a business. In fact, I'd argue that it's likely someone would kind of half-ass the work, just to toss your hat into the ring. I totally believe that you get what you pay for–if you want to crowdsource design, you're going to get mediocre work.

    The way to get referrals (in my experience) is to do bang-up work for paying customers. If you want to work for free, find a great pro-bono client to help you build up your portfolio. But don't work on spec.