Image via 99designs.com
The TweetPhoto design contest has a winner and TweetPhoto has a sparkling new logo design. What has captured my attention is the conversation around this contest between designers.
With 591 entries you would sure expect some disagreement on artistic direction, but the discussion on 99designs goes further . TweetPhoto’s need for a new logo has been brought about by it’s expansion of apps for social media sharing sites other than just Twitter. The CH (contest holder) expressed that a suitable design should move away from Twitter birds and any other association with Twitter. Completely understandable and very clearly explained by TweetPhoto. So what is the burning debate?
No doubt surprisingly to some, the creatives involved in this crowd sourced visual branding project did not only provide a huge number of design choices but also suggested that moving to a non-twitter related logo design, whilst keeping a name with such strong Twitter reference only confuses the message the branding will convey. The fact the CH decided not to act upon the advice is not my interest here, there are members of the community far wiser than I to digress into the branding and marketing of TweetPhoto.
What does interest me is the fact that the debate took place at all.
This is exactly the type of advice or level of service some designers and agencies scream is only provided by a traditional relationship with a designer. Guess what? Wrong! Clearly the creatives taking part in this contest have far more design and branding nuance than is often credited.
So from the point of view of a designer taking part in design contests should you be getting involved in this type of discussion? Should you in fact take it even further?
What I am suggesting is rather than taking the “well I have made the suggestion but the designer is not interested/does not understand the point, so I’ll create a logo that fulfills the brief” approach. Instead, stick to your guns. Link to examples that show the benefits of your advice (Seesmic’s re-branding would be perfect for this specific case.) then go ahead and submit a design that you believe to truly help the CH achieve their goal.
Image via hatchwise.com
Interestingly it was not so long ago that Hatchwise launched Brand Storming Sessions. A design contest format aimed at providing a branding package for contest holders. I really like the extra level of service this format provides and I am sure we will see other design contest sites follow suit with their own flavour.
How about you?
Whats your take?
Should we need a contest format to initiate this level of creativity and service? I really think not, but I would love to share your thoughts in the comments.
