So often as designers, we get totally wrapped up in our design that we forget all about the end user and how they'll be interacting with our work. Some designers even make the mistake of designing with their peers in mind instead of their clients! They seem to care...
If you're a freelance designer, you'll know all to well that income can be erratic! Some months are great, others not so great. But these days it's pretty easy to add an extra stream of revenue as a buffer against those uncertain months. And if you're full time...
When I was working as an art director for a large magazine company, I reached a point in my career where all I could think about was becoming my own boss! Although I loved my job, my dream to have my own graphic design business became my number one goal. Of course...
It's no secret, one of the best free marketing tools out there is social media. Using social media as a designer can be really beneficial in helping land new clients, building your brand and presence, and even help with career-defining connections. But for some,...
The design world can be really competitive, making it tough to stand out as a designer. But one thing you can do to get noticed in a very crowded industry, is to find your uniqueness. Seth Godin called it finding your purple cow! What funny quirks do you have? What...
Clients often get a bad rap. They can drive you crazy with all their bad briefs, late payments and unattainable expectations. But often these problems are actually our own doing! Early on in my design career I pretty much blamed all the stress I experienced in my job...
When I first started my freelance business, I did what most people would avoid like the plague, the dreaded cold-calling! I knew clients weren't going to just fall into my lap, I had to go out and get them. So I picked up the local Yellow Pages and phoned all the...
Working from home alone can be a dream come true for some designers. I know for me, it's truly a blessing and something I don't take for granted at all. But you do run the risk of becoming too isolated, and as a creative, that could potentially have a negative impact...
As designers, a lot of us struggle with pricing ourselves at some point in our careers. How much should you charge? Should you raise your rate? Should you ever work for free? We discuss all things pricing in Episode 5 of The Honest Designers Show. You can't miss this...
So many of us are self taught in our creative fields. Even though I went the formal route to study graphic design, I'm actually almost completely self-taught when it comes to illustration. I did art at school, but that's about it. So I've experienced both sides of the...
