Last night, I won an award for my logo design work. But as the results came in, I found myself struggling to celebrate.
Awards are a bit of a sticking point in the design industry. They often cost a fortune to enter, and if you’re shortlisted you might find yourself facing significant fees for a table at the presentation.
I’ve freelanced at agencies who have entire teams dedicated to award entry. And sometimes the design work that is entered is a long way from what was actually used in the end result for the client. Also the ‘peers’ who judge the work often have… questionable experience.
As a freelancer, there aren’t many awards that I can enter. So the decision to enter was not taken lightly. It’s a significant outlay for my business, but I did it because I am still of the opinion that awards are important. They promote innovation and force us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the design space.
For me, it’s also nice to have my work validated from someone other than my mum! But when you’re printing out your own award certificate for your home office, it does lose a little of the glitz and glamour!
What are your thoughts on this? Have you won an award and did winning actually have a measurable effect on your business? I’ll report back on whether it did for me.
N.B. I picked up the ‘Award of Excellence’ at the Best Brand Awards 2023 for both my work with Nectir and Engage Electrical. I was also awarded ‘Runner Up’ for Kyler Engineering, Uncle Jessy and Gaming Buzz.
