At 99designs, we work hard to build a community of top quality, professional designers. That’s why we require designers to submit an application to prove their level of design experience before they may participate on the site. The Designer Curation team approves or declines applications according to a strict set of quality standards, and we decline the vast majority of applications.
Learn more about 99designs’ quality standards →
Designers must complete all sections of the application before submitting. You may edit the application fields after you click the “Submit” button but once you’ve clicked the submit button you’ve reserved a place in the queue for your application to be reviewed. Each designer has two chances to submit an application until it’s permanently declined. We do not reconsider our decisions after an application is declined for the second time.
If an application is approved, a designer is assigned into one of three levels based on their level of experience at signup:
The higher a designer’s level, the more they are rewarded for their experience with additional benefits including broader access to contests, more visibility across the platform, opportunities to give feedback through beta testing, faster payouts, lower platform fees and more.
Learn more about designer level benefits →
What does my application status mean?
-INCOMPLETE APPLICATION
-APPLICATION SUBMITTED: UNDER REVIEW:
-APPLICATION DENIED
How long does the application process take?
- The first time a designer submits an application, it will be reviewed by the Designer Curation team within ***7 business days.***
- The second time a designer submits an application, it will be reviewed within ***14 business days*** after the submission date.
We review each application in the order it was received. We cannot disclose your place in the queue and we do not expedite application reviews upon request.
What should I do if I’ve been permanently declined?
We do not reconsider our decisions after an application is declined for the second time. We’re a site for professionals and designers are expected to have design experience to be able to participate on 99designs. If you need to brush up your design knowledge and professional skills, we offer plenty of great advice, design tips and tutorials in our Designer Resource Center and on the 99designs blog.
* This application process was established in December 2019. Designers who had created accounts prior to this date maintained their Designer Level.
