Top tips

Don't design in a circle

Designing for a circle is a pain in the neck. Just start on a bare page and then put circles around things to find which composition is best.

Doodle

When you are doodling you might come up with fantastic compositions which you can then work up later.

Do your research

Research is key and makes a design accessible to all. There is a trip hazard, however, when doing this. You can get so into a subject and disappear down a rabbit hole and then the resulting design is so obtuse to the original brief that it is not relevant at all. So, do your research but know when to stop!

Ask for opinions

Get others to look at your work. Do they understand it? Can they get the story you are trying to tell?

What’s your second read?

A good medal design should have layers of meaning. Does your design give you something different when you come back to it and look at it for a second time?

Design to scale

Make sure you produce your design to the scale of the final medal. It is no good having a great design that is illegible at the size which it will be produced.

Make it a celebration

The competition marks a significant milestone and it should feel like a celebration. Think about how you might express that in your design.

Don’t overthink it

All of the above is good advice but ultimately don’t spend too long agonising over the design. Get creative and get drawing.