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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 > Business of design
Explaining design
18
Jun

It’s hard to explain design because it means different things to different people. And it’s hard to explain where design can be used. We think we’ve found a solution in our research. Read more about our Design Maturity Index…

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design value chain , Human centred design ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
New business development
New business dev: it’s staring us in the face
11
Jun

The adage ‘80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients” is proven true with DBC research. Over 18 months we spent $80,000 refining, interviewing and writing the results of our research.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , Design management , design maturity report , new business development ,
man in baseball cap
Explaining design debt
03
Jun

More people are using design. That’s a good thing. Isn’t it?
In reality it can mean more fingers in the pie. More people accessing and using assets. And that means the design you introduced as an asset can quickly become a design debt.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
Designers need validation
28
May

I think designers need validation. How often does a designer present a concept to a great reception only to be told the client will return with their thinking at a later date … they just need to ‘ask another’. The client needs the designer to be validated.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
Client relationships = new business development
21
May

In 2014 when I bought the newly published Value Proposition Design by Alexander Osterwalder, I quickly adapted the ideas and developed the Design Value Proposition. It looks at design from a clients’ perspective – what value we can add to their world.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
Forget about new business development
13
May

Last week I met with one of my regular clients – a studio where I perform the role of Chairman.
In this case, I’m there to help the studio develop new directions – specifically – help them get a swap of new business through the door.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
How to think like a client
07
May

In May 2019, Design Business Council facilitated an UNseminar titled ‘What client’s think’.
We invited three clients to share their views about designers: what they liked, and what they didn’t.
This is a summary of the night written by Serpil Senelmis.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design value chain ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
Getting more work from existing clients
30
Apr

We all know the best way to new business is to get more work from existing clients but it can be hard trying to find new avenues to sell our skill.
This is a new service most designers can confidently add to their pitch.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design business coaching , Design value chain ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
23
Apr

Innovation whooshes past designers steadfastly committed to producing innovation solutions that keep their clients products and services up-to-date. But while we keep them relevant, who keeps us relevant?

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design value chain ,
Tags: Agile design business , Business of design , capability building , Design management , designers , designers pitching , new business , new business development , pitching , pitching to clients ,
New business Dev is bloody hardwork
New business dev. is bloody hard
16
Apr

To grow a design practice, it’s obvious that you need a constant supply of work either from existing clients or new clients. We know that 80% of your growth will come from existing clients. And we know that many agencies have clients scattered across a range of industry sectors

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , Design value chain ,
Tags: Business of design , Design management , new business development ,
Greg Branson
I’m out and proud
26
Mar

Our industry is rife with prejudices. We are a long way from gender equity when it comes to ownership of large agencies, in spite of equity at graduation. We slavishly follow the bright and shiny new designers and we are ageist.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach ,
Tags: Business of design , Design management ,
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Copyright © 2022 Design Business Council
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