Design Business Council in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Education

Design Business Council

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 412 762 045

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• Education
• Graphic designer
• Design & fashion

25.01.2022 I know it sounds crazy but we think now IS the time to increase prices. At no time since the Great Depression has downward pressure on prices been so great. Much of it stems from the disruption caused by Covid 19 ... as well as some other sources. The overwhelming purchasing power of retailers, such as Coles and Woolworths, which pressure suppliers (our clients); the Internet, which gives transparency of markets by making it easier to compare prices; and the role of China and... third world countries whose low labor costs have driven down prices for manufactured goods. These have all combined to attack our clients’ pricing. So does that mean our pricing should also decrease? Many designers we have spoken to in recent months have suggested they should cut prices to retain clients. I think it’s the opposite. We should look to increase prices. Our latest article explains why... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//now-is-the-time-to-inc/

22.01.2022 What clients want to see in a pitch This is the third article discussing responses to our ‘What clients want’ survey. Gotta say, we were pleased with the response. Clients responded from a range of sectors and with budgets ranging from a once-off project fee of $3K to an annual marketing spend of $1m. This week it’s all about the question: Just say you give a prospective design supplier 45 minutes to pitch their credentials. Which of the following presentations would be of mo...st interest? https://designbusinesscouncil.com//what-clients-want-to-h/

21.01.2022 Here we are in the last week of November ... in just a few weeks and many of us will be stepping away from the studio for a well-earned break. For some it will mean an unattended inbox. There are a few ways to handle this some are heaps better than others. There are the perfunctory, the friendly and the ones that bring a smile to your dial. And then there are ones I’m not sure anyone is brave enough to send Here are some great examples of out-of-office messages... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//stepping-away-from-the/

21.01.2022 Is working from home here to stay? If not, when do we return and where will we go? What is 'returning to normal'? Will some designers permanently work from home while others commute to a (smaller) studio? What will that mean for studio culture, insurance, WorkCover and productivity... We did some research ... read what we found https://designbusinesscouncil.com//the-future-work-from-h/

21.01.2022 Designers like to craft brands rather than design logos. We're protective of identities we've created and we love to be involved in building a brand character on their journey from cradle to grave. When doing some online shopping I found a great example of a brand doing it well. https://designbusinesscouncil.com///06/journey-of-a-brand/

21.01.2022 More insights from our recent What clients want survey ... this article is about our websites ... do clients actually look at them or do we build them for other designers?

17.01.2022 Designers - we'd like you to contact your clients and ask them to share their opinion :) We've written an anonymous survey to research the relationship between designers and their clients. It only takes six minutes and so far the insights from clients are soooo interesting. Among other thoughts, they've shared their thinking about the way designers cost, present and manage projects. The more responses we get, the more robust the findings. Pls do share with your clients.... https://lnkd.in/gx5jxd7

16.01.2022 Do clients think designers are proactive or reactive? Arguably one of the most difficult aspects to ‘being a designer’ is managing expectations. And more specifically; managing client expectations. Problem is we all have such different expectations. And sometimes the gap between what a designer can deliver (because of skills, time and budget) and what a client expects is not just a gap, it’s a chasm.... That’s why one of the questions we asked clients in our recent survey was: on a rating from 1 to 10, how does your design supplier react to your requests/briefs? https://designbusinesscouncil.com//do-clients-think-desig/

14.01.2022 I distinctly remember that moment of dread when I realised my studio was no longer working for me. The business I birthed and nurtured had grown into a rebellious teenager I just didn’t want to spend time with. It was no longer going to plan. I couldn’t leave because it was my business, but I didn’t want to stay. Just awful. This week I spoke to three business owners with similar feelings, so I know I wasn't alone... this week's article is all about options...... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//10/my-studio-isnt-work/ See more

10.01.2022 What do clients want? Designers spend an inordinate amount of time trying to guess what their clients want. Sure, we ask, but it’s fair to say that sometimes clients tell us what they think we want to hear. That information wasn’t good enough for 527 UK design agencies. Together they commissioned a third party to ask their clients what they want. Better than that, the third party Up to the Light generously published the findings. Even though the interviews were conducted pre pandemic, the insights are valuable and we can honestly say, we know they're relevant to the Australian market because we've tested them. Full details in this week's article https://designbusinesscouncil.com//06/23/what-clients-want/

10.01.2022 We are continually told these are unprecedented times. And we are also told to never waste a crisis. Infact the famous British banker and financier Nathan Rothschild is known to have said ‘great fortunes were made when cannonballs fall in the harbour, not when violins play in the ballroom’. He also said the more unpredictable the environment, the greater the opportunity if you have the leadership skills to capitalise on it.... At DBC HQ we don’t have a cannonball, nor a ballroom, but we do speak to a lot of design leaders. Here’s what we know https://lnkd.in/gbZaigK

10.01.2022 This week's article is all about how clients find designers. Any google search will uncover a plethora of new business advice for designers but there's not much written about how designers find clients. So we asked, just exactly where does a client go to find their dream designer?... Last week we asked how a client would like to be approached by a prospective design supplier? There’s a subtle difference in this week's question we’re interested to explore the gap between what clients prefer to what really happens. https://designbusinesscouncil.com//how-clients-find-desig/

08.01.2022 How do clients prefer to meet designers? This is the first in a series of articles reporting on feedback from our ‘What clients want’ survey conducted during August 2020. This one discusses the responses around a simple question we put to clients: How would you best like to be approached by a prospective design supplier?... The question was included because of two reasons; firstly it was included in similar research conducted in the UK and secondly, it was one we asked of three ‘guest clients’ at our 2019 What clients think UNseminar. It was too good an opportunity, we wanted to compare responses. Read the results here https://designbusinesscouncil.com//how-clients-prefer-to-/

05.01.2022 Our uber fare is confirmed before we enter the car and ebay transactions are all done online. Are we losing the skill of talking money? Love to hear what you think... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//designers-talking-money/

03.01.2022 This masterclass was one of the most popular at our 2019 Business of Design week ... it’s a method I’ve not seen anyone else use but they should, it’s so simple and effective. I’m really looking forward to sharing the information again. Hope you can join me...

03.01.2022 Have you guys listened to the Never Not Creative ‘Asking for a friend’ podcast? They’re on the last Thursday of the month the next one is tomorrow. Andy Wright invites an industry leader and a psychologist to answer questions 'asked by a friend'. The questions can be uploaded in the days/weeks before, or through the zoom 'Q+A' on the day and rest assured, they’re anonymous. I’ve found the conversations really helpful even if I don’t have the ‘problem’ the thinking behi...nd the answers is really interesting. Last month was about having empathy and included questions like ‘how can I better handle my emotions in feedback sessions’, and ‘how can we educate clients to be better listeners’. The next one is tomorrow if you have a spare hour it’s an easy listen over lunch, and a great way to get that question off your chest: https://www.nevernotcreative.org/afaf-october-2020

03.01.2022 This post was inspired by a conversation in a slack channel I host. Sarah asked for reviews about social media scheduling software; which led to a conversation about the scheduled ‘post and forget’ social media strategy many employ; which led to a broader conversation about the role of social media for small businesses; which started me thinking / researching the role designers play in their own, and their client’s social media accounts. *phew*... Anyway, here's what I researched about designers, clients and social media... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//designers-clients-and-/

02.01.2022 I'd urge our community to take part in Tank's survey ... the more responses, the better and more robust the findings.

02.01.2022 This week's article is about helping clients make decision (efficiently). Everything we do is around having empathy for our clients and our client’s clients. Walking a mile in their shoes. Understanding their challenges and their time constraints.... I think many of us are getting much better at it tools like customer journey maps and empathy maps help us make relevant design decisions. Problem is, even when we present all the facts, some clients still struggle to come to decision. Why is that? And can it be helped? Here's what we think... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//help-clients-make-deci/

02.01.2022 Are we working from home forever? It's the question on everyone's lips. Is working from home a 'for now' or a 'for ever' solution. If it's a temporary solution, even for a few months, things can be hacked. But if working from home is permanent, or even first choice, there are issues that need to be addressed. We did some research ... love to share what we found... https://designbusinesscouncil.com//are-we-working-from-ho/

01.01.2022 So, our Federal budget wasn’t great for women, or small business owners not in a position to employ - both often seen to the Australian design industry. We've been appalled at the lack of support for design business owners within and outside our industry. To help rectify this we are offering a free one hour mentoring session for design business owners. No obligation, no fee and you don’t have to buy anything to qualify. It’s our way to help the design industry. Simply email e...ither Carol or Greg with a brief description of three major issues you‘re facing. We'll do a quick review of your business via the web and set up a one hour Zoom session to discuss the issues. Our aim is for you to go away with a clear direction to make your business sustainable. It is first come first served until November 27. We will respond and work with every studio owner who contacts us by then.