Design is my Demon

Just won the 99Design contest for Hunks and Fruit!

Winning Design

The client went for the original design of the hunk drinking the smoothie.  The final however involved a younger-appealing font for “Exotic Smoothie Bar,” which shouldn’t be crazy and unreadable.  At the same time it should jive with brand name’s typography.

Variations and alternatives included a winking hunk, two-smoothie version and a leaf enclosure. (There was also a blonde but that didn’t quite work out…)

Original Sketch The initial plan involved star tattoos on the hunk’s shoulders but was moved up and behind to prevent the logo from looking busy.

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Browse the consolidated portfolio at lawrenceantaran.com

I’m back in the design contest circuit again.  Specifically, I joined a few more contests in 99Designs for the past month.  The latest contests are for logos that involve characters.  As I’m writing this, the contests are not yet over.  There are more or less two days to go for each of them.

The first is for Hunks and Fruit, a mobile smoothie bar in Miami driven by good-looking hunks, which offers exotic fruits in their blend.  Reading the brief, I immediately got excited as it seems like a bold and playful brand.  At the same time, I saw the contest as a challenge in balance as it outlined the logo to be “funny, sexy, manly and young; flirty without been tacky.” (View the contest here.)

Initial Logo Design

Alternative Entry

The client response has been great, so I’m crossing fingers for the win. More importantly, this contest somehow rekindled my interest in illustrating men since I’m usually asked to draw women in my editorial assignments.

The other is for an up and coming website, Completionaut.com, which allows its users to keep track of all the movies they have seen, books read and video games beaten. Instead of a human space explorer, I decided to create a robot companion. (View the contest here.)

Initial Entry (Click to enlarge.)

COPO: COmpletionaut Personal Otomaton, the robot companion involved a very thorough characterization, so thorough that it involved a background and visualizations how it can be used in the site.  However, the client did not require these and noted that site mechanisms are already in place.
With a few days left for the contest, I made a quick, slight revision.

Revised Logo Design

Hope this works for the client. Wish me luck!

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View the consolidated portfolio at lawrenceantaran.com

For the past two months I’ve been hooked on contests.  I’ve read a relayed advise in Facebook for designers just to go on joining in contests, saying it’s a good way to gain experience and exposure.  It got stuck in my head somehow.

Last June I joined in Nine West’s tote design competition hosted by Talenthouse and in Giordano’s Typography Tee Design Contest.  I failed to break through their finals but I was somehow satisfied with my designs.  I've always thought I don't have that cool factor—that explosive yet restrained style expression suitable to be worn.  My experience has primarily been in advertising and communication wherein everything is meant to be clear.  And cool is secondary if necessary at all.

"Swan Damask" - Entry to Design for Nine West competition hosted by Talenthouse

Though not cool enough to win, the tote bag design “Swan Damask” didn’t appear amateur among 933 entries from all over the world. The feedback from voters was encouraging as well.  I have yet to see Giordano’s finalists (or other entries), but I’m quite pleased that I can create graphics beyond the thin and well-dressed female vector most people usually associate me with.

One of my three entries to the Giordano Typography Tee Design Contest. I'm thinking of making one of the creatures the blog mascot/ the official "demon."

After several logo design contests (“projects” as the site puts it), I nailed one with each revision and entry receiving stellar feedback from the contest holder!  It was for The Benefits Supermarket, an insurance and employee benefits company in New York.

"Life Cart" - Winning logo in a 99 Designs contest

But besides the win, it was really a good exposure.  Aptly, it felt like logo design boot camp. For half a month I participated in 10 contests, entering more than one entry for most. Also, I encountered a variety of clients such as social networking startups, an NGO for orphans in Africa and a luxury chocolate brand. Nothing I’ve ever dealt with before, so it was quite refreshing.  The level of competition was also quite daunting.  Many designs were simply impressive that you have to match the crispness of their execution.

I’ve just joined in a new competition in 99 Designs. But after these small victories (Nine West and Giordano experiences counted) I’m going to take it slower.  I’ve sort of had a reality check that these contests do take up a lot of time and effort.  And though they give added experience and exposure, they hardly build a career.  But be they contests or actual projects, I hope for more small victories.