5 Custom Medal Design Mistakes to Avoid

Receiving an impressive award for your efforts is one of the most rewarding aspects of completing an event or competing. It can serve as a constant physical reminder of your achievements, which is why many people keep their favorite, most important ones on display for years.

Keeping this in mind, you don't want to be known as the event director who hands out uninspired or low-quality medals. Worse yet, the event director does not award any medals because they were not completed on time.

Check out these five mistakes event directors make when designing custom medals—and how to avoid them—to reduce the stress surrounding your event's medals. Click here for Award With Ribbon Hanger Dance Medals.

1. Failing to begin the design process quickly enough

Although it seems obvious, this occurs far too frequently. To speed up the process and meet your deadlines, you will either have to compromise quality or pay more for quicker turnaround and delivery dates if you don't give enough time for the design process. So get going early and allow time for revisions!

2. Attempt to create the custom medal themselves

It's safe to say that you are probably not an expert in designing personalized medals.

People who attempt to design their medals often end up packing too much into the available area and failing to utilize negative space, a focal point, or a sense of hierarchy.

You are not required to create original artwork or piece together the entire design of your medal on your own. The best results are obtained when you give specific instructions to a medal vendor who specializes in the design of custom medals and awards.

3. Ignore Medal Design Experts' Advice

You can trust medal design professionals because they know what works best and are familiar with medal production capabilities and specifications.

Even if you have a background in graphic design, the rules for creating designs for print versus metal materials are completely different, and they rarely translate. Seek the advice of medal design experts for the best results. Click here for Quality Sublimation Blank Medal.

4. Committee Design

Getting input from too many people and accommodating everyone's wishes is a common mistake. While it is a noble goal, it is frequently counterproductive. The adage "too many cooks in the kitchen" may be applicable here.

Committee design can result in conflicting ideas about your design, unnecessary revisions, and delays. People will disagree about what they like, and you will go insane trying to please everyone. Design decisions should be made by a single person, and they should be handled by that person.

5. Fail to Understand How Features Affect Cost

You may enter the project with brilliant ideas, a favorite color scheme, and a preferred material, such as metal or acrylic.

However, if you're not aware of how factors such as size, weight, shipping, quantity, and ribbon style affect the price, you're in for a surprise. Begin with a budget in mind to help you make the best design choices for your one-of-a-kind award!

Finally, knowledge is power. Most mistakes are caused by a lack of knowledge and understanding, and this concept also applies to designing custom medals. Without ever speaking with an expert, people make assumptions about how the process works and how they want the medal to look. This can result in poor design quality, budget nightmares, delayed orders, and general dissatisfaction.

You don't want your participants or sponsors to be underwhelmed by the medal because they might not return. Begin early and rely on custom medal experts to guide you through the ordering and design processes.