Advice On Design Contests Please

[incka]

Soon I'm going to be holding a design content for people to make a design for music-videos.ws.

I need advice... I know Chris has hosted a competition for a design before, and I'm sure some of you have aswell.

Should I host it on sitepoint for somewhere else?

How much should I offer?

I'm going to do 3 pages to design - The homepage, the search results/listings page & the music video page.

Would $250 be about right?

[Mike]

I would host it on designoutpost.com. $250 is perfect, you'll get a good design for that.

[incka]

Should I do a 2nd prize of $25 for effort to incurage people to take part?

[Mike]

Nah, I would have thought you'd get more than enough entries for that price. Most people start template contests for $175 (min) - $200.

[incka]

I'm wanting a really really really good design, so I want to go over the min...

I'll post the guidelines I've made for review soon...

[michael_gersitz]

Wow, two near 1,000 posts. (incka=1000 Mike=996)


$250 Is alot for a contest I think. I would proboally only offer $100-$150. You could get a design group to make a custom one for that price.

[incka]

Give my some design groups portfolio websites please.

[Mike]

You probably could actually. But when I need/can afford a design I will be going to designoutpost. It's a place I've heard good things about, and a place that I can probably trust.

[incka]

Yeah, it would be nice to see several designs to choose from, instead of one...

[MarkB]

Well, that's why you're holding a competition, isn't it? ;)

[incka]

Yeah, any more advice?

[MarkB]

If you're going to offer it as a contest, offer $150. You'll still get some great submissions for that price.

Good luck :)

[incka]

Umm... Are you sure I won't get a less quaility responce with $150... I'm wanting very good quality...

[MarkB]

With a contest, you'll get a good response. Just state that you reserve the right to not buy a design if it doesn't meet your quality requirements.

If you were to hire someone to do it, $250 would be a bargain job IMO (for a VERY good design).

[incka]

Yeah, so a contest, and defiantly do the reserve the right thing, but I think higher than $150...

[MattM]

Well, how much are you willing to pay?

[MarkB]

Hey, it's your money ;)

[michael_gersitz]

You Proboally don't even want yoru design to graphical, more text that graphics.

You ussually have to pay alot for the graphics...

[Mike]

Ask yourself how much the site is going to make. If it's a lot then you can afford to spend $250 on it, if your not sure then go with about $175.

[incka]

Alot...

I've been doing market research, and people want a professional stylist, but simple to navigate. Alot of them hated MTV.com because even though it is stylish, it's not to everyones takes and it's really hard to navigate. Almost all quationned said it was clutted.