“Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot.”
-Sherlock Holmes
Some of you may have noticed a new element in your profile over the past week and let me just say this – the game is on! We’ve added some great game features like points and levels to designer profiles to make being a 99designer better than ever.
You can earn points for all sorts of different things and discovering how is just part of the fun!
Don’t worry my dear Watson – It’s elementary ;)
Simply participate as you normally would by browsing contests, watching contests, submitting designs and interacting with the community and you’ll start racking up the points and leveling up in no time flat!
As you climb further up the levels you’ll increase your reputation in the community and perhaps even unlock some cool surprises too!
Have fun and please be sure to let us know what you think.
Cheers,
Jason
wow… nice feature…
have to try :)
what surprise Jason?? I’ll waiting.. :D
How high is the level? i mean is it like in rpg game? when you got level 99 then it’ s stop..you can’t go higher…btw its fun to have such a feature..:D
I don’t want to give it all away – just have fun with it :)
Cheers,
Jason
340 points to go to level 6! ahahaha.. who’s with me??
someone mentioned on your facebook page that he got points just for posting a comment… is this good? some guys may start spamming a lot :)
btw it’s a cool feature, but shame that you didn’t include points for past contests :/
It will not get people very far in this game.
Jason
To clarify – We do not give points for commenting
Could someone who has entered 5,000 contests and won 6 have a higher point level than someone who has entered 50 contests and won 20?
We started everyone from zero from the point of view of the game.
Those who are active and good designers will quickly separate themselves from the pack.
Cheers,
Jason
Can I redeem that point into my paypal ? LoL
Not these points :)
Good idea, this reminds me of a TED video that I recently saw about turning the workplace into a game and it seems like you have done that very well. I hope others can learn from your example.
Just trying to see if i’ll get points for posting this comment.
lol
Hmm interesting. But how will this be beneficial i mean the points to a designer. Just curious
i’ll explain it to you- they made staged contests. But they don’t want designers to run away from 99designs. So they made us a little toy to play around and be distracted and forget bigger problems :D
I realize you are kidding but just for the record – we have been working on the game for a while and it has nothing specifically to do with staged contests other than it being completed at around the same time.
Cheers,
Jason
Really nice, i consider this as an achievement system, like in games. Good luck everyone:)
great thing :) Like hero on RPG games :DDD
I think we need more Badges here for example a badge can be appear in profile of designer who won most contest in a month and be appear for a month
in his/her profile or maybe behind his/her name in all contests that Participate
guys you’re very curious. lets just have fun and confidence into our 99team :)))
Hello Jason,
Just a personal thought. I think the “Level” grading system is a great step. But the points should include past wins as well otherwise it will really look funny.
Just see few examples below …
Keegan, a Featured designer with 240 Wins reached Level 1.
https://99designs.com/users/604846 – 00 win/ Level 2
https://99designs.com/users/749195 – 00 win/ Level 3
https://99designs.com/users/383761 – 3 wins/ Level 5
https://99designs.com/users/247345 – 240 wins/ Level 1
https://99designs.com/people/niichan- 98 wins/ Level 3
https://99designs.com/people/lugosi – 45 wins/ Level 1
Personally I think 99Design should add points on past wins/ participation of each designer otherwise the Level system will be funny like this.
With Regards
Milan
Thanks for the feedback – we did certainly consider it but in the end decided to start the game at zero for everyone knowing that active designers with skill would quickly advance.
Just give it a little time.
Cheers,
Jason
keegan and lugosi, level 1, lol :D
is there a page somewhere, where we can see the ranking?
who is at the highest level yet?
cheers!
This is just phase 1 – more fun is on the way :)
it would be very interesting if we be able to see the ranking
i wonder the first ranking is the first member of 99design! you should feature this designer on designer profile and ranking page! it would be interesting who’s the person is. :D :D
Look in your notification and you will find the answer ;)
It´s funny! Great Idea Jason…
The game stated at zero, but when did it start? The ranking that’s on my profile, is that only include the current contests I’m participating? A little explanation on how much points one can earn my participating or winning a contest will be helpful. I’m kinda confused!
Hi Jason,
Would that be possible to call the game “Community Level” or something and make much less important on the profile page ?
Seems the points/levels have nothing to do with designers skills and may confuse contest holders way too much in my humble opinion.
Jason I’m enjoying this :P
what kind of surprise, I am wondering? :)and I sure enjoy this game ..:))
Surprises are not surprises if you know what they are… :)
agreed Jason! really waiting for the surprise!!!
Do you have a surprise for the first who gained the 10th level? ))
Now this is cool …. though i got only 20 points… :D
THe points you get are in the notifications.
It says the every point you get.
Hey! Thanks for pointing that out. Appreciate it.
Is this call of duty??? Level up and then prestige..lol.
Jokes apart! Its a very nice feature to motivate all the new designers on the site and obviously for 99design’s clients (Contest holders) as they will get swamped by activity. I think creatives who have been around for a while are not the target audience for this game… coz for them it is like being undervalued.
Mr X Entered 1000 contest, won 100 Level 2 VS Mr Y Entered 30 contest won 2 Level 6. I think its good for game-fun n all…but not fair if it has anything to do with the reputation or exposure of a creative. I dont think it should have anything to do with reputation of a creative or someone being overfeatured merely because of the fact that they are active. 99d always comes up with a good piece of cake for everyone and I am sure that they will also come up with something that appreciates all the time that older designers have spent on 99d…all the way from sitepoint even :).
:) pretty well explained nothing to tell else, Terry
Thanks Terry – we think it will be a lot of fun.
Also in regards to our decision to start the game at zero for everyone… I want to make it clear that we thought about it long and hard and weighed the decision carefully. In the end, we felt starting from scratch was the best course for three main reasons:
1. It allows everyone to play. If the long time designers started with too much of their history being accounted for it would deprive them of too much of the game.
2. Any designer who is active on the site and skilled will quickly gain points, levels and status.
3. Even if you have been around for a long time and are not as active as you once were… you would still have your history of wins… which is a pretty powerful indicator of status in it’s own right ;)
Cheers,
Jason
Hi Jason, I think Terry also means more the fact that not only skilled users will grow quickly. The fact that you get points if a CH rates doesn’t show off your skills? Also whats when you get awarded directly in first stage? Like this you get just the points for win but not the points for rating and for entering 2nd stage for example. I mean its easy to balance non winning with a lot of entries ;) Which can end in the fact that also after 2 years same great designer may stay low level against user which almost never wins? Why you get points for rating? doesn’t doesn’t show that you are a good designer (some CH rates some not) nor it show your standing in the community? Entering next stage, hmm this depense on the tpye of contest I believe in Logo design its a harder fight in Print design the CH even don’t have 6 designers to choose from. Finally the idea of level isn’t bad but I think many want the option to hide the level such as its possible with the prize a designer won already. Also a statistic will come but again this will shows nothing just confuse the CH. Why not statistic from winnings, ratio, statistic per Type of contests? I think Levels are a nice FUN game and I like it but till now many designers don’t want it to stays on the front of them ;) But thats just my humple opinion.
Skilled designers will advance much further and much faster than less skilled designers.
We did think this through… :)
I do understand the concerns in the face of something new… All I am saying is relax, have fun with it and give it some time to play out before making any decisions.
Cheers,
Jason
a game you say “))
How about making a game where the one who finds 10 copycats gets 100$. That’s a fun way to handle some trouble around here, not adding Level, which can create confusions between designers and CH’s. Also a game where some REAL designers would help CH’s to choose good designs instead of illustrations as logos, would be nice.
And all the other games that i can came with…
I really think that is a very good idea !!!
99 should consider this.
Nice idea of starting from zero. Six months down the line good active designers with high winning rate will reach higher. Its just in the short term the ranking looks funny. I have made some other suggestions through Kaitlyn99, please consider them as well.
Wow! it makes me even more excited!
Is there a chance to see a track record ‘ when’ and ‘why’ we earn points? because I’ve seen how I won the last 5, but the rest?
10x in advance.
You know i suggested about point system 3 months ago.
But still i’m on 1 level :(
Thnx :(
Wow! I just logged in back from a 2 week vacation and a lot of things have changed :) Currently @ level 3!
So 1500 contests entered and two dozen wins equals level three, but 86 contests entered and one win is level FIVE…. this seems a bit arbitrary Jason….:(
Devi,
I know you are active on the site and have contributed much throughout the years.
You are valued greatly in the community!
I just want to make sure you saw my detailed explanation on how we arrived at the decision to start the game at zero.
Happy to chat with you further about it – please feel free to contact me.
Cheers,
Jason
After all these years of being part of the 99% of designers that supports the 1% of management, and having all my past work ignored, I’m loosing that warm fuzzy feeling…
I’m loving it!
Jason
How do you add points to a designer’s profile i mean on which basis? what is the criteria? for every contest i watch, for every contest i enter?
I watch 5 contests, but when i clicked on one particular contest it said you have got 5 points. why not for remaining 4?
Thanks
I’m 580 point level 5 and never win a contest hahaha …
Good Idea!!
i think this is really great..cant wait for the prizes…hehehe
Points System is fine, the new type of Contest is fantastic … but all this would work really well if you truly protect designers. Protect them from the numerous copies that many outsiders have to contest, copies of the design of another contestant, costest holders leaving the contest at the middle … or at the end, contests that are not paid … too easy for them and very little commitment and professional ethics … This ultimately leads to hard work, effort and enthusiasm thrown away even though many points that you give us. It’s what I think ;)
I wish you happy holidays and the best of artistic inspiration! Cheers!
Thanks for the comment and glad you like the new system.
I assure you protecting designers and their work is one of our primary goals… I wish I could say it is easy.
All businesses, online and offline, experience security issues… and each online and offline have their own particular challenges and advantages (pros and cons). It is all just part of the overall cost of doing business.
We will continue to make 99designs a safe, profitable and fun place to do business.
Cheers,
Jason
Happy holidays 99design community.
very nice . . . :)
speed margo… yeah I noticed.
I think that’level’word is not appropriate for this. That ‘level’ can make confusions between designers and CH’s,because some people thought ‘level = quality’!
I think it’s terrible.
Very nice feature.
I was a fan of this new feature at first, but the more I learn, the less I like it. I tried submitting questions to 99Designs Support for clarification, but they are not giving up any details. The first time I was shortlisted under the new system it was worth 100 points. The second time, zero points. I don’t mind not knowing all off the details, but its seeming pretty arbitrary. Maybe it will still get better…
hello, Jason
I asked, at a minimum level of what the designers can be rewarded?
thank you
That’s interested.
Hi Jason,
You say good designers/designs get rewarded. How does that work? How is quality decided? Is it based on wins, on the number of stars awarded by competition holders or is someone actually doing real quality control (unlikely, I know)?
Guys don’t make the fatal mistake of compramising quality for quantity…unlike other sites 99d is what it is because of the creative quality found in alot of it’s members…..why their merits & status should now be gauged by how often they go round the site clicking the ‘watch button’, submitting rubbish & annoying CH’s with petty irrelevant comments just to gain a point here & there is beyond me…would make more sense if these time wasters were penalized instead of being encouraged.
I’m not saying it’s a bad idea but in this case the word ‘level’could be misleading to CH’s, why not call it ‘site activity level’or on those lines …Keep it simple & focus your energies on keeping the quality that has set 99d apart from other sites,…Creativity is not a game.
Cheers :)
MARK.. THUMBS UP!!!!
Very nice feature. This community doesn’t stop to amaze me :)
Hi Jason,
You didn’t answer my yes or no question, it was:
Could someone who has entered 5,000 contests and won 6 have a higher point level vs. someone who has entered 50 contests and won 20?
Thanks
With everyone starting at ZERO – yes it is possible as it would completely depend on the activity of each designer from the start of the game.
However, assuming that the designer who entered 50 and won 20 was still active – they would quickly attain a higher level than the other designer.
Jason
Thanks!
cool! I wait for the surprise :D
A very nice idea Mr. Jason.
I like it very much. Only wondering what the surprises will be.
Thanks & regards
OCCUPY 99DESIGNS!!!! We the designers are the 99% that feed and support the 1% that is the corporation of 99designs. NOW we are offered a carrot to get more free work from us with the hopes of tables scraps for someone.
It was fun, but I’m out of here…. good luck all
who is the highest level?
I like it. Just a thought even though you didnt won and your level increases, what good thus it bring?
Thanks
Very nice feature!
I’m all for 99D’s efforts to make our work here fun and rewarding, however, I’d have to admit that I can’t disagree with the past comments regarding “quality vs quantity”. Upon joining 99D last year, I thought maintaining a “low win-per-contests-entered” ratio would somehow be more illustrative of the designers’ skills. And it’s for that reason that I meticulously sift through all the briefs and choose to join only the contests I truly like and whose artwork need I can effectively create (against slapping mediocre entries almost everywhere tp rack up points). Hmmm…I’m sure the site has grand plans for implementing this feature but (in my case) this level system makes me sometimes want to skip the research and sketch phase just so I won’t be left behind on points.
By the way, how come a 4-star rating gets +50 but 5 stars in the same contest get you zip? Should be on a different level now had the higher stars have been given points…now I’m stuck at level 6. :( hahaha.
Don’t worry – the quality of your work is the ultimate measure.
Cheers,
JAson
@Commencal et al – I suggest people just get on with their work in the same way they always did and almost ignore this system. I cannot imagine the benefits of this points system will ever outweigh actually winning contests – financially speaking that is.
I would love to be proved wrong of course but even then, 99d are hardly going to throw around enough cash to enough people to make you want to focus solely on boosting your level… there are far too many users for average joe to rank highly.
Do your best for the briefs that motivate you and that will be far more rewarding – after all it’s why you joined right? Go download a computer game if it’s your e-peen you care about!
I think it is shamed based and rather humiliating. : ( Makes me feel crappy.
OCCUPY 99DESIGNS!!!! We the designers are the 99% that feed and support the 1% that is the corporation of 99designs. NOW we are offered a carrot to get more free work from us with the hopes of tables scraps for someone.
It was fun, but I’m out of here…. good luck all
So Finally I see the ranking method…
But I’m still a naif about this question
but I have a question about the forum….
When I submit my design I also have to asking for a ranking star?
How long we have to wait for the Surprises :)
3 months of rankings, level 10 achieved yet no surprises??
Hmm, I’m level 11 now and no surprise along the way. :/
That’s the surprise.. THERE IS NO SURPRISE!!!
Take it as a cake that awaits you at the end of the game :)
I never got reported but if someone does – loses points? (out of curiosity)
We do not have negative points right now – perhaps in the future.
The points and leveling is still being worked on heavily.
Cheers,
Jason
how to add points
Point is great but I am dying to hit this last 200 pts for gold member. Problem is I cannot seem to earn more and I am on the site 6+ hours of the day!
Gold has nothing to do with points.
https://99designs.wufoo.com/forms/99designs-gold-designer-application/
This feature is cool and fun. Makes me enjoy doing work seeing myself level up bit by bit. Anyway I just joined 11 months ago and now i’m level 6. lol XD