99Designs

Brief Overview of 99designs

99designs is a global creative platform designed to connect businesses, entrepreneurs, and content creators with a community of professional freelance designers. Its primary purpose is to provide a reliable source for custom graphic design work, ranging from logos and branding to websites and packaging. The platform solves the challenge of finding and vetting creative talent by offering two distinct methods for collaboration: design contests and direct one-on-one projects. This dual approach allows users to either receive a multitude of design concepts from various designers or work closely with a single, handpicked creative expert. 99designs supports a vast number of design categories, making it a versatile graphic design solution for launching a new brand, rebranding an existing one, or sourcing creative assets for specific projects. The platform’s structure is built around a vetted community of designers, ensuring a standard of quality and professionalism for its users.

99designs Key Features for Content Creators

• Design Contests: This core feature allows users to submit a design brief to the entire creative community. Dozens of designers then submit custom concepts, providing a wide variety of styles and ideas to choose from. The user provides feedback to refine the submissions before selecting a winning design.
• Direct Hire Projects: For those who have a clear vision or prefer a more traditional freelance relationship, it is possible to browse designer portfolios and hire a specific designer for a one-on-one project. This allows for direct collaboration with a creative whose style aligns with the project's needs.
• Extensive Design Categories: The platform covers a comprehensive range of creative needs, including logo and brand identity packs, website and app design, packaging and labels, book covers, art and illustration, and business and advertising materials like posters and infographics.
• Vetted Designer Community: All designers on the platform are vetted by an internal quality team. Designers are ranked at Entry, Mid, and Top Levels, helping clients gauge the experience and skill of the creatives they work with.
• Free Logo Maker: For users who need a logo quickly or are looking for inspiration, 99designs offers a free logomaker. This tool allows for the creation of a simple logo design in minutes, which can be used as a starting point or as a final design.
• Collaboration Tools: During a design contest, the platform provides tools to streamline feedback. Users can rate incoming designs and leave specific comments, helping designers understand their preferences and make targeted revisions.
• Full Copyright Ownership: Upon completion of a project and final payment, the user receives full copyright ownership of the winning design. This ensures the assets can be used freely for any commercial purpose.
• Production-Ready Files: The winning designer delivers a complete set of production-ready files for both digital and print use. Standard file deliverables include AI, PSD, PDF, EPS, JPG, and PNG formats.
• Money-Back Guarantee: 99designs offers a 100% money-back guarantee on all design contests, providing a risk-free way to explore design options. The guarantee is applicable within 60 days, except for contests where a prize is guaranteed or those that have entered the final round.
• Full-Service Branding Agency: For larger projects, the platform offers access to experienced Brand Strategists who provide full-service packages. This service is designed for businesses looking for a comprehensive branding solution to get set up for long-term growth.

99designs Target Users & Use Cases

99designs is built for a wide spectrum of users, from solo entrepreneurs and content creators to established businesses seeking to expand their brand presence. The platform's flexible pricing and dual-collaboration model make it accessible to users with varying budgets and levels of design knowledge.

• Primary Creator Types: The platform is ideal for YouTubers and streamers needing channel branding, authors requiring book covers, podcasters seeking cover art, and small business owners building a brand from scratch.
• Experience Level: It caters to both beginners who may not know what they want (the contest model is perfect for exploration) and experienced marketing professionals who want to hire a specific designer with a proven portfolio.
• Team Size: While ideal for solo creators and small teams, larger organizations can also use the platform to outsource design tasks without the overhead of an in-house team. The full-service agency option also caters to larger business needs.
• Specific Use Cases:
  • Launching a new coffee shop and needing a complete brand identity, including a logo, packaging, and business cards.
  • Creating a custom website design for an event planning agency.
  • Designing merchandise like t-shirts for a personal brand or event.
  • Developing unique packaging for a new product, such as vegan jerky or tea.
  • Sourcing a professional book cover design for a self-published novel.
  • Getting a logo for a new mobile app or software product.
  • Creating infographics and brochures for marketing campaigns.
  • Rebranding an existing business with a fresh logo and visual identity.
• Content Types: The platform facilitates the creation of a wide array of visual assets, including logos, brand style guides, websites, mobile apps, social media graphics, banners, packaging, labels, book covers, and illustrations.

How to Get Started with 99designs

Initiating a design project on 99designs, particularly a design contest, follows a structured and interactive process.

1. Create a Design Brief: The first step involves completing an interactive guide that helps capture project requirements. Users define their design style, provide visual inspiration, detail information about their business and target audience, and specify their needs.
2. Launch Your Contest: Once the brief is submitted, it is opened to the global community of designers. Creatives begin submitting their unique concepts based on the brief's specifications.
3. Provide Feedback and Collaborate: As design entries arrive, users can rate them and provide feedback. The platform's tools allow for direct communication to help designers refine their concepts and move closer to the desired final product.
4. Select a Winner: After the contest period, which typically lasts about a week, the user selects their favorite design as the winner. There is also an option to enter a Final Round to work more closely with a few finalists.
5. Finalize and Receive Files: The user works one-on-one with the winning designer to finalize the design. Once complete, the designer supplies all necessary production-ready files and the full copyright is transferred.

Frequently Asked Questions About 99designs

• What is 99designs? 99designs is a global creative platform that connects clients with freelance designers. It facilitates collaboration to create custom designs for logos, websites, branding, and a wide variety of other categories.

• How does a design contest work? A design contest allows you to post a brief to a global community of designers. They submit design concepts based on your requirements, and you provide feedback to refine the options before choosing a winning design.

• How much does a design project cost? Every design category offers flexible pricing packages to suit different budgets. For example, logo design contests start at US$299, and a logo and brand identity pack contest starts at $599.

• How are designers vetted for quality? The platform has a dedicated quality team that assesses and ranks designers. Designers are categorized into Entry, Mid, and Top Levels, which helps clients understand their experience and skill.

• Is there a money-back guarantee? Yes, 99designs offers a 100% money-back guarantee on design contests within 60 days of payment. This does not apply to contests with a guaranteed prize or those that have already entered the Final Round.

• How long does a contest take? Most design contests on the platform take approximately one week to complete. However, options are available to expedite the process if a faster turnaround is needed.

• What files are included with the final design? You receive all the necessary files for digital and print use, including the original, editable vector files (like AI and EPS) and web-preview files (like PNG and JPG). You also get full copyright ownership of the final design.

• Can I work directly with a single designer? Yes. If you prefer not to run a contest, you can browse through designer portfolios on the platform and initiate a one-on-one project directly with the designer whose style best fits your needs.

Bottom Line: Should Content Creators Choose 99designs?

For content creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses in need of professional and custom design work, 99designs presents a compelling and flexible solution. The platform is particularly well-suited for those who value choice and variety, as the design contest model delivers a wide range of creative concepts from a global talent pool. This is ideal for anyone starting a new brand who wants to explore different visual directions before committing to one.

The main advantages lie in its structured process, access to a vetted community of designers, and the security of a money-back guarantee on contests. The platform’s ability to handle everything from a simple logo to a full brand identity or website design makes it a scalable resource. Whether you need a single asset or a complete visual overhaul, 99designs offers a clear path to achieving a professional look without the complexity of traditional agency hiring.