Human centred design
Design Business Council > Human centred design
When it all gets boring
11
Dec
In a truly collaborative studio, all opinions are treated equally and with respect. Problem is, that relies on everyone sharing their opinion and that doesn’t always happen.
The facts about sprints
13
Nov
The facts about sprints There is a lot of time invested devising methods to work smarter, more efficiently and more effectively. Some see the answer in design sprints – methodology aimed at getting more work out of the building, faster. Do they work? Busy-ness looks effective. It looks like you are getting stuff done. When you [...]
Studio culture and job descriptions
23
Oct
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 [...]
Rules for working for free
13
Sep
Rules for working for free Here's a story about a designer and her brother. He (let's call him Hugo) is CEO of a not-for-profit food-rescue organisation. She, (let's call her Ella), is the founder and creative director of a design firm working in the healthcare sector. It's June. Most not-for-profits are competing for end-of-financial-year tax-deductible [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design pricing
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Human centred design
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mentoring for freelancers
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When you get that ‘stuck’ feeling…
11
Sep
When you have that 'stuck' feeling So it’s been nine months now since I started my new job. I only hesitate for a moment now when I’m asked where I’m from. Design Business Council nearly slips off my tongue but not quite. It’s tough after 33 years – Mackay Branson design was so much part [...]
A strategy that turned a loss into a profit
21
Aug
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 [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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Design index
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Design pricing
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design value
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Human centred design
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Working in design plays with your head…
16
Jul
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 [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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design value
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Human centred design
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If I was a client …
25
Jun
If I was a client ... Had an interesting experience these last few weeks. I crossed the line. I researched designer’s websites from the point of view of a client that knows nothing apart from what I read. You see we’re in Portugal and we want to identify designers/studios we’d like to meet and might [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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design value
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Human centred design
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Are you a hunter or a farmer?
23
May
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 [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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design value
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Human centred design
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Persuading others (to do what you want).
23
May
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash Persuading others (to do what you want). In a world of co-creating and collaborating, the ability to persuade others to your view point is a really valuable skill. Would you be surprised if I told you that forcefully arguing your point of view is the least effective way of [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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design value
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Human centred design
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Unconscious bias
22
May
Photo by Adam Birkett on Unsplash Too black for Snapchat. It’s easy to think that bias is embedded in ‘others’ – people like Donald Trump, Pauline Hanson and Today Tonight producers. Truth is we all have unconscious bias and we all unknowingly embed our bias into design. Think you don’t? That could be worse – [...]
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Design business coaching
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Design business strategy
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design value
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Human centred design
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Design is not a cure for cancer
15
May
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Design is not a cure for cancer. They were the final words Ken Cato’s wife said as she slammed the door behind her and left the building.* Harsh but true. Design is not a cure for cancer. An early boss had a very similar message during my very first role [...]