“I saw this as an opportunity to challenge myself … I felt
that, in a best-case scenario, I might win or place high in one of the
categories. In the worst case scenario, I would spend a lot of time
creating a design that could be a nice show piece for our portfolio. But
the goal was to try new things and challenge myself. Whatever happened,
I would learn something along the way.” – Joe Diaz, winner of the 2011 CorelDRAW International Design Contest.
These days, it’s not hard to find a graphic design contest online.
You may have even thought of entering one in the past, but wondered if
the time investment was worth it. Well, we’re here to tell you that it
is!
Whether you’re a full-time designer, freelancer or student, contests
can help advance your career. It’s not always just about the prizes,
although they can be pretty awesome, but rather the experience, exposure
and critical analysis that comes from contests that you will find the
most beneficial.
2011 CorelDRAW International Design Contest Winner – by Joe Diaz
Here are some ways in which entering a design contest can benefit your career:
Exposure
Entering contests is a great way to get your designs in front of
people who wouldn’t normally see them. In addition to being seen by
judges (in most cases), your work will also likely go up on a website if
it makes it to the final round.
That can expose your work, and you as a designer, to a whole new
audience. It can also get more visitors to your website or online
portfolio. This kind of exposure can lead to clients or employers
approaching you for work, if they like what they see. You never know who
is looking for some design work.
Portfolio Material
Not only does your work get exposed to more people, but you also have
more work to display. If you’re looking to build your portfolio and
post it online, contests are the perfect opportunity for you.
Regardless of how you do in the contest, you are creating more
material to show what you are capable of. Winning designs are a hot
commodity when it comes to portfolio elements. Showcasing something that
was critically acclaimed in the eyes of industry professionals not only
shows people what you can do, but that your work is highly rated.
2013 CorelDRAW International Design Contest Winner – by Alexei Oglushevich
Feedback
If you’ve asked your friends to look at your designs, you know that
not everyone is a critic. It’s hard to find people (with an eye for
design) who will tell you what they actually think of your work.
Submitting your work to a contest gets it in front of industry
professionals. They know what makes an effective advertisement or logo,
and aren’t afraid to share their opinions. If you are able to receive
feedback from judges, it can greatly help you improve your work for the
future.
Creative Work
You entered the world of graphic design to be creative, but the work
you do might not always fall under this category. At times in your
career, you may find yourself creating very standard ads or marketing
collateral that doesn’t allow you to flex your creative muscles.
Contests give you an excuse to work on a passion project, or just
something that you think is cool, rather than your everyday work. It’s a
lot easier to motivate yourself to work in the evenings and on weekends
when you have a deadline. And in the end, you could end up getting
something in return for your work.
So if you’ve been thinking about entering contests, but don’t know if
the time investment is worth it, take comfort in knowing that you are
working on something that will benefit your career. Looking for a
contest to enter? Check out the
CorelDRAW International Design Contest. You can enter the contest
here.
