GD

Ranking System

Democratic peer review to recognize your skill level

How Ranking Works

Skill recognition through peer review

The GD Ranking System recognizes your skill level through democratic peer review. Your rank isn't decided by staff—it's determined by the collective judgment of ranked community members.

The Process

  1. 1You submit your portfolio and background
  2. 2Ranked members review and vote on your skill level
  3. 3First rank to receive 3 qualifying votes wins
  4. 4You're notified of the outcome via DM

What are "Qualifying Votes"?

A vote only counts if the voter is at or above the rank they're voting for.

Examples:

  • A Skilled member can vote for Novice, Competent, or Skilled
  • A Competent member can vote for Novice or Competent
  • Only Masters can vote for Master rank

Opinion Votes: Lower-ranked members can still express their opinion, but it won't affect the outcome.

The Five Ranks

N

Novice

Just starting out, learning the fundamentals. Building your foundation in design principles.

C

Competent

Solid foundation, beginning professional work. Can handle standard design tasks independently.

S

Skilled

Versatile professional handling complex projects. Strong execution across multiple design disciplines.

S

Specialist

Expert sought after for unique skills. Deep expertise in specific areas with notable portfolio.

M

Master

Exceptional talent setting industry standards. Top 1% of the community with verified credentials.

Applying for a Rank

Before You Apply

Prepare

  • • Prepare your portfolio — Show your best work
  • • Show variety — Demonstrate range if you have it
  • • Organize well — Clean, professional presentation
  • • Be patient — Voting can take up to 5 days

Remember

  • • You can only apply once every 3 months
  • • Your portfolio is the primary consideration
  • • Quality matters more than quantity
  • • Current skill level, not potential

Starting Your Application

1

Click the Button

Go to #rank-application and click "Apply For Rank".

2

Complete the Wizard

The bot will DM you with a wizard asking for your occupation, experience, and portfolio.

3

Wait for Voting

Your application appears in #rank-voting where ranked members can vote!

Wizard asks for:

  • •Occupation: Hobbyist, freelancer, or agency/company?
  • •Experience: How long have you been designing?
  • •Portfolio: Share up to 5 portfolio links
  • •Work Samples: Upload up to 10 work samples

What Happens Next?

  • Ranked members will review your portfolio
  • They'll vote on what rank they think you deserve
  • The first rank to get 3 qualifying votes wins
  • You'll be notified via DM when a decision is made
  • The rank role will be automatically assigned to you

Voting on Applications

If you're already ranked, you can vote on applications in #rank-voting.

How to Vote

  1. 1Review the application embed (portfolio links, experience, work samples)
  2. 2Use the dropdown menu to select: Novice, Competent, Skilled, Specialist, Master, or Deny
  3. 3Your vote is recorded and displayed on the application

Voting Guidelines

Vote based on:

  • • Portfolio quality and presentation
  • • Range and versatility of work
  • • Professional experience level
  • • Technical skill and execution
  • • Design fundamentals and theory

Don't vote based on:

  • • Personal relationships
  • • Popularity or followers
  • • How much you like the person
  • • Unrelated factors
  • • Potential (vote on current skill)

Denial Votes

Any ranked member can vote to Deny an application. This is for:

  • Portfolios that don't meet minimum standards
  • Suspected stolen work
  • Inappropriate submissions
  • Clear misrepresentation of skill

When 3 denial votes are reached, a discussion thread is created where voters explain their reasoning. This helps applicants understand what to improve.

Master Rank Special Process

If you receive 3 votes for Master rank, there's an additional verification step:

  1. 1A private verification channel is created
  2. 2You'll be asked to verify portfolio ownership (e.g., watermark a piece, show project files)
  3. 3Staff will review your verification
  4. 4If approved, you receive the Master rank
  5. 5If denied, you may receive the next highest voted rank

This extra step ensures the Master rank (top 1% of members) maintains its prestige and represents genuinely exceptional talent.