Why are there no retirement parties for designers?

When was the last time you attended a retirement party for a designer? I’ve been to plenty for clients, accountants and lawyers — none for designers.

This isn’t because designers love their work too much to retire (though many do). It’s because too few design businesses achieve the sustainability that allows for a planned, celebrated exit.

The uncomfortable truth about design careers

Most design careers don’t end with champagne and speeches, but with a gradual fade into irrelevance or an abrupt pivot to something else entirely.

I realised at 58 that I had nothing to sell and nothing to retire on.
30 yrs of award-winning work, and all I have is a portfolio and some industry connections.
#itsucks

Here’s why that happens:

1. We build jobs, not businesses

Many designers create what Michael Gerber (author of e-myth) calls “a job with a fancy name” rather than a business able to operate without them. Many like designing so they remain the primary talent, the main client contact, and the sole decision-maker.

That’s absolutely fine except when you step away—whether by choice or circumstance—the business quickly unravels.

(Designers are very good at job titles.)

2. We suck at financial literacy

We’ve said it before: design agencies don’t fail from lack of design skills. They fail because of a disinterest in financial literacy. Many don’t understand the difference between profit and cash flow, or how to build business value beyond billable hours.

I confused being busy with being successful.
#headdown

PS: Here’s how to build financial literacy.

3. We resist lifelong learning

Accountants, lawyers, and doctors maintain their professional standing through mandatory continuing education. They expect to invest in learning throughout their careers.

Many designers, however, limit professional development to software updates and technical skills. They neglect the business, leadership, and strategic knowledge that creates long-term value.

Building a design business worthy of a retirement party (or choosing when to exit)

The good news? It’s never too late to shift your trajectory. Here are practical steps to build a more sustainable design business:

Start a business mindset

Schedule regular business development time: Block at least 2 hours weekly to work on your business, not in it.
Create a personal learning plan: Identify gaps in your business knowledge and address them systematically through courses, books, or mentoring.
Join a peer group: Connect with other business owners to share challenges and solutions. External perspective is invaluable.

The turning point was when I stopped being the creative director and became the business director. I focused on building a studio that could thrive without me.
#happyanonymousclient

Build systems that don’t depend on you

Document processes: Create clear guidelines for how work gets done in your studio, from client onboarding to project delivery.
Develop a team: Invest in growing others who can represent the business and maintain client relationships. If you don’t want to employ, develop a sub-contractor A team.
Create intellectual property: Develop methodologies, frameworks, or tools that can be used by others and potentially licensed.

Create transferable value

Diversify client relationships: Ensure multiple team members have strong connections with each client.
Explore recurring revenue: Develop service offerings that generate predictable, ongoing income rather than project-based work.
Build a strong brand: Position your studio around an approach or philosophy rather than personal reputation.

I spent more on business coaching in my last decade than I spent on design education in my first, and it delivered a much better return on investment.
#we’renotthatexpensive

So what?

The absence of retirement parties in our industry isn’t inevitable—it’s a symptom of how seriously we approach our businesses.

By shifting focus from creating a job to building a sustainable enterprise, more designers could enjoy the retirement celebrations other professionals take for granted.

This requires a commitment to lifelong learning beyond software skills, embracing business fundamentals, and creating systems that don’t depend on the founder’s daily involvement.

The question isn’t whether you’ll eventually leave your design business—it’s whether you’ll leave on your own terms, with something of value to show for your years of work.

We can help you plan for the outcome you want. 😉

As always, happy to discuss further, just email.

Carol Mackay

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About Carol Mackay

After 30+ years running a design studio, I accumulated a pretty special network of fellow designers. One thing most have in common: a need for more information about the ‘business’ side of design. Most are impatient with any task competing for time spent doing what they love – designing so they wanted more info about how to work more efficiently and effectively.

Not me. I love that intersection between design and business. I built a career working with Ombudsman schemes, the Emergency Services sector and the Courts. My special power has always been an ability to use design to translate the difficult to understand or the unpalatable message.

I now use exactly the same skills with creative business owners. I translate the indigestible into bite-sized chunks of information. I share insights, introduce tools and embed processes to help others build confidence business decision-making skills. More confidence makes it easier to grasp opportunities. More confidence makes it easier to recognise a good client from the bad.

Outside DBC I have mentored with Womentor, AGDA The Aunties, and most recently Regional Arts NSW.
And I’m a proud volunteer and board member of Never Not Creative.

Always happy to chat, I can be contacted here.