You're a talented designer who's great at solving client problems but now you're running a business.
That's a different challenge entirely
The Business of Design is a practical guide to building a profitable, sustainable design studio. Written for designers by design practitioners.
Who needs this?
– designers starting your design career,
– creatives running a small studio,
– managers leading an established studio, and
– lecturers teaching design business skills.
This ebook helps designers…
- price services confidently and profitably
- find and retain better clients
- manage finances without the stress
- build a sustainable business model
- lead creative teams effectively
- strategically position their business.
The ebook is $50 + GST and available for immediate download.
Why this book is different
It’s relevant to our market
It is written specifically for Australian designers by Australian design practitioners and based on the Australian client sector.
It’s current in 2025
The ebook details facts and figures about the Australian creative industry, and it’s current. All the data is regularly updated.
It’s not just theory
The content of The Business of Design is based on practice, not theory. The insights are based on our real studio/agency knowledge and experience.
It is practical
Each of the chapters include tips, tools and tactics you can implement immediately in your creative business. The insights are practical, and do-able.
It’s finance for designers
Profitability is fundamental to a sustainable business but we understand finance does not come naturally to many designers. We simplify the complex.
It’s both ying and yang
The Business of Design ebook addresses both the creative and business challenges of running an agency. It’s not just about profits.
I picked up The Business of Design a few years ago. Not only did it speak our language but it also seemed to write about all of the areas we were struggling with. It introduced monumental changes to our business. Not only did this increase our bottom line, it also gave us the confidence to back our decision making in a lot of areas we didn’t give ourselves credit. Perhaps the best lesson learnt was our value as a service provider and recognising that often our service extends far beyond digital artwork. For this we are forever grateful and cannot recommend the book enough!
Ness Kelly, Founder, Hello Mellow
Key chapters…
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The Australian design scene – your industry snapshot
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Planning a design business – practical steps that work
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Valuing design – pricing and explaining your worth
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Growing your studio – finding better opportunities
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Financial management – from survival to growth
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The design business model canvas – your planning tool
The ebook is $50 + GST and available for immediate download.
‘I find that designers love to talk about how amazing their latest projects are, but never about how accurately they estimate their billable time. Conversely, accountants are happy to talk about profitability summaries, but don’t seem to understand the “love” that goes into our work – because how do you charge for that? And that’s what’s great about “The Business of Design”, a book that tackles just that. It gives clear, practical advice for running a creative agency with real, Australian figures and benchmarks that are specific to the graphic design industry.
The book also includes industry specific finance information, calculations for charge rates, and illustrative business plans and case studies are employed throughout to explain concepts in a fashion that is easy to understand. This is the perfect “go to” manual for any design studio bookshelf.
Sarah Cook, Headjam NSW
The Business of Design helps creatives ...
Understand your industry landscape.
Get current insights into the Australian design industry, including benchmarks, trends, and opportunities that help you make informed business decisions.
Build a profitable design business.
Learn the key drivers of profitability in a design studio, from managing project margins to choosing the right business model for your stage of growth.
Price your services with confidence.
Develop pricing strategies that reflect your true value, using our proven frameworks to move beyond hourly rates to value-based pricing models.
Manage growth and scale.
Navigate the critical transition points in your studio’s development, knowing when to hire, how to delegate, and where to focus your energy for sustainable growth.
Lead creative teams effectively.
Balance creative excellence with business requirements by understanding how to structure teams, manage talent, and build a culture that attracts and retains great designers.
Plan for sustainable success.
Create a clear roadmap for your studio’s future using practical planning tools that work specifically for creative businesses, not generic business models.
Why can we write this book?
Because we’ve lived your journey – from designers to studio owners to industry mentors.
Our 30+ years running Mackay Branson design taught us what works (and what doesn’t) in creative leadership. And since, for the past decade, we’ve helped countless design leaders make this same transition successfully.
We don’t just write about theory — we share battle-tested strategies that work in the real world of creative business.
The Business of Design ebook is $50 + GST and available for immediate download.