Top 5 Secrets to a Great Design Practice

<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The last few months have marked a notable turnaround in the number of people who seem more optimistic about the stability of the economy.  Although no one would describe the outlook as 'rosy', the fear of a 'double dip' recession seems out of sight for now.  In our practice, we have definitely seen a rise in the number of people and companies who are starting or re-starting projects that were once stalled.  Although navigating through the last four years has been challenging, it seems that the firms who are best positioned to capitalize on the future are those that seem to have a solid foundation in several key areas.  Whether you are one person or twenty, it is important to remember that the business of Design is a creative one.  If you don't put yourself in a position to be creative then all the service in the world is not going to get you where you want to go.  Here is a brief checklist of the top 5 things that I believe will put your company in a position to succeed:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1- Stay relevant - At Pocono Modern, we have a great shop that sells everything from art to furniture to home accessories.  Some products are hits, and some have barely sold.  The most successful products are the ones that touch a nerve or that capitalize on what people are talking about.  Many designers have 'niches' or areas of specialty, which is perfectly fine.  However you also need to understand how to connect that niche to the practical matters that govern the basic laws of supply and demand.  You might have the best fishing pole in the world, but you are aren't going to catch anything if you aren't fishing where the fish are.  Stay current on websites and publications that speak to your target audience.  When you network, pitch the person and not your product.  Understand how to connect what you do to what they need.   Don't waste your time fishing where there aren't any fish.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2- Don't rely on the Internet to sell your work - In my opinion, this is the single biggest mistake the people make with their marketing.  Many people believe that if they cover all the bases (with a website and a Facebook page and a Twitter Account and an e-mail newsletter) that they will eventually connect with future clients.  I don't believe that we have ever gotten a client on our website alone.  However you can certainly lose clients if your website is not credible.  The most important thing about all of these platforms is to have consistency in your communications.  Focus on quality, not quantity.  Rather than trying to be everywhere at once focus on a consistent stream of high quality communications whether it be things you Tweet or images you post.  Remember that clients are hiring YOU and not your website for their project.  Keep it simple. Only post the best work.  Be selective about what you release.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3- Turn work down - Many Architects I know complain about the loss of work over the last few years as well as the reduction in fees that they have had to take as a result of fighting for projects.  When I ask them how many projects they have turned down, the result is often a look of shock and awe.  'What do you mean, turn work down??'.   I realize that this seems counter intuitive, but the truth is that every client is not going to take you to the promised land (high quality work with little interference).  In fact, even your best clients are seldom going to let you run the show.  The recession has bred a new string of client that wants the work faster and cheaper with you taking all the risk.  To these clients, I say 'no thanks'.  What's amazing is that when you say no, the clients are just as shocked.   I hate to be redundant, but focus on quality and not quantity. This is your reputation after all.  And in a few of those cases, the clients who really wanted to work with us came back and asked us what our terms were.  Now that's the start of a good relationship.   The sister rule of this is to never work with anyone you don't like (be it client or colleague).  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4- Do other work - It's easy to get burnt out working for the man (or for clients). You need to do some things for yourself.  Whether it's non profit work, competitions, or just doing something for your own house it's important to have a change of pace every now and again.  Some of the biggest success stories I have seen came from projects that were invented out of thin air.  Chances are if you make something you need or want, then someone else likely does too.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5- Invest in the dream- Every person who strikes out on their own has a dream of some sort.  Maybe the dream is to design your own home.  Maybe the dream is to be financially successful.  Whatever the dream is, you've got to feed it.  If money is what you're after make sure to put away a piece of every dollar you make.  If the dream is to create a font that's going to change the world, make sure you budget a piece of your week to working on it.  One of my goals is to write a particular book.  I've had it outlined for more than a decade.  Only recently did I set a goal for its completion.  Now that I am working on it, I am feeling really good about other parts of my practice.  Working towards a big goal creates inspiration and motivation.  Who doesn't need those?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hopefully the list above helps you to create some priorities in your work.  There's no quick fix solution to having the practice of your dreams, but if you have some guidelines it can certainly be a lot more rewarding. Good Luck!</span>

Top 5 Secrets to a Great Design Practice

The last few months have marked a notable turnaround in the number of people who seem more optimistic about the stability of the economy.  A...

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The Secrets of Selling Design - a quick primer

<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the great benefits of living in a world of mobile technology is the ease with which you can get new and interesting things served up in a moment's notice.  Not a day goes by that I don't find out about some new project or Designer who was previously unknown to me.  Websites, blogs, e-zines, and trade feeds serve up an ever changing buffet of media on which to dine.  We have seen first hand how our little shop at Pocono Modern has gone on to grow each month as new buyers find us in different ways.  </span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As technologies evolve and new platforms emerge it is hard to know where the best place to spend your time and money will be.  Some designers have created products and projects that go 'viral' when fans use sites like Pinterest or Twitter to spread the word in a rapid fire pace that can turn a product into a legend overnight.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Take the story of the 'Field Notes' journal.  Graphic Designer Aaron Draplin co-founded this little company that makes cool little notepads and books in different colors, themes, and variations.  What is even more amazing is that most offerings are 'sold out' despite the fact that I have never seen any of them in a brick and mortar store.  Raving fans scoop up these little books almost as fast as Aaron can crank them out.  Presumably, these little journals get shipped out from some unknown location in the mid-west although I can tell you that they are absolutely everywhere.   This kind of market penetration is what Designers dream of and would not have been possible twenty years ago without spending a  small fortune on marketing.  </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKLS5p5W3CEDD7c7FvxadEAlRy2hcxDQ6_NDgN4Yl9aS8FM19PiSymL0s2T0p0JVZ69CNTnvMaGZmA5zdR5LLKJ-1OkPKIKkLdyDEmeMJ4sKSibqay60rOW4Yyg1KBIgamSRgeaB5FPs/s1600/fieldnotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKLS5p5W3CEDD7c7FvxadEAlRy2hcxDQ6_NDgN4Yl9aS8FM19PiSymL0s2T0p0JVZ69CNTnvMaGZmA5zdR5LLKJ-1OkPKIKkLdyDEmeMJ4sKSibqay60rOW4Yyg1KBIgamSRgeaB5FPs/s320/fieldnotes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000613802463729&pid=1920673&adurl=http%3A%2F%2Fneedsupply.com%2Fplain-paper-memo-book.html&usg=AFHzDLuqwoL2n5CDHDus_3nBA00Tnf2S3g&pubid=608709" rel="nofollow">Field Notes Plain Paper Memo Book brown generic (Google Affiliate Ad)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a Designer, it's hard to know how you should be marketing yourself in order to find new clients and buyers.  I think it's important to remember that the Internet is just a tool in the same way that Adobe Illustrator is just a tool.  Illustrator is not going to make you a better graphic designer since you need the ideas first in order to execute them.  The Internet is not going to make you more successful unless you have the talents and the foundations in order to be able to have something to promote.  The first step in any marketing campaign should be to decide who you are targeting and what you want to tell them.  Once you have that decision made, it becomes easier to make follow up decisions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once you have identified who your target is, now you have to sell.  I am always amazed how many Architects and Designers have no idea how to sell themselves.  It goes way beyond an elevator pitch or a demonstration of competence.  In fact, it's not about you at all.  It's about your client.  What is your client going to gain by hiring you?  Are you going to make them more money?  Will they gain prestige or popularity by working with you?  Does your product make their life better or easier?  There's an old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink."  That is absolutely true.  It's not your job to get them to drink.  The salesman's job is to make them so thirsty that they WANT to drink.  Fortunately, the Internet makes people really thirsty for Design.  There are an unlimited amount of apps, sites, and 'likes' that make people want things.  The trick is to be visible.  </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Below is a very short cheat sheet of how we have gone about marketing in the 'digital' economy.  It may not be exactly the same for you, but it has had some success for us:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1- Invest (time and money) in a simple, concise and professional web site.  It doesn't have to have a ton of content, but it has to look great and function seamlessly.  After all, you are selling Design.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2- Identify a core group of 'raving fans' (basically people who support you and want to see you succeed) and ask them to help you.  Have them endorse you on Linked In, 'Like' your Facebook page, 'Tweet' about your blog posts and 'Pin' your work.  You have to have some buzz on the Internet if you want to get more.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3- Blog about what you know.  Be as specific about a topic as possible.  The most popular blog post I ever wrote was about Ikea Cabinets.  It has been read tens of thousands of times and I have received e-mails from around the world in thanks.  Although the subject has nothing to do with me, the fact that I wrote it gives a certain amount of visibility to me and my company.  Become an expert in something.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4- Monitor and adjust.  Get Google Analytics and follow where your site traffic is coming from.  Try to get re-tweeted often.  Do a Pinterest search on you and your work to see if others are pinning it.  If you don't see much happening, change your strategies.  When we wanted to promote our Vintage Pyrex Poster, we started 'favoring' shops on ETSY that sold vintage Pyrex.   The shop owners took notice and started buying our poster.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDMMI0OwrlIC4KPzzDiwsAI0VKjFJyzIV3TJQndttpotg1l7aZ5MMMB3teeRvRaukBAYwz09WG0NET0XcMRFIBD_qYjfHr5N1646HD8PE4iuVQWYG6WW_dUGGPEsAjO-u1Xt0lRm4INg/s1600/PyrexFinal-blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDMMI0OwrlIC4KPzzDiwsAI0VKjFJyzIV3TJQndttpotg1l7aZ5MMMB3teeRvRaukBAYwz09WG0NET0XcMRFIBD_qYjfHr5N1646HD8PE4iuVQWYG6WW_dUGGPEsAjO-u1Xt0lRm4INg/s320/PyrexFinal-blue.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div>                                        <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Vintage Pyrex Poster in Blue (available on ETSY)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5- Start a conversation.  No one is going to just wake up and decide to work with you.  You have to start a dialogue.  This is the part where you 'make them thirsty'.  Connect with people who have similar interests as you.  Join a Chamber of Commerce.  Write letters to those you admire.  Ask your Linked In contacts for a referral to someone who might need your help.  Everyone you know has the capacity to give you ONE referral.  Each of those referrals might lead you to other referrals.  Marketing is not a one time act, it's a continuous conversation.  Also be generous to refer other people you know.  If you help others, they are more likely to help you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hopefully, you can employ some of the above strategies in your own business.  Drop a comment if you need some advice or assistance.  </span></div>

The Secrets of Selling Design - a quick primer

One of the great benefits of living in a world of mobile technology is the ease with which you can get new and interesting things served up ...

Read more »