Planning

Planning your marketing is the critical first stage. Here you bring together all of the unique aspects of your studio and develop the approach that you will take.

Good design is about process

We recently attended the end of year exhibition by the Communication design students at RMIT. They had chosen to exhibit finished work but also to show their developmental process and the things that inspired them. Read more...

Researching your market

Part of working on your business and not in your business is doing a bit of research into your target market. Or a potential market. Read more...

Grow your business the old fashioned way

There is a lot of talk about lead generation as if it is some mysterious and complicated process. For a design studio it is not a major task. Read more...

How to get PR for your studio

Getting noticed in a crowded marketplace is tough but there are a few simple steps that will make it easier to get your voice heard: presenting PR 101, thanks to the recent AM breakfast session run by the DIA. Read more...

32 ways to explain design value

More than 20 years ago we began doing design audits. We kicked off with a major project for an Australia wide hardware chain. The brief from the CEO was that we had to present something that was not too ‘arty farty’. Read more...

Getting stuff done

When the strategy, presentation and negotiation are done and dusted, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get the job done and that can mean critical time management skills to keep your clients (and colleagues) happy.

Lists help keep the jobs on track. Read more...

Trash your business plan – draw a business model

Business plans are just a hunch, a guess at what your business will do in the next 12 months. There is a better way. Read more...

Little clients become big clients

A while ago, I attended a 3-day masterclass at Swinburne University. The attraction was the chance to hear from three great designers – Ken Cato, David Lancashire and Brian Sadgrove.

Today I was reminded of a story Sadgrove told about a branding project his studio had recently done for a small pasta-making company. Read more...