Hello, I’m Spiro (@supirou2052), an illustrator.
The popular VTuber Michi Mochievee recently held an illustration contest for her new outfit design.
Did you get a chance to check it out?
OUTFIT COMPETITION VOTING SEGMENT!
— Michi Mochievee 💍 (@MichiMochievee) September 22, 2025
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND TIME!!
For the outfit competition, YOU can pick your favorites by submitting them in this form here! : https://t.co/KTyamsti36
PLEASE FILL OUT THE SUBMISSION WITH JUST THE NUMBER of your Top 5 Outfit Choices!…
This contest allowed anyone to vote as a judge, making it an exciting event not only for the artists who submitted designs, but also for fans and viewers.
I also joined the voting process, and while looking through the entries, I started to realize my own criteria for choosing a good VTuber outfit illustration.
In this article, I’ll share the points I focused on when evaluating the designs, as well as some lessons I learned from an illustrator’s perspective.
How the Entries and Voting Worked
Each entry only displayed the artist’s name, without any links.
That meant popularity or follower count didn’t matter—the designs were judged purely on their quality and ideas, which I thought was a very fair system.
There were more than 400 submissions, and they were all wonderful. It was difficult to choose, but as I kept looking, I naturally formed my own set of “judging criteria.”
In other words, I was thinking from the perspective of the client (the VTuber herself) and her fans.
Since illustrators should always keep the client’s viewpoint in mind, this turned out to be a very valuable experience.
My Judging Criteria
- Capturing Michi’s essence
Even if the head was hidden, the outfit should still clearly say “this is Michi.” - Not too similar to past outfits
I prioritized designs that felt fresh and original, rather than repeating what already exists. - Basic drawing skill
The art didn’t need to be perfect, but it had to show the structure and details of the outfit clearly enough for judges to understand. - Not resembling other VTubers too closely
With so many VTubers out there, similarities are inevitable.
Still, if I immediately thought “this looks like someone else,” I didn’t choose it. - Respecting Michi
This contest was about creating an outfit for Michi, not for the illustrator to showcase themselves.
I avoided designs where the artist’s personal style felt louder than Michi’s character.
Bonus point (from friends):
Using the provided base model.
I didn’t focus on this much, but many of my friends said designs drawn on the base model were easier to visualize and felt more respectful of Michi’s intentions.
What I Noticed from a Voter’s Perspective
On the other hand, I imagine that casual fans and non-artists tended to vote for entries that were flashy, colorful, or eye-catching at first glance.
With so many submissions, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and people might simply click on the ones that stood out as thumbnails.
Results and Takeaways
I’m really looking forward to seeing which design will be chosen in the end.
It probably won’t be decided by vote count alone—Michi’s own preferences will surely play a big role as well.
For me, this time was about voting, but if I were the one submitting a design, meeting all of these criteria would be quite challenging.
Still, this experience helped me better understand how clients (VTubers) and fans perceive designs, and that insight is very valuable.
If my schedule allows, I’d love to take what I learned here and try participating as a designer in a future VTuber outfit design contest.
If you’re looking for a reliable illustrator who understands VTuber needs, feel free to check out my commission page.
