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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 > Studio management
How to identify ‘bad’ clients
16
Feb

Here’s an exercise done to identify bad clients. It delivers valuable insights, especially if you repeat it a couple times a year.

Posted in: Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , design value , Human centred design ,
Tags: Client relationships , customer experience , Design Business School , Design management , Design professional development , Design strategies , designers , Empathy mapping , internships , presentation skills , Professional development , profitable design businesses , ROI , Studio management ,
Jack Rodger Mentoring Scholarship
10
Feb

In 2020 we lost a friend, a client and a great designer, Jack Rodgers. To celebrate Jack’s resilience we’re offering a 12 month mentoring scholarship to an emerging studio.

Posted in: Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , design value , Human centred design ,
Tags: Client relationships , Design Business School , Design management , Design professional development , Design strategies , designers , Professional development , profitable design businesses , Studio management ,
Margin vs profit
09
Feb

Apart from productivity increases there are two ways to accrue money: firstly by adding a margin, secondly by adding profit. They are different beasts and we would argue you need both to build a sustainable businesses.

Posted in: Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , design value , Human centred design ,
Tags: Client relationships , customer experience , Design Business School , Design management , Design professional development , Design strategies , designers , Empathy mapping , internships , presentation skills , Professional development , profitable design businesses , ROI , Studio management ,
Is your studio a bit boring?
02
Feb

Taking on a design intern can be a win:win scenario. It adds diversity to a stable design team. Designers get management experience, interns get studio experience.

Posted in: Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , design value , Human centred design ,
Tags: Client relationships , customer experience , Design Business School , Design management , Design professional development , Design strategies , designers , Empathy mapping , internships , presentation skills , Professional development , ROI , Studio management ,
My studio isn’t working
10
Nov

It’s a terrible feeling, the realisation the studio you nurtured and grew no longer brings you joy … but do not despair, there are tools and resources to help diagnose the problem and fix it.

Posted in: Design business coaching , Design business strategy , Design index , Design pricing ,
Tags: Client relationships , customer experience , Design Business School , Design management , Design professional development , Design strategies , designers , Empathy mapping , presentation skills , Professional development , ROI , Studio management ,
Design maturity
Developing a mature Australian design industry
03
Nov

There has been much recent social media comment about the branding of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).
The new brand was developed by a UK firm after a tender process.

Posted in: Design business strategy , Design value chain ,
Tags: Agile design business , Design disruptors , Design management , Design strategies , Design strategy , Design value chain analysis , Empathy mapping , Rebrand , Studio management ,
We think we can help
16
Oct

We’re appalled at the federal budget and the lack of help for SME businesses – especially those not employing. We think we can help.

Posted in: creative business coach , Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , building a sustainable business , Design disruptors , Design management , Design strategies , Design strategy , Design value chain analysis , Empathy mapping , Rebrand , Studio management ,
Dealing with price sensitive clients
07
Sep

We talk to a lot of designers and many want to talk about their price sensitive clients. How much will it cost is a question often asked early in a client/designer discussion. Here’s what to say…

Posted in: Design business strategy ,
Tags: Agile design business , Design disruptors , Design management , Design strategies , Design strategy , Design value chain analysis , Empathy mapping , Rebrand , Studio management ,
Unconscious bias and designers
19
Aug

It’s easy to think bias is embedded in others like Donald Trump or Pauline Hanson, but truth is most designers have some level of unconscious bias.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , design business coach , Design business coaching , Design business mentor , design career ,
Tags: Client relationships , design career , Design management , Design strategies , designers , designing , Professional development , project management , Studio management ,
Designers talking money
17
Aug

Many designers avoid all talk about money because they find it stressful but it’s not talking about money that’s stressful. Having the money talk early in a project means you can relax and enjoy the design.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , design business coach , Design business coaching , Design business mentor , design career ,
Tags: Client relationships , design career , Design management , Design strategies , designers , designing , Professional development , project management , Studio management ,
The journey of a brand
06
Aug

Designers like to craft brands rather than design logos. We’re protective of identities created and like to be involved in building their character. Here’s a great example of a brand with character.

Posted in: Business of design , creative business coach , design business coach , Design business coaching , Design business mentor , design career , working from home ,
Tags: Client relationships , design career , Design management , Design strategies , designers , designing , Empathy mapping , Professional development , project management , Studio management , working from home ,
A fast and furious recovery!
04
Aug

Will Zoom meetings become the post-pandemic new normal? It may be too soon to say. What we do know is there’s a high degree of uncertainty in the design industry.

Posted in: Design business strategy , Design value chain ,
Tags: Design Business School , Design management , Design strategies , Design strategy , Empathy mapping , Rebrand , Studio management ,
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Copyright © 2022 Design Business Council
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