Design Domination

#41 Is your MO to respond immediately to calls, e-mails and texts from clients? Stop! You're not helping yourself or your client by being so fast to reply. In this Creative Brief episode, I cover 5 reasons freelance designers shouldn't respond to clients right away.

#40 A lot of designers have heard about niching but are hesitant to do it. Stephanie Campanella, who's built several profitable niched-based businesses, talks about why she niched her business, how she did it, and the benefits of niching.

#39 Designers have to pay attention to details. Clients don't want to babysit, and you don't want to feel like they're looking over your shoulder. Find out what to check before sending design proofs to keep your work sharp and have you looking like an expert.

#38 Native design files are a designer's secret recipe, yet some designers hand them over free of charge. But, unless it's a work for hire, you have every right to charge for these files. Find out why clients want them, why you should charge for them and more

#37 In this Creative Brief episode, I get into 7 things graphic designers can do during dry spells. These efforts could help you win more work now or in the future. Some of these are more active, some are more passive, and some you can do on an ongoing basis.

#36 Paul Koullick from Keeper joins me to talk about tax write-offs that freelance graphic designers might miss. Find out if you're forgetting any of them and find out what you need to know about estimated taxes.

#35 Ever get stuck in a creative rut? No more! Here are 45 ways to get design inspiration whether it's for a logo, typographic, print or web design project.

#34 Guest Amy Celona talks about how she crafted a custom web design package, how it solves her audience's problems and how she made it profitable. She also talks about how she gets little pushback with design changes and saves time on proposals.

#33 This Creative Brief episode is about proofreaders' marks—what they mean to graphic designers and how to decode them if and when you get them from a client, proofreader or editor.

#32 Your freelance business does not need to feel like a circus. But you do need to be the ringleader. Here are 6 types of problem clients and how to fire them. I'll also talk about when it's not you, not them, who is the reason for the breakup.

#31 Part of the Creative Briefs series of mini-episodes with quick graphic design tips, this episode covers commonly misused typographic marks and how to correct them.

#30 Do you know what to consider when pricing your graphic design work? Are you charging enough? Find out that plus 12 pricing mistakes to avoid to be more profitable. Also learn about hourly vs flat and package pricing for graphic design work.

#29 When designing a printed piece that will be mailed, consulting a mailpiece design analyst will help you make sure your design adheres to any necessary postal requirements or qualify for special rates.

#28 Have you ever had your work plagiarized? Unfortunately, I have and so have other designers. So I invited attorney Matthew Johnston back to talk about copyright infringement and your rights as a designer, so you can protect your creative work.

#27 Part of the Creative Briefs series of mini-episodes with quick design- and marketing-related tips, this episode is about reviewing print proofs. Here are 11 things to check in a proof from the printer to ensure your design will appear as you intended.

#26 Some free design work such as pro bono work is good, while some, such as spec work, hurt you and the industry. You don't have to pimp yourself out doing free work to build a design portfolio. Find out what to consider before doing any free design work.

#25 Part of the Creative Briefs series of mini-episodes with quick design- and marketing-related tips, this episode covers how to find out which fonts have been used in an image or PDF.

#24 Are you making any of these mistakes when presenting design work to clients? Find out and learn how to present your design work, so you get more respect and less pushback on your designs. Also, find out mistakes you might be making when asking for critique from other designers and others in general. Plus, don't miss this one seemingly harmless question you should stop asking clients.

#23 Graphic designers, do you pick colors arbitrarily or have trouble defending your color choices to clients? Find out from world-renowned color expert Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone how to be the expert. Learn how color affects us physiologically, how it affects design and more.

#22 Learn how, as a graphic designer, you can leverage LinkedIn for marketing so you can build relationships and attract ideal clients. Get tips on how to craft a profile that has impact and strategically network with connections from expert Brynne Tillman.