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  • 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
How to make confident business decisions
06
Feb

Designers make decisions every day. The more knowledge, the more confident you can be in those decisions. Use these reports to help build confidence.

Posted in: Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Design business mentor , design mentor , Value-add clients , Value-add pricing ,
Tags: Business of design , capability building , Client relationships , Design disruptors , Design professional development , Studio management ,
Designers building side-hustles
27
Nov

Design isn’t a career known for longevity, leading to many designers questioning their next step – that’s why many build a side hustle.

Posted in: Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Design business mentor , design mentor , Designers and side hustles ,
Tags: Rebrand , side hustles , Studio management , sustainable design ,
Giving honest feedback
23
Nov

Giving honest feedback to creatives is challenging. Design thrives on the unpredictable but small business owners need to reduce risk and deliver predictable results. There lies the conundrum.

Posted in: Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Design business mentor , design mentor , Value-add clients , Value-add pricing ,
Tags: Business of design , capability building , Client relationships , Design disruptors , Design professional development , Studio management ,
The problem with value-add pricing
22
Nov

Value-add pricing is a hot topic but it comes with problems. It\’s not the right business model for every client. The skill is identifying the right clients.

Posted in: Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Design business mentor , design mentor , Value-add clients , Value-add pricing ,
Tags: Business of design , capability building , Client relationships , Design disruptors , Design professional development , Studio management ,
What is the most difficult thing about being a designer?
07
Nov

Understanding the challenges of any career is valuable … if someone asked you, what do you think is the most difficult thing about being a designer?

Posted in: Business coach for designers , Business coaching for designers , Career in design , Design business mentor , design mentor , Designers burnt out , How to avoid burn out ,
Tags: Rebrand , side hustles , Studio management , sustainable design ,
Is AI a threat to designers?
06
Oct

Soft skills make humans indispensable – especially in the creative industry where the ability to communicate with clarity is vital. Infact they’re the skills that differentiate a great leader from an OK one. Question is, are they learned skills or personality traits?

Posted in: Business of design , Content creation for designers , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Designers finding new clients , Owning a creative business , Owning a design studio , soft skills in the creative industry , the creative industry ,
Tags: Design management , human skills , soft skills ,
Content clients want from designers
03
Oct

Positioning a creative business to attract (the right) new business is our most-requested activity. It’s an area we enjoy because it’s not complicated, but to be successful you must be forensic with the detail. That’s what makes it interesting…

Posted in: Business of design , Content creation for designers , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Designers finding new clients , How designers find clients , how to write content to attract clients , managing a design studio , Owning a creative business , Owning a design studio ,
Tags: Business of design , content creation , design , Design management ,
How and when to close your design studio
20
Sep

Any conversation about pricing eventually turns to talking about retainers — an agreement where a client purchases an agreed amount of a designer’s time each month. This article questions whether retainers only valid for transactional work?

Posted in: Business of design , closing a design studio , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , managing a design studio , Owning a creative business , Owning a design studio ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , Owning a studio , Running a studio ,
Are retainer fees good for designers?
03
Sep

Any conversation about pricing eventually turns to talking about retainers — an agreement where a client purchases an agreed amount of a designer’s time each month. This article questions whether retainers only valid for transactional work?

Posted in: Business of design ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , designer wages , graduate designers , the cost of designers ,
Cropped image of female creative with imposter syndrome
Is imposter syndrome more common in female creatives?
23
Aug

Imposter syndrome is common in the creative industry. It is often linked to perfectionism, and that’s perceived as a female trait. So, do onl female creatives who get imposter syndrome?

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Female creatives , female designers , imposter syndrome ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , designer wages , employing designers , graduate designers , hiring designers , hiring junior designers , the cost of designers ,
Can I afford a junior designer?
02
Aug

It’s a candidate’s market at the moment. Many studios/agencies are finding it difficult to find mid-senior designers but we know there’s a ready supply of graduates. Is hiring a junior a viable option? Consider this…

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index ,
Tags: Business of design , design , Design management , designer wages , employing designers , graduate designers , hiring designers , hiring junior designers , the cost of designers ,
How long can you work as a designer?
11
Jul

This headline made me smile because, like many other industries, agism is rife in the creative sector. Designers aren’t known for career longevity.

Posted in: Ageism in Australian design industry , Business coach for designers , Can you be an old designer in Australia , creative business coach , Design career in Australia ,
Tags: burnout , design career , Design management , Design professional development , designers , matthew haynes , mature designers , mental health , milton glaser , older designers , paula sher , Professional development , Studio management , the design conference ,
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