99designs is a freelancer platform that connects graphic designers and clients. Since its launch in 2008, it has become extremely popular with both freelancers and buyers. The online graphic design service has sold to nearly half a million customers and has around 1200 certified logo and web designers associated with the platform.
As well as providing industry-leading logo designs there are over 90 design categories to provide you with everything you need to build a brand and grow your online business. These include categories like logo & identity, web & app design, business & advertising, and much more. Read the rest of our review to find out what we thought of the platform, how it works, and what you get for your money. The review has been written to help you make the decision on which logo maker service to choose.
If you don’t feel like reading the full review right now, no worries. You can save some time by skipping ahead to the bottom line to find out if 99 Designs is the right platform for you.
When creating a logo you will work closely with a professional designer to get the exact look you want. There are two different routes you can go down depending on your budget and preferences but the whole process can be summed up in three simple steps that we will go into more detail about. These steps are;
99designs have created a step by step brief creation process to make it easier to draft the perfect pitch to designers to get the project off to a great start. The first step in this process is highlighting other logo designs that you like the look of and match the style you want to achieve. Next up is outlining your brand’s style using sliding scales, you need to place the scale to where you think your brand sits for a list of opposing criteria.
The scales include;
After this section is complete, you will need to select three colors you’d like your designers to explore or there is an option to let the designers make the suggestions if you’re not sure which color route to take. Finally, you’ll need to enter a few background details to give the designers some more specific context about your business such as the name you want in the logo, the slogan you want to include, and a description of what your business does. In this section, you can also choose what package you want to go forward with if you’re looking for more than just a logo.
Once the brief is complete, it’s then time to connect with a designer and you have two options. You can either hire a designer directly by browsing through the list of professional logo makers that 99designs pull up for you or you can start a contest and open up your brief to the whole of the 99 design community. If you choose the first route you will be able to browse through various designers’ profiles and check out their portfolio, read more about them and look into the service they provide. If you choose to open a contest you will get creative concepts from multiple designers and then you will have to choose one of the designs to own and take through to the final stage of the process.
The last step in the process is finalizing your chosen design route. This is where you can suggest specific amends like changing the color, fonts, or hierarchy of elements. Once you’re happy with the design you can securely release the payment and your designer will deliver the production-ready files and full copyright and ownership is all yours.
Your design files will be stored in your 99designs work area so that you can come back and download them at any time. You can also stay in touch with your designer for any future projects that you might need them for.
Firstly, the whole homepage is filled with infographic-style information that outlines how to get started on the platform, what’s possible, and it shows you some of the amazing designs that have been created on the platform. There is a really informative video that can be found on the How it works page that walks you through from start to finish the process of using 99designs. There’s not much else in terms of onboarding videos but there isn’t a need for any. Once you know what to do, you can then follow the simple step by step process of creating a brief and you’ll be ready to connect with a designer. It’s as easy as that!
The basic logo design package is just the beginning with 99 designs. There are over 90 categories of expertise that the 1200+ designers can work on for you, from clothing and merchandise to art & illustration, and much more.
When looking at designing a logo you can opt for the standard logo design package which will allow you to work with a designer to create your perfect logo or you can opt for one of the packages which include more than just a logo. These include things like the ‘Logo & brand identity pack’ which will give you a logo, a business card design, letterhead & envelope design, and a Facebook cover. There’s also a Logo & hosted website pack, Logo & social media pack, and Logo & brand guide pack. All of these elements are available separately but you can score some good savings when they’re bundled together.
It’s really hard to think of something you can’t get designed on the 99design platforms and if you think of something that isn’t listed then I’m sure if you had a quick chat with one of the expert designers, they will help you find a solution. If you want to see the full list of what the 99designs platform offers, then head over to the categories page.
99designs don’t offer a free trial of any sort because of the nature of the platform. Freelancers can’t be expected to work for free with no guarantee of payment. Instead, 99designs offer a 100% money-back guarantee of payments on all contests. You are able to claim your money back at any point apart from when the process has reached the final stage, which is when you have selected a design to progress with. This basically means that if you are not happy with any of the designs produced in the first stage of a contest you can get your money back with no hassle.
There are lots of different pricing plans available on the 99design platform which vary depending on what you require from the project. For this review, we will outline what it will cost to get a custom logo designed and some of the most popular logo packages.
The basic logo package starts at $299 and will get you a choice of amazing custom logos designed by multiple designers, full copyright and ownership of the design you select and all the production-ready files you will need. This is definitely more expensive than DIY or AI-generated logos but remember, you are paying for professional craftsmanship and a 100% unique design.
If you want a hosted website along with your logo that starts out at $599 and a logo with a full brand identity pack also starts off at $599.
The 99designs blog has a ton of articles to help you learn more about graphic design, branding, and building an online business. Some popular titles include ‘How to create a strong brand personality (and why it’s important)’ and ‘The complete guide to social media design’.
If you’re looking to speak to someone to help you overcome any problems that might arise while using the 99designs service then you can get in touch over the phone by calling +44 20 3319 6464 or you can submit a help request to start an email correspondence.
99designs gives you access to a talent pool of over 1200 expert designers who will be able to create a professional logo that exceeds your expectations. You can choose to work with a particular designer or start a contest to receive design concepts from multiple designers before you choose the route you want to go down. Additionally, if it’s more than just a logo that you’re looking for then 99designs has got you covered. You can choose a service from over 90 categories that covers everything from t-shirt design to book covers.
To address the elephant in the room… yes, $299 seems like an expensive starting price when compared with AI & DIY logo makers. However, you are getting a 100% custom and unique design for that price, as well as design options from multiple professionals. Ultimately, it comes down to your budget. If you think you can stretch to $299 for your logo design then 99designs is one of the best options out there. Head over the to 99design website now to find out more about the process and how to get started.
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