For this month’s Center Stage article, we spoke to freelance designer and one of the co-founders of Logo Wave, Kyle Courtright of Courtright Design. Logo Wave, a design awards competition juried by LogoLounge founder Bill Gardner, among others, aims to recognize and reward achievements in logo design to help further designers’ careers in a positive way. We asked Kyle about the competition, his involvement, and why it’s important for designers to enter.
Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your work with Logo Wave?
Since 2009, I’ve worked as an independent graphic designer specializing in branding and identity remedies. The chance to create for a living is an honor and responsibility I don’t take lightly. Growing up, my mom was an art teacher and my dad a business man. I’ve always felt like each of them gave me a piece of their passion.
Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with brands like Toyota, the Detroit Lions, Entrepreneur, Mrs USA, USA Swimming, USA Bass, DR Horton, American Cancer Society and National Parkinson Foundation, to name a few. In my capacity running Logo Wave, I’ve seen a bit of a hair brain idea form into a growing business that provides value and encouragement to designers and agencies across the globe.
How did Logo Wave begin?
I’m always pitching potential business ideas to my wonderful, supportive wife. Part of what I love about her is that she isn’t afraid to tell it how she sees it. After many dud ideas along the way, I threw this Logo Wave concept her way and she loved it. After doing some initial research, I felt there was a gap in the market for a logo awards competition like this. I wanted to give designers a fresh, reimagined design awards platform with significant cash prizes, trophies and network recognition–all at a reasonable entry fee. In June of 2016, a reward heavy, wallet-friendly logo awards platform was born.
What was Logo Wave’s original mission, and how has that mission evolved and succeeded?
Logo Wave seeks to offer passionate creatives a high-profile logo awards platform in order to deepen organizational value, resulting in positive business and career impact. With this core mission intact, a distinct evolution has taken place along the way. At the beginning, participants consisted primarily of independent freelancers. As the credibility of the platform has risen by means of our jury, quality of logo entries, and increased cash prizes/trophies, we’ve seen a large increase of studios and agencies getting in on the action.
The success of this platform is directly related to the value we have to give. If we don’t add value, then what’s the point, right? The following testimonials are the most aligned perspectives of the value we strive to provide these agencies and designers:
“Logo Wave has been THE catalyst in helping me win more of those large, qualified branding and identity gigs. With their top-tier jury, large cash prize, trophy, LogoLounge membership and more than reasonable entry fee, this one is a no-brainer for designers and design agencies who want to add significant value to their creative services.” - Konstantinos Mamangakis | Founder, Orfik Design
“If you enter just one logo awards competition this year, make sure it’s Logo Wave! With its internationally acclaimed jury, crystal trophy and enticing cash prize bounty, it’s the best logo awards program out there!” - Jacob Cass | Founder, JUST Creative
How does the competition work?
Designers and agencies enter their best logo and identity work from their portfolio. Unlike traditional design awards site, there are no entry dates. Each wave ends after a threshold of designers are met. Waves currently take about 2-4 months to complete. Then, a new wave rolls in right away. Much like waves in the ocean, it’s continuous in nature.
The winner(s) of each wave receive significant cash prizes, trophy, 1-year Logo Lounge membership, certificate, digital badge set and network recognition. You can always check out the website to learn more about this design awards competition, including current wave prizes/trophies, entry fees and how it all works.
How is the Logo Wave jury picked, and what big designer names have been a part of the jury in the past?
Each jury member is meticulously chosen based on a full range of considerations. Identity design experience, logo/identity portfolio, clout in the design community and level of activity on social media and/or networking avenues. From inception, we seek the top influencers our industry has to offer.
This phenomenal, first-class jury includes design giants like Bill Gardner, Debbie Millman, David Airey, and Jacob Cass, to name a few. More jury members are coming down the pipe very soon as we continue to grow.
You’re now in Wave 8. What makes it different from Waves 1 through 7?
Wave 8 is structured the same as its 1-7 counterparts. Starting in Wave 9 and beyond, each wave will have different thresholds of designers, cash prizes and trophies. An update we are beyond excited to roll out. In addition, the supremely talented Jeroen van Eerden will be the newest member of our esteemed jury. We are ecstatic to bring on LogoLounge and InVision as our most recent media partners and brand advocates, as well.
Have you seen any logo design trends in the Wave logos entered, either from our 2018 Trend Report or your own perspective?
100%. This phenomenal Plause logo designed by Paulius Kairevicus earned him a cool $1,000.00 and crystal trophy in Wave 6. The effectively gentle transition of hue runs in step with the 2018 Trend Report’s “Blurple” category where we’ve seen a clear expansion of color spectrums in branding.
I’ve noticed an emerging trend where companies are scrapping old color palettes and replacing with a fresh alternative. A few to mention in 2018 alone include rebrands for MailChimp, Century 21 and the Library of Congress. This shift in color can often represent a pivot in mission or vision as evidenced by the Wave Financial rebrand rolling out in late September of 2018.
As a designer yourself, what piece of advice could you give to other designers who wish to further their careers and have their works recognized?
Foster the hunger to learn. Having the chance to look back at your work from a year ago and see genuine growth? Now that’s purposeful stuff. Take the litmus test: Does your past work make you cringe a bit or even make you feel embarrassed? If yes, then you’re on the right track.
To learn more about the Logo Wave competition, click here.
To view Kyle Courtright’s professional website, click here.
With only a few weeks left to enter our own design competition, LogoLounge Book 11 (deadline October 31, 2018), Kyle has made a video asking fellow creatives to enter. You can view his video here.
Be sure to stay tuned next month, LogoLoungers, as we feature another talented member and design influencer “Center Stage. ”