This mini guideline comes from the proposals received and from the comments on our first IamaSource logo contest.
The aim - that many of you like– is to give at least one comment to each designer who joins the contest (not that easy). We also want to say that the comments are made according to the brief requirements, and are intended to be constructive, without turning down styles or graphic approach just because “we didn’t like it”.
There is no need to say that it’s easier to write to designers who “lose themselves” when referring to the brief requirements. When we find good designs we try to say that, without exceeding, giving comments and rating stars.
For some proposals we had a doubt about the rating, and sometimes 3 stars as maximum rating means that the proposals, even if we like them, probably require some improvement which we’re going to ask for, in order to have many good proposals and to have a hard decision to make.
In the following there are some tips, good for our contest, and also for future contests. So read them carefully.
1) Read the brief.
In a high award contest there will be lots of proposals. It’s very important not to upset the client at the very first sight. It’s necessary to read the brief requirements and try to follow these. Sometimes it’s a matter of detail: a good proposal can be rejected just because it does not have the details required.
I.e.: in the IamaSource contest brief, among the others, we ask for a black background, a style with a strong impact in the virtual world, an icon that plays along with the name and that can stand on its own…
You can find some of these requests on “Constraints and suggestions”, you can easily understand how the lack of these goes against what can be “love at first sight”.
In that case we’ve sent comments asking for improvement, to try to have a better layout to evaluate.
2) When less is more.
In the uploading of the first proposals, you should avoid sending many different versions of the same layout. Try to focus on one proposal. This is enough to evaluate your style, your graphic approach and the creativity you put in there.
Eventually the client is going to ask for more versions.
If you have many versions of the same layout, make a choice and send your best one. You can ask for a comment before sending other versions.
Thereby the client can concentrate on your best one, without losing their attention while looking at your profile which has five similar layouts.
3) Check your creative proposals and, if you’ve received it, read the comment.
Even if you can’t hear the tone of the client voice, when you read a comment try to take the best from it, whatever it is. Comments are constructive. Thinking “I’m good, the client is bad” will not be very useful if you want to try to win the contest. It’d be better try to understand why the client has sent the negative comment, or focus on the positive comments to create the best layout.
4) Check out the other creative proposals.
Not only to get inspired, see the client’s favorite style, or report a copyright abuse, but also to avoid sending an idea that has already uploaded.
In IamaSource logo contest there are several light bulb proposals. It’s absolutely a correct concept, but after the tenth version we’re going to ask “is that concept so original?”. Once a way has been explored, try something else or a completely different and particular graphic approach.
5) Check the client rating (stars).
Check which is your higher star rated proposal. The client evaluation and yours are not always the same. Check the gallery, sort the proposals by rating in order to under stand what contest style is required.
6) Reread the brief (it’s really IMPORTANT).
We can't stress this enough. During your creative work it’s normal that your ideas are shaken, changed, improved… and the final result is not always close to initial requirements.
The most common risk is to lose the pieces or to go off topic. Maybe creating a good topic, but it’s off.
Before uploading your creative proposal, reread the brief it’s not a suggestion, it’s a must. While you’re rereading, concentrate on your layout. Even better, keep the brief and your creative work opened, in order to see them at the same time. Try to find which elements are close to the brief requirements and what’s wrong or still missing.
7) Emphasis on the strong and replace the weak elements.
It’s useless to be upset if the client doesn’t like a proposal. There is no time to discuss, it would be better to focus on the comments and maybe try to adapt your style to what the client requests are, writing your reasons in the description panel. A good description can support you proposal.
8) Update the profile.
For the client it’s important to understand who the designer is. Don’t be afraid to show your skills even if you’re at the beginning of your career, the client can be surprised in many cases: surprised by a senior designer with a good portfolio who sends a weak proposal, surprised by a young designer with not much experience but a very good proposal.
So whether you are an Art Director with a decade of experience, whether you’re students, don’t be scared. It’s important to be able to sell yourselves with the available tools.
9) Focus on media and target.
In addition to what is mentioned in the brief, you always have to focus on the final usage of the creative work. Where will it be located? Who will see it?
These are useful tips for a print or a banner campaign, but also for logo.
In the IamaSource logo contest it was evident that the logo has to be placed on the web (see the brief). The first use is in the web-site header. Beyond the aspect ratio guidelines for a logo (see IamaBlog), the proposals with complex backgrounds, layout base:height 1:5, sophisticated styles… they aren’t appropriate for the first placement of this logo and they should give you other tips not written.
10) Add the creativity (as usual).
No fear. What we have written doesn’t mean you can’t be creative.
Also with simplicity you can be creative: sometimes the best layout is the essential one. Other times the winning idea comes from more elaborate treatment, but we like to mention the Apple logo: instantly recognizable all over the world, but it’s not that original (The Beatles used it many years before). We challenge you to say that the Apple logo is not strong, making a strong or easily adaptable.
There are many ways to be creative, it’s up to you to choose the right one.