The decision to commission a custom award is an investment in how your organisation recognises the people who contribute to its success. Getting the design right matters because an award that genuinely reflects what is being celebrated carries far more meaning than one that could have been given by anyone to anyone. By partnering with Midton , businesses can design bespoke awards that align with their brand, celebrate achievements appropriately, and capture the importance of every milestone in a meaningful way.
Defining What You Want to Recognise
Before any design work begins, it is worth spending time clarifying what the award is intended to communicate. Is it recognising a specific achievement, a period of service, a demonstration of particular values, or a competitive outcome? The clearer the definition, the more directed the design process can be. Awards that try to capture too many ideas at once often end up communicating very little clearly. The most effective recognition pieces have a clear, singular focus that informs every design decision, from the choice of material to the wording on any inscription and the overall form of the piece.
Format and Form: What Shape Should Your Award Take?
Custom awards can take almost any form, from freestanding sculptures and engraved plaques to encapsulated objects, functional pieces, and highly abstract designs. Awards intended for desk display should be sized and weighted appropriately for that purpose. Pieces presented at large-scale ceremonies may benefit from a more dramatic visual impact. Awards given to individuals should feel personal; those presented to teams or organisations may need to reflect the collective nature of the achievement they are marking.
Balancing Budget and Quality
Custom awards are available at a very wide range of price points, and it is possible to commission something distinctive and well-made without an unlimited budget. The key is to work with a manufacturer who is transparent about what is achievable at different budget levels and who can help you identify the design choices that deliver the best result within your constraints. Some materials and production techniques are more cost-effective than others without appearing cheap. A simple, well-proportioned piece in a quality material will always outperform an overly complex design produced in a material that does not justify the brief’s ambition.
Incorporating Your Brand and Identity
Custom awards offer an opportunity to express organisational identity in a physical form. Company logos, signature colours, and visual identity can be integrated into the award seamlessly, creating a design that reflects the brand from the outset. This is particularly important for awards that will be displayed publicly, photographed, or featured in press coverage, where the award itself becomes a visual representative of the organisation. Working with a designer who understands brand application and can translate two-dimensional visual identities into three-dimensional form is essential to achieving a result that feels consistent with the organisation’s overall image.
Planning for Multiple Recipients or Annual Awards
Organisations that run regular recognition programmes or that intend to present awards to multiple people simultaneously have additional considerations to factor into the commissioning process. Consistency across a set of awards matters: each piece should feel like part of the same family, even if individual customisation is required for each recipient. Lead times and production schedules need to account for the number of pieces required and any personalisation involved. For awards presented every year, creating a timeless design framework is often the best approach. Adding the presentation year or edition as a subtle design element allows each award to stand out individually while preserving a consistent identity across the entire series.
After the Award: Maximising the Impact of Recognition
The presentation of an award is a moment, but its impact extends well beyond it if handled thoughtfully. Photography and videography of the presentation event give the recipient something to share and create content that the organisation can use to celebrate the achievement publicly. Internal communications that describe what was recognised and why help others understand what the organisation values and aspires to reward. And the award itself, displayed in a workspace or home, continues to communicate meaning every day. A custom piece that prompts questions and conversations serves as ongoing recognition, not just a one-off event.
