Thank you!

At the end of this year’s design contest, we’re overwhelmed and grateful at the response we’ve received and wanted to share a few of our thoughts with you.

Why do we like to hold a design contest each year?

We always look forward to the design contest! It’s such a fun way for us to interact with our community, but it’s also really important to us to support the people in the design world. We work very hard to make sure that our product is something that someone very tasteful in the would like to use and what better way to listen to them than to give them a voice with the design contest.

We also receive so much support from our community throughout the year and the contest is a really fun way to engage with and give back to the people who are supporting us. We love putting power into the hands of people in our community and seeing what it is they want. We love being able to support them!

What do we look for in a winning design?

When we choose our top 10 covers, we’re looking for something that speaks to us. We’re also careful to select designs that fit our brand aesthetic and brand goals. Sometimes there have been top 10 designs that we’re over the moon about, but they don’t win. In the past, we’ve still reached out to those designers to see if we can work with them. The contest is an excellent way for us to connect with designers we wouldn’t have found otherwise.

How do we feel about the response we’ve received this year and years past? 

We always get nervous that people won’t want to submit designs, but every year we’re floored, inspired and in awe. And very humbled, especially our first year running the design contest. We were so surprised with every additional entry and blown away that people cared to enter and it’s the same every year. Sometimes these designers are just kids in college or a high school art student or a mom of 3 kids who does design for fun. It’s so amazing to see the incredible work they make!

Whenever anybody takes the time to make something and put it out there for us to see it’s so humbling. We know it takes a lot of emotional energy and creative skill and it means the world to us that people love our product that much and are willing to put in the time and energy to make such wonderful designs.

We want to say thank you!

This year, more than any, we’ve received so many top quality designs that are thoughtful and intentional. People are looking at our brand and are conscious of our aesthetic. Thank you for putting your art out there! Just like anything on social media, it can be very vulnerable to create and share with your community, especially with the understanding that you might not win. It’s inspiring that people are willing to take that risk. We know that can’t be easy!

We know how much effort, time and energy it takes to make a cover. We really value it and appreciate it so much! You all did an amazing job. Every design has been so unique and artistically beautiful. We are so grateful to be in this community with so many talented people! Thank you so much!

—Trisha & Michelle