What are Designer Levels?
To reward designers as they build their skills, 99designs has organized every member of our design community into one of three levels, which appears as a badge on their profile.
How are levels determined?
There are three designer levels on 99designs:
- Top Level
- Mid Level
- Entry Level
Since the Squarespace Marketplace is a new program, members were onboarded at Mid Level based on their expertise with the Squarespace platform. As you complete projects on 99designs, your work will be reviewed to determine your eligibility to become Top Level.
The Designer Curation Team carefully reviews designer portfolios and evaluates them using the following criteria:
- Execution of Design Principles: How well you execute typography, visual hierarchy, composition and color in your designs. This includes presenting a complete and professional profile of only your best work.
- Conceptual Thought: How well you develop creative concepts that effectively solve a client’s business needs, avoid generic design, avoid copying other designers, and follow our stock policy.
- Technical Skills and Deliverables: How well you organize and produce industry standard files and deliverables to clients.
- Client Communication and Satisfaction: How professionally you communicate to clients, keep a positive responsiveness score, successfully complete handovers and projects, gain positive client reviews, grow your repeat clients, and comply with our Designer Code of Conduct.
Access to contests
You will only get Squarespace projects via 1-to-1 projects. Squarespace Marketplace will use the information provided by the client to match them to the right designer for their project. Find out more about how it works.
You may enter design contests on 99designs if you have the required skill set, but you are never obligated to do so. Many of 99designs’ top designers choose to only work on 1-to-1 projects. However, if you would like to enter a contest, you’ll notice that access is based on Designer Level. The higher the level, the more access designers have to higher prize packages.
- Unlimited contests: Top and Mid-level designers have access to unlimited contests. Entry-level designers can participate in up to 10 contests per month to allow time to learn the platform and build their skills.
Payments & Support
Higher level designers enjoy expedited responses from Designer Support, as well as faster payouts. To thank you for participating in the early phases of Squarespace Marketplace, we are giving all Mid-Level Squarespace designers Top Level support and payment processing.
- Prioritized support: Designer Support response time is faster depending on your level. Top and Mid Level Squarespace designers will receive a response in less than 24 hours (excluding weekends).
- Fast payout processing: Top and Mid Level Squarespace designers receive expedited payouts in less than 24 hours.