As someone who regularly joins contests here on bitcointalk whether it's design contests, prediction contests or any kind of competition, I would probably recommend hosting a contest. Aside from being able to choose from different designs, you also get the benefit of using it as part of your advertising strategy, which many here on bitcointalk are already doing.

The only issue I see with contests is that eventhough you get multiple options, there are usually no design revisions unless you specifically ask the winner for a revision and pay them separately on top of the prize. There are also some paid designers who charge extra if you request revisions to the design.

Still, as someone who often joins these kinds of contests here on bitcointalk, I recommend running an ANN Thread design contest. Expect me to join.