Custom Marketing Collateral Designed Fast
February 27, 2010
Getting custom marketing collateral designed fast can be a challenge particularly for small businesses and startups.
I recently spoke with Nisha Baxi of Dyyno – who shared how she used 99designs.com to design everything from brochures and datasheets to business cards and flyers.
Business Card Design by niichan
What brought you to 99designs.com?
Dyyno is a new online video sharing platform that distributes HD video to an unlimited number of viewers for free. It’s a really cool technology and now that we are pushing it out to the public – we needed the marketing material to back it up.
We had been working with some local designers, but they were really expensive, they did not always do what we wanted them to do, we did not have very many designs to choose from, and ultimately their style is pretty much the same every time. While its nice to have one designer create a consistent look across all the collateral it’s also really good to have multiple options.
Datasheet Design by Arteche Gaston
What marketing collateral have you had designed at 99designs?
The first design project we ran was for a datasheet – we had over 90 submissions and we were really excited. I worked closely with five designers who were great about making changes while we were zeroing in on the final design. The designer that we ended up choosing has been awesome – even now he makes little tweaks to the design as need be.
We also have run projects to design a brochure, a flyer, a second datasheet, a quick start guide and our business cards – The experience that has just been tremendous. I’m not sure if 99designs has a screening process for the designers but if you do – it’s a good one. Every designer that we picked has been excellent with a great work ethic – they are just really, really helpful.
Because of 99designs we now have 6 great pieces of marketing collateral where before we had 3 terrible pieces. We have been to 5 conferences since I joined Dyyno, and I now feel more confident being next to companies that are much more established than us with quality of the marketing collateral we have gotten through 99designs.
Flyer Design by Arteche Gaston
Do you have any tips for running successful design projects?
The most important thing is to stay active and give the designers feedback. The first project that I did – I had no idea what I was doing. I wasn’t giving nearly enough feedback. Now, I try to engage in the project in such a way that respects both my time and the time the designers put into it. For example, I eliminate the designs that are way off base right away. It may sound harsh, but it lets the designers know that they don’t need to waste any more time on it. The more respect you show the designers – the more likely they will be to help you and participate.
Brochure Design by phoebetsui
Help 99designs.com Win the SXSW People’s Choice Award
February 24, 2010
99designs.com is a finalist in the 2010 SXSW Web Awards and now we need your help to win the People’s Choice Award!
Each year the People’s Choice Award is given to the public’s favorite finalist from the SXSW Web Awards competition – The finalist with the most votes wins.
Let’s spread the word about our awesome design community…
Vote for 99designs Here
Building Relationships at 99designs.com
February 18, 2010
One of the biggest benefits of using 99designs.com for both clients and designers is that it creates a tremendous opportunity to BUILD RELATIONSHIPS for future work.
We recently received the following email from one of the designers in the community, pb_design, who wanted to tell us about just one such relationship.
Hi Guys,
Hope you’re all well.
Just want to share a story with you and it’s some positive feedback.
About a year ago I won a design contest on 99designs for a logo and iphone
application icon:http://99designs.com/contests/17119
Since then I’ve continued working with the client, Ambient Industries, as
their graphic designer, designing the look of the whole application and the
website. During the evolution of the application it has changed name and
brand, from ‘Groove’ to ‘Flook’:Flook is a location browser, it’s free to download and is currently a
staff pick on the Apple store US. Try it out and let us know what you
think!I believe this is one of the true benefits of using 99designs. It enables
clients and designers to meet, who otherwise wouldn’t know of each other.
In a number of projects I, and other designers in the community have gone
on to do further work with the clients after the initial contest is
complete. Your site supports this, right across the world, which is
brilliant.So, here’s a big thank you from me and Ambient Industries! If you hadn’t
hosted the contest, then the partnership in creating the app could never
have happened!Cheers!
Pete Borlace (pb_design)
Oh and if you have an iphone – check out Flook… it’s pretty cool!
99designs.com Selected as a Finalist in the 2010 SXSW Web Awards
February 17, 2010
We are proud to announce that 99designs.com has been selected as a finalist for the 2010 SXSW Web Awards in the community category!
The SXSW Web Awards uncover the best new websites and celebrates those who are building tomorrow’s online trends.
The winners in each category will be revealed at the SXSW Web Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening, March 14 at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Wish us luck!
Introducing the New “Ready-made” Logo Store at 99designs.com
February 12, 2010
We are very proud to introduce the latest addition to 99designs.com – something the community has really been asking for… a “Ready-made” logo store which will have a catalogue of thousands of high quality logos that can be purchased and customized starting at just $99.
It’s a fantastic complement to our popular Design Contest Marketplace – so now there are two great ways to get a high quality, professional logo at an affordable price!
And Designers – you now have an a whole world of opportunity to make money and show off your talents!
Here’s How it Works
- Choose the logo you like from the catalogue
- We will customize it with your business name
- 24 hours later – its ready to go!
We are currently working with our design community to “stock the shelves” – so the first logos will be made available for sale beginning in March – but please take a look around!
Designers – Sell Your Logo Designs
Interested in submitting a logo for sale at the Ready-made store?
Find out everything you need to know to sell your logo designs here.
We have been amazed with the logos coming in so far and are looking forward to your submissions!
You can read the full press release here.
Full launch is in March so Please let us know what you think!
101 Tips and Resources for Designers, Entrepreneurs and Marketers
February 9, 2010
A roundup of tips and resources for designers, entrepreneurs and marketers that 99designs.com recently shared via twitter @99designs.
Entrepreneurs, Startups & Marketers
A Compilation of the Web’s Best Advice for Entrepreneurs – bit.ly/6Jes1g
What to do for Your Business in 2010- bit.ly/7eKKQt
10 Easy Ways to Save Money in Your Business – bit.ly/6XDG6J
How to Use a SWOT Analysis for your Business – bit.ly/6IeEfx
The Top 50 Twitter Guides – bit.ly/5iCWII
10 Rules for Increasing Community Engagement – bit.ly/7FlfQ6
A Startup is Not a Smaller Version of a Large Company – bit.ly/6lLNme
How to bring a product to market – bit.ly/5xyp2H
Join Forces and Start Cross-Promoting Now – bit.ly/50dpzf
Tips to Design And Build Email Newsletters – bit.ly/5dmH7f
How to Be Confident without Being Arrogant – bit.ly/7boGjk
Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Your Life – bit.ly/4tA2qU
How I Unplugged and Became More Focused – bit.ly/5EUeMm
Design Principles & Theory
What is Good Design? – bit.ly/6gzoGb
The One Thing You Need to Do to Become a Better Designer – bit.ly/7YfTzB
10 Keys to Growth as a Designer – bit.ly/7qWTc1
10 Principles That Might Make Your Work Better – bit.ly/8ef9UI
The Philosophy of Design – bit.ly/5SzmnG
Style versus Design – http://bit.ly/6q92d3
Gestalt Principles of Perception – bit.ly/8w9TP6
Principles of Great Design: Craftsmanship – bit.ly/58dpQi
Principles of Design: Proximity – bit.ly/7lU5qy
The Principle of Proximity in Web Design – bit.ly/a6I2xh
Principles of Design: Value – bit.ly/6ayq3m
A Broader Understanding of Value – bit.ly/boD03U
Principles Of Design: Contrast – bit.ly/4E5HFC
Subtle Contrast In Design – bit.ly/8j0JUV
Principles Of Design: Color – bit.ly/8o0Nye
How to Get a Professional Look With Color – bit.ly/5PWMW0
The Passionate Color Red – http://bit.ly/52Xz5l
Color In Design: Singing The Blues – bit.ly/4qePrT
Color In Design: Green – bit.ly/4LEuzw
6 fundamental ways to add depth to your designs – bit.ly/8sUpPN
Freelance Design
How to Make Yourself Stand Out as a Freelancer – bit.ly/6cVMkX
Essential Habits Of An Effective Professional Freelancer – bit.ly/5QJ5sS
Seven Tips to Keep Your Clients Coming Back for More – bit.ly/84jsfS
How to Gain and Maintain Your Clients’ Trust – bit.ly/8Az8MJ
Tips for Effective Communication With Your Clients – bit.ly/4ILDkw
How To Explain To Clients That They Are Wrong – http://bit.ly/7dpEek
How To Create The Perfect Client Questionnaire – http://bit.ly/5yHmcL
16 Superb Articles on Freelance Design – http://bit.ly/5gzayn
10 Crowdsourcing Tips for Designers – http://bit.ly/5Vevvb
Logo Design
5 Branding Basics Every Logo Designer Should Know – http://bit.ly/5qgWOo
A Complete Logo Design Process – bit.ly/7sisk6
Font pairing in logo design – bit.ly/8yjbrD
Dazzling Logo Design Tutorials – bit.ly/5MNEf5
90 Exceptionally useful Logo Tutorials – bit.ly/55SnJx
30 Logo Design Tutorials for Photoshop and Illustrator – http://bit.ly/5CXKfF
Web Design
What makes a website successful? – bit.ly/5UwRgJ
Taking Web Designs to Another Level- bit.ly/7LqSBX
6 Goals to Reach For When Designing Your Next Website – bit.ly/aPwPgK
The “Wow” Factor in Web Design – bit.ly/5oLsNe
7 Surefire Web Design Styles that Work – bit.ly/74ftis
To wireframe or not to wireframe - http://bit.ly/6rTLa7
Photoshop Web Design Professional Layout Tutorial – bit.ly/8807B6
How To Create A Clean Layout In Photoshop - http://bit.ly/6uKT5B
Designing with content in mind – bit.ly/5y0XKR
Textures In Web Design: Examples And Best Practices – bit.ly/aQLSzw
Minimalist Web Design: When Less is More – bit.ly/8ePxWH
The Science of White Space in Design – bit.ly/4nABEc
How To Make Good Use Of That Space At The End Of The Page – bit.ly/6ItLTq
CSS Techniques I Wish I Knew When I Started – bit.ly/5kKZqa
10 awesome CSS grid systems – bit.ly/4QGZoP
Stronger, Better, Faster Design with CSS3 – bit.ly/7ypJ5Z
A Collection of HTML5 Resources and Tutorials – bit.ly/8kpeFE
Take Your WordPress Development Skills to the Next Level – bit.ly/5qhyMS
Interaction Design Web Optimization
Complete Beginner’s Guide to Interaction Design – bit.ly/8FG9FY
Web Interactivity Tips and Examples – bit.ly/4XrRqL
25 User Experience Videos That Are Worth Your Time – bit.ly/5B7pKH
The web designer’s guide to user experience – bit.ly/6T1LMk
21 Ways to Make Your Site More Web Accessible – bit.ly/5jq9Q0
7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design – bit.ly/4nMF1t
How to Design Buttons to Help Improve Usability – bit.ly/8Kl07c
Website Performance: What To Know and What You Can Do – bit.ly/7lzErX
7 Tools To Optimize The Speed of Your Website – bit.ly/7uk5OO
Typography
22 Techniques to Breathe New Life Into Your Typography – bit.ly/7pbSGW
The Ultimate Guide to CSS Typography – bit.ly/5yDdp1
8 Simple Ways to Improve Typography – bit.ly/8pT0eJ
Typography: Readability and Legibility – http://bit.ly/akirhG
40 Impressive Photoshop Text Effects Tutorials- http://bit.ly/8miLiW
Type-Inspired Interfaces – bit.ly/5xvCTH
How To Create Typography Portraits In Photoshop – bit.ly/c9Ojis
General Design Tips & Tutorials
The 15 Best Articles For Designers in 2009 – http://bit.ly/8Ir8a7
The 50 Best Photoshop Tutorials of 2009 – bit.ly/7WBzoR
Design Trends for 2010 – bit.ly/84R2PN
125 Unconventional Sources of Web Design Inspiration – http://bit.ly/7mZfUd
Using Inspiration Effectively – bit.ly/57P0Ll
Look, Listen, Learn: 10 Podcasts For Designers – bit.ly/4q17bW
Configuring GIMP 2.6 to Replace Adobe Photoshop – bit.ly/6Y2k38
40 Excellent GIMP Tutorials for Designers – bit.ly/5h5oLI
Mastering Photoshop: Unknown Tricks and Time-Savers – http://bit.ly/64U6XS
Design a Print-Ready Flier with Photoshop and Illustrator – http://bit.ly/8b0qST
4 Tips For Cropping In Photoshop – bit.ly/4NCqzZ
Creating Seamless Patterns in Illustrator – bit.ly/64h8eH
35 Tutorials for Working With Wacom Tablets – bit.ly/4naWXV
Hand Drawing Style Icons, Brushes, Textures and Fonts – bit.ly/4sI7EU
Freebies
Huge Set of Minimal Icons – bit.ly/5I2bCX
50 of the Best Free Icon Sets of 2009 – bit.ly/6tVJgn
50 Best Free Fonts From 2009 – bit.ly/69WATz
15 (Free) Attention Grabbing Premium Slab Fonts – bit.ly/8Tsbuv
70 Awesome Paper Texture Packs – bit.ly/7wWqdY
22 Reliable Sources for Micro Stock Photos – bit.ly/5b3U4n
December & January Highlights
February 8, 2010
Looking back over 99designs’ biggest holiday period ever, we’re again amazed by the quality of designs. Here are just a few of our favorite designs (in no particular order):
- EarthPak logo design by TiChuz
- CompleteGenomics logo design by splat
- WebSpy user interface design by bender
- bluewerk logo design by OTK
- TextFugu logo design by pintxo
- 973 Studios logo design by LukeSF
- New Republic Multimedia web page design by neboica
- Dumb & Smart Mac Guy illustration design by Spork
- resafari logo design by `alex
- Touch Consult logo design by hendraku
- Cyber Nation logo design by sammynerva
- DARE by Natalia logo design by maleficent
- Republik Records logo design by n4t
- Hausmacher web page design by zeba5
- NYC.com logo design by andot
- Head Ancho logo design by stephanielok
- kaimbo logo design by mindster®
- GridFury logo design by HansWurst
Which designs from the community have caught your eye?
Leave a comment and let us know.
Design for TiVo – Huge Opportunity at 99designs.com
February 6, 2010
Banner Ad Design Opportunity for TiVo
Designers – how would you like the opportunity to add TiVo to your list of clients?
TiVo has come to 99designs.com to find talented designers to create some Banner Ad Design with some REAL “Stopping Power!”
TiVo is looking for 3 Banner Ads in fact and they are offering $1000 for each!
So Read the Brief…
And let’s show them what you got!
Cheers,
The 99designs Team
Record Opportunity at 99designs.com
February 4, 2010
Don’t look now – but 99designs.com is breaking records left, right and center!
In January 99designs set new records for:
- The most design projects held in a single month – 2,195
- The highest total of money available to designers in a single month – Over $678,000!
At the time I am writing this there are:
- A record number of open design projects – 617
- With a new record of over $213,000 up for grabs at a single time!
What does this mean for you?
There is more opportunity for designers at 99designs.com than ever before!
Our designers tell us that 50% of the projects they win lead to direct follow on work – that makes 99designs an incredibly powerful tool for building lasting client relationships.
So what are you waiting for – find your opportunity!
Cheers,
The 99designs Team
