One of the most common pieces of advice you’ll find in design books, articles, and designer interviews is: “Join contests.” They say that participating in contests helps you develop your skills, improve your craft, understand client preferences, and nurture your artistic sense… and so much more. That all sounds great and motivational, but as a designer, how do I even know there’s a contest happening? Are there any quick, non-detailed tips about these contests?
Follow Specialized Blogs
For example, the “Shuaraat” blog by the creative Issam Hammoud is a great resource. You’ll find everything related to logo design presented in a professional and refined manner. Plus, the content focuses only on what benefits you. Sometimes, the blog might mention ongoing contests or their results. In any case, you’ll find something that helps improve your skills. Look for blogs written by professionals who know what they’re talking about, and don’t get distracted by anyone who merely talks about design and designers.
Some Tech Blogs Might Help Too
Like “Aalam AlTaqnia” and others. I agree, they are purely tech-focused, but there’s no harm in following them. They might touch on design aspects or contests, or share news that might interest you in one way or another.
And Twitter Too
Yes, follow designers’ accounts. Even if they don’t write about contests in their blogs, they might mention them on Twitter. Here’s my advice: Don’t follow every designer or every blog you come across. You’ll end up with a lot of irrelevant chatter. Follow people who know what they’re doing and excel in their field. They’ll surely benefit you. Even their off-topic discussions can be insightful. After all, the main purpose of Twitter is to provide value, not to collect as many followers as possible.
Avoid Google
If you already know the contest you’re looking for, Google is fine. It’ll give you several sources to choose from. But if you’re unsure of what exactly you’re looking for, don’t just type “Design Contest 2011” and search on Google. You’ll run into forums that love to recycle content, distract you, and might even provide incorrect or misleading information. Choose your sources wisely and don’t be random.
99Designs is What You Need
The “99designs” website is fantastic in this field. The idea is simple: A client posts a design request, explaining exactly what they want. As a designer, you submit your work alongside other designers’ entries. The client then picks the one they like the most and rewards the winner. Don’t think of this site as a stock exchange or a quick cash grab. You won’t win if you don’t know what you’re doing, but the real benefit lies in interacting with other designers and clients. And don’t forget the advantage of direct communication with the client and getting feedback on your work. If your goal is monetary, don’t join. But if you’re looking to gain experience, close my blog and go to them! I might revisit this site in detail later, but for now, if you’re interested in the success story of “99designs,” no one tells it better than Raouf Shabayek.
Don’t Participate in Design Forums
I don’t mean to belittle forums or design forums, but trust me, most contests held in design forums are empty and lack substance. The feedback you’ll receive will look something like this: “Thanks,” “Well done,” “Great job,” “Thanks, artist,” “Your work lit up the forum”… What I’m saying is, you won’t find constructive criticism or useful advice. Even if you have a lot of time to waste, don’t go to forums under the pretense of gaining experience—vanity is all you’ll get.
Enter What You Care About
Don’t just enter any contest you stumble upon for the sake of participation or fun. If you’re not passionate about what you do, no one else will love your work, and you won’t succeed. In the end, you’ve entered a field with doors bigger than you can imagine. If you knock on every door you find, you’ll exhaust yourself and won’t enter any. So choose carefully, decide what you want, and trust in God.
Learn From Your Loss
Let’s say you found a contest, participated, and eventually discovered that you lost! Trust me, your loss is what will benefit you. Follow the contest until the end, study the winning work, and compare it to yours. Understand what made it stand out and why it won, and learn for the next time. If not today or tomorrow, then maybe the day after, God willing.
I didn’t cover everything related to contests; these are just quick thoughts that crossed my mind, and I wanted to share them with you, hoping they’ll benefit someone even if just a little.
