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  • Home
  • what we do
    • we mentor
    • we research
    • we write
    • we advocate
    • we run workshops
      • How to find higher-fee design work
      • How to manage and lead a creative business
      • How to explain the measurable impact of design
  • Design Business Review
  • Who we are
  • How we can help
    • Costing pricing profit toolkit
    • …build financial knowledge
      • Financial mentoring for designers
      • ebook: Finance in a design studio ebook
      • ebook: Bookkeeping for designers
      • ebook: What’s a fair wage?
      • digital copy: the business of design publication
    • … grow your business
      • Business development mentoring
      • ebook: LinkedIn for designers
      • What’s a fair wage ebook
      • digital copy: the business of design publication
    • … build management and leadership skills
      • How to build a great creative business: good for people and profits
      • What’s the risk? ebook
      • What’s a fair wage ebook
      • digital copy: the business of design publication
    • Free resources
  • Connect
Design Business Council > Articles by: Carol Mackay
Pencil sketch of a person with large round glasses, hands cupping cheeks in a surprised expression.
Understanding client approval resistance
18
May

Understanding resistance as a natural human response changes how you approach client presentations and feedback sessions.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio , risk management for designers , risks for creatives , risks for design studios , risks for designers ,
Line drawing of a person with round glasses and red hair resting their chin on their hands, with the caption 'I'm curious...'.
Are you ready to pivot?
11
May

The goal is not to replace human creativity, but free it from repetitive, mundane tasks. Designers not just creators; we’re storytellers managing AI to produce more engaging, and deeply strategic work.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design index ,
Tags: Business of design , design business coach , design business mentor , design centric , Design management , design pricing , Design strategy , Psychology of design pricing ,
Sketch of a person with orange hair resting their face on their hands, looking dreamy or tired.
Business as usual is dead
04
May

New research confirms what many designers know: the old ways of working aren’t cutting it anymore. Let’s look at what’s changing and what successful studios are doing about it.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
Sketch of a man with round glasses and a beard, resting his chin on his hands in a thoughtful pose.
Clients are not waving, they’re drowning
21
Apr

Success is not entirely based on design, nor is it always about budget. I’s based on the psychology of decision-making. Giving clients what they need to make a decision.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
Why great ideas get rejected
02
Apr

Success is not entirely based on design, nor is it always about budget. I’s based on the psychology of decision-making. Giving clients what they need to make a decision.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
AI protocols
24
Mar

It’s no longer about whether you use AI, it’s about proving responsible use. State Governments have published AI policies expecting transparency, human oversight, and documented processes.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
The conversation has changed
10
Mar

Future client conversations will no longer be about ‘easy problems’ and, more importantly, they’re less likely to be initiated by prospective clients.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
Just turn up
23
Feb

The design industry feels harder than ever. Tighter budgets, AI competition, fewer opportunities. But the best strategy might be the simplest one.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
What to say when clients say ‘we need to think about it’
08
Feb

Most clients aren’t actually thinking about your proposal when they say we need to think about it. They’re stuck, confused, or politely trying to get away.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
Creative out of office replies
08
Dec

We work all year to prove our creativity, nurture client relationships and project personality so don’t fall at the last hurdle … put some thought into your holiday out-of-office auto reply.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
(New) skills needed to survive
26
Nov

2025 has been a year of disruption for designers and all indicators say 2026 will be as turbulent. We think designers need these (new) to survive.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
Are you accidentally ripping-off freelancers?
10
Nov

The uncomfortable truth: while you’re perfecting your portfolio, other designers are building relationships through content. Every week you stay quiet is another week potential clients discover someone else.

Posted in: Business advice for designers , Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Business of design , business strategy , creative business coach , design business , design business coach , Design business coaching , sustainable creative business model ,
Tags: Business of design , design career , Design management , managing a design studio ,
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