design value

Designing the stress free studio Some say a 'stress free studio' is an oxymoron. From our first weeks in a design course we are told we have to be creative; and meet deadline. This continues into our working life as one of the elements that causes mental health issues. There has been much written, spoken [...]

Studio culture and job descriptions Much of my work in the Chairman program is with businesses who want to change. I work with forward-thinking studio owners who recognise they can’t keep doing the same thing for the next 10 years. The plans for this change are generally well thought through; they have a positioning to [...]

Why policies and procedures save money. It’s a common misconception that policies and procedures are only necessary when a studio reaches ‘maturity’, be that in structure or in longevity. That’s not true. Well written policies and procedures save money. They are the backbone of a truly sustainable design firm because they allow everyone to work [...]

Are you really innovative? Who doesn’t want to be innovative? It may not be your positioning statement or used prominently on your web site but for a design business, it’s a mandatory requisite. To be called a creative agency you have to be innovative. Client’s expect it. Truly innovative design businesses get more work. They [...]

  ONE MINUTE ON THE BUSINESS OF DESIGN Competitive advantage Want more? The Business of Design, (page 104 - 123) published by The Design Business Council. Available here Designing demand workshop. Inhouse workshop that shows how to develop a competitive advantage and strategies to get more work. See more here. Designing demand Program. An 8 [...]

Why studio management comes before design Being a great designer doesn't automatically bring in clients. Nor does it transform a once-off client into returning revenue. When you boil it down to the basics, you've got to sell before you get to design. We sell ideas using design that gives clients an outcome – it may [...]

A strategy that turned a loss into a profit I had the best week in Perth. One of my meetings was with a designer I have been mentoring for the past 12 months. Over a coffee, Frankie explained how this year’s financial figures proved she has successfully transformed a loss-making part of her business into [...]

A scholarship for female startups Design is a great career for both sexes. Working in design makes it possible to combine any mixture of doing, producing and managing. Strange thing is, research continually shows that women are more likely to be doing and men seem to be managing. We want to help change that… Our [...]

Working in design plays with your head ... Two things happened last week worth sharing. The first was part of our regularly 'design yak' - a breakfast meeting of like-minded designers. During the discussion (we have a topic each month) a designer shared her frustration at losing a project on price. Yep, happens all the [...]

Read your website and socials through the lens of a client who is researching, looking for a new design partner. It’s astounding how similar everyone sounds.

Learning about design from a designer in Portugal. Some people aren’t just good at designing, they’re good at communicating. And not just good at using design to communicate. They’re good at explaining what the practice of design is. I don’t think it’s about having the ability to draw and to write. It’s being able to [...]

Photo by Jordon Opel on Unsplash Hunters and farmers I’ve always found it incongruous studios need to ramp-up new business activities when we are busiest. Seems bonkers, but research proves it time and again. Sustainable businesses need constant client renewal. One would think, with all that research, someone must have found some kind of formula [...]