Recently between work gigs I have been entering some logo design contests on 99 Designs. For those that don’t know, 99 Designs is a website where designers from around the world compete to win prize money from clients who submit a design brief.

As much as I don’t like the concept (only because it takes away business and also because I didn’t think of it!) I have entered a fair few designs and found it quite addictive.

As well as honing my design skills I have found that the competition really helps push the boundaries and to think outside the square when it comes to design. I have won a few contests and lost many more… sometimes you look at the winning designs and wonder why the client has chosen such an ordinary design, but what’s ordinary to me is sometimes brilliant to others. I have to concede, design is a subjective thing.

You can check out my 99 Designs portfolio here:
http://99designs.com/people/artmart/folio

You can also check out a design contest I held for ‘Design me the worst logo in the world’.
These are some of the worst designs you will ever see… they will burn your eyeballs!
http://99designs.com/contests/14098