You will need a huge amount of productive traffic for that to work.
A better idea would simply be to create a platform for up and coming designers to show their wares. Invest in a custom script, custom design, logo. Make it look like a place where a young designer would like to upload pics of his / her designs for sale.
What you then do is get visitors to vote for their favorite designers. The winner each month wins "something" and gets a review (ie more exposure and more sales for him / her).
Tell your programmers to think along the lines of photography rating sites (ie
www.istockphoto.com).