How to Run a Logo Design Contest

The advent of the Internet has made it much more affordable and convenient for businesses to order a professional looking Logo Design. From pre-designed templates and DIY software through to custom logo design packages the options are numerous.
Around 2008, logo design contests started to become popular and their popularity has continued to rise through to the present day. Logo design contests have many advantages over the other, more traditional options. The sheer number of designers competing on some of the larger sites means that you get a vast array of concepts to choose from. The crowd-sourcing model means that you get to tap into a global market of designers rather than relying on just a few to work on your project.
Not every logo design contest works out well though and some contest holders fail in getting a suitable design. However, there are many things that you can do to increase your chances of having a successful contest.
In this article we have set out some logo design contest tips. These tips cover what you need to know when it comes to choosing a site to host your contest and actually running the contest. If you know how to run a logo design contest the right way then you are more likely to end up with your dream logo.
Read Instructions Carefully
There are now many websites operating in this niche nowadays and while they are mostly similar there are some that vary in terms of how contests are held. Before you order you should read up on how a site works and check out their FAQ (frequently asked questions) if they have one.
Established Sites = More Designers
Some of the older, more established sites have by now grown into thriving, active marketplaces. Some now boast pools of designers comprised of over 100,000 people. If you go with some of the 'copycat' players that have sprung up more recently then you may find that their sites are not so active. A lot of good designer are active on the top three or four sites but don't bother with the numerous other smaller sites. The top logo contest sites usually let you know how many designers they have in their pool so look for this information on their home page.
Higher Prizes = More Entries
As a contest holder it is up to you to decide on how much money you want to put up as a prize. Many sites set a minimum prize amount that is usually around a couple of hundred dollars for a logo design. However, if you are able to put up a prize that is higher than the minimum then your contest will attract more attention. With a generous prize amount you will very likely receive entries from more designers and they will put more time into their design concepts.
Guarantee Your Contest
Most of the top logo design contest sites give you the option of putting a prize 'guarantee' on your contest. When designers see this they know that your contest has a guaranteed prize and that you are not going to refund. If you want to keep your right to a refund open then you will not be able to 'guarantee' your contest. Designers may therefore pass on your contest or put less effort into their submissions knowing that there is not a guaranteed prize.
Refunds and Policies
Before ordering you should go over a websites 'Terms and Conditions' careful so that you know where you stand if you need a refund. Some will basically give you a full refund if you haven't 'guaranteed' your contest. Others have numerous conditions attached to their refund policies and they will deduct various fees from the total refund amount.
Write a Clear Brief
Designers will be more attracted to a project that has a clear, well written brief. If designers understand a little about your business and what you are looking for in a logo design then they will be able to come up with relevant concepts for you. Provide details and references to other logo designs where possible. You should also let them know how you plan to use the logo.
Public or Private Contest?
Some designers like the idea of a private contest as they can submit their designs without having other designers see them and possible steal ideas from them. However, there are big advantages to having a public contest. It will make it easier for people to find it via search engines and thus give you more exposure to designers. Plus, if any designers have submitted plagiarized work then other designers may respond by reporting them to the site owners.
Seek Out The Good Designers
While some logo design contests request that the submitted designs are closed to public view, there are usually also a lot that will allow the work to be open for view. This gives you a great opportunity to look over some other logo design competitions being hosted by the same site as yours. You can then look for other designers that have done work that you like and put in a request that they also submit an entry into your contest.
Most crowd-sourcing sites are fairly crowded out and while you will naturally get some attention there may be many designers that overlook your project. Those that really want to get the best value out of a logo contest can look at promoting it in order to attract more designers. Many logo contest sites can offer you upgrades that give your contest extra exposure on their site. If you are fairly active on the web then you may also be able to promote your contest on other websites, forums or blogs where design professionals gather.
Contest Duration
If you are not working towards a deadline then you may as well go for the longest contest duration possible. This will give designers time to find your project and collaborate with you as they perfect their concepts.
Put Time Into Feedback
The whole process of running a logo contest usually takes around three weeks and you should be prepared to put in some time as you follow contest developments. Most logo contest websites have a system whereby you can rate the concepts that have been submitted and request changes. Communicate clearly with the designers so that they can make revisions that are to your tastes.
If possible you should delete concepts that are way of base and that you know just won't be suitable no matter how much they are adjusted. By doing so you will make it easier for designers to follow your contest. Designers will also be more attracted to contests that have received fewer entries as they will anticipate a lower level of competition

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Logos 101 - Business Owner Guidelines for Logo Design

You should know up front that I am The Logo Handler and not a logo designer. I have designed a few logos in the past, but it is not my forte. Clients entrust their logo to me for printing and marketing purposes. While I can't design you a glorious logo, I can tell you immediately if the logo is going to cause you troubles along the way. I've spent the major part of my career working with corporate logos. Some logos are great and others are a problem. They might be pleasing to the eye, but they pose a myriad of printing issues.

One critical mistake people make at the very beginning is to offer their designer little to no direction. They find a designer, give them the company name and tell them to design a logo. In most cases no further direction is given. Perhaps some preferred colors or a suggestion or two on a symbol that might be used, but that's it. The business owner assumes that the designer understands the needs and parameters of logo design. From my experience, about 50% of the logos I encounter are centered on aesthetics only. While an eye pleasing logo is important there are many other things to consider that will play an important roll down the road.

SELECTING A DESIGNER

While it might be tempting to use a friend or family member who dabbles in graphic design (and are usually very cheap or even free) the logo usually ends up costing you down the road. You are more likely to encounter issues with design egos and have to deal with time delays. They may also not have the technical knowledge (bitmaps vs. vector, bleeds etc.). This is less of an issue for logo design but can cause major issues on other projects. On the other hand, don't discredit these people. I've seen some great work come from aspiring designers and those who design as a hobby.

Regardless of where you find your logo designer, make sure you review their portfolio and then confirm these two criteria:

1. Find a designer that will provide you with a vector logo. If they can't, get another designer. If they don't know what a vector graphic is, do NOT hire them!

2. Make sure they will give you the following files:

- The original (vector) file from the program the logo was designed in.

- A (vector).pdf of the logo.

- A (vector).eps of the logo.

- Three high resolution.jpg's of the logo, one 2" wide, one 12" wide and one 24" wide.

While your computer probably does not have a program that can open the first three files, make sure you have them on a disc in your office and stored away on your computer. Future printers and designers will need these files. See Images 101 for more information on vector vs bitmap.

LOGO DESIGN GUIDELINES

In addition to a logo that looks good and makes sense for your business, make sure your designer follows these guidelines. You too should run their designs through these considerations (color, size and shape):

Colors

Colors play an important role in a logo. Ideally you should keep colors to a minimum, avoid shading and keep colors separated. When printing full color digital graphics you probably won't run into any issues. Digital printers print graphics just like your color inkjet or laser printer. In general, digital printing is expensive and is not always available for non-paper items.

Keeping colors to a minimum can save money. Printing applications for apparel, signage and promotional products will cost more for each color. Promotional products generally have a set-up charge and a run charge per color. Screen printing will also cost more for each color. Design a logo with one or two colors or have a version that can be used as a single color.

Tight color registration can cause issues. If your colors are touching that's considered tight registration. Text that has an outline around it is a good example. Promotional items that are silk screened or pad printed can't always achieve this. Tight registration can also become a problem if you are photocopying something in black and white. Two completely different colors can look like the same color and end up being a big black blob when photocopied. Avoid tight registration or have a version of the logo that doesn't have tight registration for these situations.

Color fading/shading can't always be printed. Most non-digital printing applications print solid colors. If you have a solid color that fades or shades into a darker color or another color you will need a modified version of your logo.

Custom colors can cost money. Printers carry standard ink colors such as but not limited to red, navy, royal, dark green, yellow and black. Most printers will charge a fee to mix a specific color for you. Promotional logo'd items are also mainly available in standard colors. If you selected teal blue for your logo and want to find a teal pen for your company, you would be very limited in your selection.

Size

Text or lines that are too thin or small aren't effective and can "disappear" when printed or photocopied. The small parts within a lower case "e" and "a" can also fill-in if they are too small. When selecting your logo make sure that you can shrink it (or a version of it) down to 1" wide. One inch is about the smallest size you will print your logo.

Shape

Shape is much more than a vertical or horizontal design. Shape needs to take into consideration what is referred to as white space. Avoid design elements that protrude too far away from the main design. If your logo has a lot of unusable white space and you want to print it in a small area, the white space can prevent you from having space left for contact information that you want to include. See the illustration below. Think about how the logo will look when paired with your address or website. Ask the designer to put your address block next to the logo as it might appear on a business card or on letterhead.

An important note on different versions - You shouldn't feel restricted by any of these guidelines. For example, a logo that looks like modern graffiti would most likely go against all of the guidelines above, but if that's what you want then that's what you should have. Just ask your designer to produce modified versions that can be printed in a single color or smaller spaces. I've seen companies with 10 page booklets and dozens of variations of their logo that can be used for different applications. Be prepared.

Think about color, size and shape when designing and selecting your logo. You should also have different versions for different applications. Make sure you have the right files stored away for printing. Keep in mind that the most recognizable and most famous logos are simple and the colors are limited. Work it and re-work it until you have the perfect logo. It's your logo, take ownership of it and keep your logo visible!

Tara Bodansky, The Logo Handler is the leading source for ideas and solutions that pertain to the usage of your logo. She is also the Founder and Creator of the CREEDS Program and President of AdVisibiliti Promotions. For graphic illustrations of this article, visit http://www.TheLogoHandler.com.

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Recent Logo Design Inspiration By Logo Online Pros

If you're in search of inspiration, logo design gallery Logo online pros  is a great place to inspiration.

Web Development Tips

Web designer plays very important role in the structure and the user friendliness of a website. However, his role is limited in making the website more search engine friendly. In Search engine optimization, we say that it’s the optimizer who will bring the site to the top rankings in a search engine. However, we are wrong about the role of a web developer. Because an SEO expert can make the onsite optimizations but some optimizations like compressing the code as well as inserting keywords in Meta tags and headers can only be done by the developer.

In this post, we will be telling about the Optimization tips for web developers.

1.       Research the keywords:

Like a search engine optimizer, a developer also should search for the keywords that he will use in the coding of his website. These keywords can easily be searched using Google ad words or any other search option. These days, many new websites are available that can help in finding the right keywords. You can also find these keywords by searching them on the search engine itself, like ‘logo designs online’.

2.       Keep it simple and clean:

A website is made by using flash, or by using CSS, html, J-query and many more programming languages. But good way of making a website is by keeping the coding section clean and simple. IT means, not to add large lines of code when the same thing can be done using small coding words.

3.       Meta tags and header:

Website development includes meta tags and headers, where all information is added that can only be read by a search engine robot or is shown on the search engine itself.

Use them properly and do not over fill them with the information of your company otherwise search engine bots will not be read them and your Meta tags will not work.

4.       Construct the URL with keyword:

The URL of the website should be constructed with keywords. Many websites use numbers to tag their files but using the keywords on the files and folders will enhance the search ability of the website. Moreover, by doing this the website will increase in the ranking.

5.       Regularly update:

In the end, I would like to add that regularly update your website. If the website is not regularly updated (in three months period) than search engine bots will think that, the website is not updated and its ranking will start to decrease.