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If you’re founding a startup, getting your small business off the ground, or working as a freelancer, you’re going to need office space. Unless you came into a large chunk of change, you’re probably not ready to rent a posh office in a major city. If you need to economize but you also need to […]
Speaking about contracts has been something I’ve avoided doing for a while, which is odd given that this is a website about the business side of the creative industry. It’s kinda an important subject isn’t it? A reader called Sarah got in touch with me about this recently asking; “One thing I have been thinking […]
Professionals in the creative industries, by and large, like a challenge. We see something that inspires us and we want to play with it, test it out, break it and remake it again. We like new things. It’s not uncommon for people in our line of work to learn a whole host of skills (full […]
This is an article I originally wrote back in 2012, but I recently had a Design Range subscriber contact me asking for some advice that I think this article covers brilliantly, so I’m sharing it here again in the hope some of you who missed it the first time might find it useful – Alex. […]
One of the most immediate decisions facing newly graduated designers is whether to work freelance or whether to apply to an agency – a problem that a lot will wrestle with throughout their career. Each time you jump from job to job, the niggling knowledge of working for yourself can eat away at your desire […]
Everything money related, from what your salary should be as a Graphic designer to what you should charge for each product.
The growth of e-commerce has drastically altered the way the world does business. Consumers prefer shopping online because it is convenient, comfortable, and budget-friendly. In this present competitive world, it is critical for any e-commerce business to deliver a great shopping experience to users or you may lose them to your competitors. Yes, you have […]
When business owners try to think of new strategies to improve sales, chances are, thoughts immediately go to promos, lower prices, and gimmicks. While these factors do play an important role in the decision making process, it’s important to know that in e-commerce, there’s so much more at play, and that there’s another major factor […]
As a web designer you know that redesigning a website can be tricky, but re-designing a poorly made website can be even harder, so it’s only fair to say that your paycheck should reflect your effort. However, in any line of business, the topic of money is an awkward subject to approach, even more so […]
I bet you do lots of tasks now that even a few months years ago took you 10X the time it does today. I also bet (even though I don’t gamble) that you as a creative feel slightly embarrassed to charge for doing something quickly. Please banish that thought from today. Like you I work […]
If you’re a designer, you probably already know how important a great t shirt template or mockup can be for your client – and for you. Being able to display the awesome design that you’ve created in an appealing way is crucial for them to be able to sell their products. But have you ever thought […]
The basic skills needed when first getting your Graphic Design career started.
There are times when you must create a graphic that will be used in many different places and mediums. When an image is used for multiple purposes, you must consider each instance of the graphic and how it will look larger, smaller, and even on different backgrounds and devices. You also need to think about […]
Logos are often what people base their opinions about different brands on. This is because the companies use their logos everywhere- websites, blogs, promotional products, billboards, digital ads, etc. So, if your logo is unoriginal, dull, or unattractive, then you may end up sending the wrong message to your target audience. Every branding professional worth […]
The digital world has changed marketing significantly. Alongside this change, digital marketing has begun to require the use of more complicated methods to ensure success. Long gone are the days where banner ads and pop-ups pulled in high amounts of lead generation and conversions on landing pages. The average consumer is much smarter at navigating […]
You might think that your co-workers or your projects or your meeting schedule determines your mood at work. While those are all contributing factors, there’s something else at play, too: colour. The colours and colour combinations in your work space, and in your home, have an underlying power to energise, to promote creativity, to encourage […]
A reader of the Design Range called Jules Richards got in touch with me recently with a really straight up simple question that I (and I’m sure a lot of you) can related to. “I am creative but not commercial, I am good at production but not business… How can I survive?” How can I […]
Full of tips and ideas for how you can find Graphic Design work. How to make other forms of income and where to sell your work directly.
Reaching other business owners requires the ability to put yourself in their shoes. You likely already understand some of the general pain points of running a business. After all, you are an entrepreneur. However, many business-to-business models fail with their websites. Digital has a massive influence on your target audience. Google reported that even in […]
Running a successful content marketing campaign that will get you l-o-a-d-s of traffic can get very challenging — especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. After all, you can’t just post your content expecting people to like them, flock to your ecommerce website, and act on your conversion goals. You’ll need to use the […]
Coronavirus has touched every business in the world in some way. High streets grow quiet as customers are warned to stay indoors and shop online. Businesses grind to a halt and staff are asked to stay away from the workplace or else risk spreading the virus. All of this has a knock on effect so […]
Brand recognition is one of the most significant challenges facing business owners. There is a continual clamour of noise in the marketing sphere. Not only are you competing against companies similar to yours, but you’re fighting for attention. The average person spends hours each day on their cell phone, interacts on social media and sees […]
If you’re not already using Instagram to promote your work, now is the best time to create a profile and start posting! With over 1 billion monthly active users, out of which 500+ million log in every day, Instagram is no longer just another social media platform. It’s a platform filled with possible customers who […]
How to deal with clients, how to keep them happy and what to do when they’re not too happy.
It can be daunting to take a decision on whether to hire a freelancer or a website design agency when starting a website design or re-design project for your business. For most businesses and entrepreneurs, a website building project is a huge undertaking, demanding a momentous investment of both time and money. So, before you […]
As the creative type, you enjoy what you do. But wouldn’t you like to showcase your talent and art to the world? In order to do this, you’ll need to develop a strong fan base. However, developing and interacting with your fan base can be difficult, and you may not know where to start. As […]
A web design agency can help someone design and maintain a website optimized for search, and filled with engaging content. Partnering with an agency can help a brand owner maintain a competitive edge, differentiate themselves, and achieve their business goals. As a designer, establishing a good working relationship with your client is essential to making […]
Not everyone enjoys confrontation. I certainly don’t. Even if you’re fine with confrontation you ideally don’t want to confront your client about the number of revisions they’re making or the additional work they’re adding to the scope of the project. Excessive revisions and scope creep can sometimes cause a little friction. Revisions If you’re working […]
Speaking about contracts has been something I’ve avoided doing for a while, which is odd given that this is a website about the business side of the creative industry. It’s kinda an important subject isn’t it? A reader called Sarah got in touch with me about this recently asking; “One thing I have been thinking […]
A nice place to come when your brain feels like a lump of lead and you need a few new ideas to keep you fresh.
Design is all around us, from the fonts we see every time we read to the cars we drive, our cell phones and even the cardboard cups we drink our coffee out of. Everything has had thought put into how it is seen and experienced. Because of the absolute ubiquity of design and the steady […]
The digital world has changed marketing significantly. Alongside this change, digital marketing has begun to require the use of more complicated methods to ensure success. Long gone are the days where banner ads and pop-ups pulled in high amounts of lead generation and conversions on landing pages. The average consumer is much smarter at navigating […]
In the last ten years, YouTube has gone from a platform where music labels put up their videos to a vast library of both entertainment and information in video form. The amount of content there is on YouTube is absolutely astonishing – and the majority of it is free! What’s more, there is a lot […]
When there’s nothing you can take away from the picture, the picture is perfect. In a nutshell, that’s what a minimalist design is all about. Both artists and enjoyers of art love it for its refined cleanness and smooth execution, while web designers use it for its effortless readability. Though grids, negative spaces, divine proportions […]
In November we posted our article on 7 graphic design trends for in 2017, now thanks to this amazing infographic from My Biz Niche you can discover the top web design trends that web designer are adopting this year too. From simple and closed compositions to more open-styled, seemingly chaotic, “broken” and cut compositions.
If you’re already up and running then this is the place to grab ideas for how to improve on what you’ve got and squeeze that extra bit of juice from your work.
Not all colours are created equal. But colours are an incredibly important part of successful branding. Effective branding is the best way to make your business stand out, attract customers, and let everyone know exactly who you are and what you do. It’s a way to build your business and contribute to lasting growth. And […]
The ability to be connected to people all across the world through technology and the internet has furthered globalization and bred a culturally informed mindset in millennials more than the generations before them. With millennials being the future in a lot of ways (and Gen Z as well), the world of industry has had to […]
In a world where everything is fast-paced, it would be normal for any Internet user to want speedy connectivity at all times, especially when they’re using their mobile devices while on the go. Mobile users also tend to be less patient when it comes to the loading speed of websites. Because they’re typically always in […]
We live in the age of the smartphone; it dominates the way consumers surf the internet and relate to each other, and it has drastically altered how consumers connect with and perceive the organizations they buy from and support. Because of this, the attention and efforts of marketers has largely shifted from desktop sites to […]
The Internet in general is in a constant state of flux – it always has been, and it likely always will be. Even the way that we make use of the Internet each day is evolving. It is now less “something you do to kill time when you get home from work” as it was […]
How to keep you at the top of your game, making sure you’re cranking out top quality designs in the most efficient way!
Working from home is something we’ve written about a lot in the past on the Design Range – and I’d highly recommend checking out some of those older articles. But today I’m going to do you the favour of distilling all of that wondrous information and run through my top ten list of tips to […]
People are increasingly choosing to work from home due to the amplified flexibility of workplace conditions. Companies can enjoy greater time and cost efficiencies as this overcomes long commute times for employees who reside in rural or remote geographical locations. Working from home also allows for lower staff turnover, where people can work from home […]
If you work for a web design agency, your process is pretty much out of your hands. Your project runs through a project manager, gets assigned to you, and it’s your job to get everything written, approved, and set up. But what happens if you don’t have a clear copy process set up? How are […]
Have you ever been working on a project and thought, I could be doing this at home? Well, that’s probably because you can. For creative professionals especially, it can be beneficial to be able to work from a space that is designed to facilitate your creative process, like your own home. If you are a […]
Working as a graphic designer is a pretty awesome job, but it is a job that requires a lot of self-motivation and productivity. Most graphic designers work freelance, which means trying to please several clients and meet various deadlines at the same time. It can be difficult to focus and achieve the high productivity necessary […]
Some great tools and resources to help you on your way to the heights of graphic designdom!
Not all colours are created equal. But colours are an incredibly important part of successful branding. Effective branding is the best way to make your business stand out, attract customers, and let everyone know exactly who you are and what you do. It’s a way to build your business and contribute to lasting growth. And […]
Building a dedicated landing page for your varied marketing campaigns can be hard if you are unaware of the best practices that you need to incorporate. As a single goal-oriented page created for a specific purpose (to generate leads or grow your email list), you need to ensure that your landing page is optimized for […]
Graphic design is a booming industry at the moment. Thanks to the internet, most businesses are in need of experienced professionals that can provide them with the right kind of online presence. However, no matter how talented, it’s often difficult to accurately transpose your ideas onto the paper without the right tools. That’s why we’re […]
We live in the age of the smartphone; it dominates the way consumers surf the internet and relate to each other, and it has drastically altered how consumers connect with and perceive the organizations they buy from and support. Because of this, the attention and efforts of marketers has largely shifted from desktop sites to […]
I remember it like it was yesterday. I had taken my business from a couch on a Saturday afternoon with zero clients to a thriving business with over 150 monthly recurring accounts and growing. Life was good; business was thriving; and then it happened. There was a vulnerable plugin on one of my client’s sites […]
Posts that don’t quite fall into any other category but are still totally useful.
The COVID-19 bug sweeping the world at the moment has changed life as we know it, grinding both personal lives and businesses to a halt. The design industry has been impacted just like every other sector out there. In response, President Trump announced a set of guidelines called “15 Days to Slow the Spread“. There […]
In Wednesdays article about how designers can offer help to local businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak I touched on how we can offer some out of the box thinking for businesses that might not be able to trade online naturally. I want to expand on that a bit more here, and broaden your thinking beyond […]
This is a tough message to write. It’s tough because right now, I’m sat at home on lockdown with no real financial support from the government. It’s tough because several clients have cancelled or postponed upcoming projects amid fears of money issues. It’s tough because I’m not sure what to do. But that’s nowhere I […]
A graphic designer should know the importance of brand identity in today’s marketing world. You don’t want people to get the wrong impression of your brand, so you have to make sure to capture your brand’s identity. Capturing your brand’s ethos given only a small image and a few words can be a massive task […]
It’s 28 days until Christmas! Are you excited yet!? Yes!? Well chill out – it’s still November for Gods sake. That being said, you do probably want to start thinking about what to buy your creative loved ones this Yuletide, so I’ve put together this list of all the things I personally want this year […]
