99 Design Review – Legit or Scam

99-Design is a graphic design company that hires freelancers to create design logos, tee-shirts, ad campaigns and much more. Anyone who wants to find work online as a graphic designer can join this company. The company offers the clients a chance to view different designers from around the world as the designer competes in different contests for the clients. The client has a multitude of designs they can pick and choose from. Furthermore, during the design contest, the client can work personally with a designer to change the design they have picked.

How Does it Work?

For the Designer:

1. As a designer, you sign up with the company, complete your portfolio and verify your ID.
2. Afterward, you can check on the different design contests available on the site.
3. You’ll create your design and enter the contest.
4. The client will select the winner. Only the winner of each contest is paid for their work.
5. All other entries can modify their design and sell it to another company if they choose to do so.

For the Client:

1. Each client needs to create an account with the company.
2. The company has 4 different design packages a client can select from.
3. After selecting your design package, it’s necessary to fill in the criteria of your design project. This tells the designer what you’re looking for and what type of design you need.
4. Once the contest is opened, the client will have to select the finalist and the winner of the contest.
5. After the winner is selected, the client has the opportunity to request any final changes to the design before the designer signs the design over to him.
6. You’ll pay the company for the work. The company will handle paying each designer for the job they’ve done.

How to Create an Account:

1. It is free to join the site as a designer.
2. Submit your email address, name, username, and password.
3. Complete your profile on your dashboard.
4. Each person has their own portfolio to store their designs in.
5. In order to optimize the full potential of your portfolio, it’s necessary to add a description and tags to each of your designs.
6. A thumbnail of your design will be stored in your portfolio. Before saving your design, it’s possible to crop your thumbnail to make it look pleasing to the eye.
7. Each account must be verified in order to join the contest or withdraw the money in your account. You will need a passport, driver’s license or government issued an ID card to verify your information. The company works with Jumio to verify your ID.
8. As a new member of the site, you’re limited to 10 design contests in a 28 day period. At the end of 28 days, the design counter will reset. Not all design counters will reset at the same time and they are on a rolling counter reset. So you’ll need to check if you can enter a new contest or you’ve reached your 10 design limit.

Entering a Contest:

1. After joining the site as a new member, you’re limited to 10 contents in 28 days.
2. The contest runs for 7 days or until the maximum numbers of entries has been received. Depending on the package the client has purchased will determine how many people can enter this contest.
3. The first 4 days of the contest, the designer submits designs to your contest.
4. During this time the client will supply feedback to the designer about the designs they’ve submitted to the contest.
5. On the 6^th day of the contest, the client will select 6 designers to move to the final round.
6. The final rounds last 3 days. At this time the client can work closely with each designer and request modification to the design.
7. The client will select a winner on the last 2 days of the contest.
8. Once the winner is selected, the client can work with the designer to request any final modifications to the design.
9. Afterward, the designer will sign over all rights to their design. The client pays the company and the company credits the designer account with the contest winnings.

How to Earn Money Working on The Site:

1. You must enter a contest and win the contest to be paid for your work.
2. You’ll be paid after you hand over your design to the person who purchased it.
3. The contest prize is entered into your account on your dashboard.

How to Submit Design Files and Format:

1. Stationery Designs Requirements: The design must be readable and in an AI, PSD, PDF, EPS, or INDD format. Furthermore, the image preview in a web browser must be JPEG or PNG. If you purchased any commercial fonts for your design the link must be added to the design.
2. Social Media Design Requirements: All designs must be submitted in JPEG or PNG so they can be viewed in a web browser. You must supply the link to the commercial fonts you purchased and the RGB colors have to be a 72dpi resolution.
3. Business Card Requirement: The final version of the design must be AI, PSD, PDF, EPS, or INDD. The final web preview image must be JPEG or PNG.  You must supply all links to the commercial fonts used in your design. Your files must be saved in a CMYK color mode that has a 300dpi resolution. Furthermore, you can only use outline fonts for the company name, logos or other permanent text. However, you can’t use an outline font for an employee name or contact information.
4. Logo and Social Media Pack Requirements: You must make a complete pack of designs for the logo, Facebook cover, Twitter header, and YouTube background.

How do Designers get Paid?

1. Each contest you enter and win the credits is applied to your account.
2. In order to exchange your credit for cash, you must request a payout from the company.
3. The site has a minimum payment of $25. You’ll need at least this amount in your account in order to request a payment from the company.
4. The company sends payment by Payoneer or PayPal.

Conclusion:

This is a legitimate company and pays the winner of each design contest it holds. The company won’t pay all designers who enter the contest. Only the winner of each contest has rewarded the payment in their account. This is an excellent way for a designer to find work online. As a graphic designer, you have the perfect opportunity to show your skills and design techniques online. Furthermore, this is excellent for a designer to start his online portfolio and hopefully land a full-time job in this field. Furthermore, the company has jobs available within the organization from time to time. As a member of the site, it’s possible to apply for one of these positions.

My Thoughts About This Type of Work:

1. Many people compete for a single prize in a design competition or contest.
2. This is degrading to a designer when their design is overlooked and not purchased.
3. You end up entering one contest after another and if you don’t win the contest, you’ve spent hours of wasted time creating a design.
4. This site only pays for 1 design and it is the design the client chooses.
5. The designer is exploited and has worked hard to make a design for a contest.
6. Furthermore, this is degrading and not good for the moral if you never win a contest.
7. You could work for months on this site and never earn any money because the client never selected your design.