Of course at DesignCrowd, each one of our 490,000+ designers is a winner. However, with our business being in contests, some designs are just more winners than others. That doesn't mean though that the other submissions are not quality.

There are a huge number of reasons why a design may not be picked in first place – it may not fit the tone of the company, or does not communicate key messages as clearly as the winner. Often, it simply comes down to personal taste. After all, design is not an exact science.

Losing a design contest is also not necessarily a bad thing – at least it's never a wasted effort. Often, close seconds still receive participation fees, and in any case, a well-executed design will still bolster the designer's experience and online portfolio, which will help chances in the future. A rejected design may also be able to be purchased by another company and customized for their needs.

To showcase the amazing quality of some of our previously overlooked designs, we've put together this little gallery of contest entries across diverse categories. Who knows – maybe you'll find your dream design right here, ready to be purchased at the click of a button!

Beagle and Bumble logo

Logo Design by Inspiral

The Killing Tree movie poster

Poster Design by Disign

Polairus business card

Businesscard Design by M.U. Designs

Waterfall illustration

Art Design by Grace A

Carey Group Christmas card

Greeting Card Design by Alaya

Dancing Hours book cover

Book Cover Design by Aykutyoney

Charity t-shirt

T-shirt Design by One Day Graphics

The Children's Education Centre letterhead

Letterhead Design by Indian_Ashok

O2 Cool packaging

Packaging Design by Zee

Van der Hum label

Label Design by John-Alexander Designs

Want More?

DesignCrowd designers have a lot more to offer. Take a look at some of their other work:

Politicians Past And Present From Around The World Are Given A Man Bun

Rival Brands Nike, Adidas, Apple, Android and Google Combine Logos

5 Totally Un-Cheesy Pizza Logos in Honor of Pizza Month

Written by Jane Murray on Monday, November 9, 2015

Jane Murray is a freelance copywriter based in Sydney. Apart from writing up a storm for the DesignCrowd blog on anything from logo design to Michael Jackson's shoes, she enjoys reading literary science fiction and hanging out with most animals except wasps. Get in touch via LinkedIn.