Business of design
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.
Many Australian studios are running flat-out yet wondering why the numbers don’t stack up. The problem isn’t effort — it’s focus. You might be measuring the wrong things.
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.
Most creative agencies chase new work to grow. The truth is, growth starts inside — by auditing profitability, utilisation, and client mix before pursuing new business.
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.
While you focus on craft and visual quality, competitors are talking strategy, outcomes, and business value. They’re speaking the language clients want to hear.
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.
We had the good fortune to have worked through the 1987 market crash, the dot.com boom and crash and the global financial crisis. I say good fortune because it taught us how to pivot.
When we face changes like we are now seeing we can’t do business as usual.
There’s not long to go … your choice, you can slide into the end of the year or you can pull up your big girl pants and sprint to the finishing line.
The industry we have is the one we’ve collectively built. But here’s the thing: when it comes to knowledge sharing in Australian design, we’re walking past a lot of low standards.
The work you do now is likely different from what you did a few years ago and that’s a problem because your past clients might not know. You need to reconnect …
Is persuasion a fundamental skills to be good at new business? No, it’s actually really hard to change behaviour and using just persuasion isn’t the answer…