Design Domination

#53 Most designers don't think about accessibility. It affects branding, design, documents, websites. It's a great way to differentiate yourself from other designers while helping your clients reach more people and legally protecting them.

#52 Your website needs to be an effective marketing tool to help you get clients. You want to be top of mind when someone needs a designer. Here are 17 essential elements for an effective portfolio website, so you get found and leave a positive impression.

#51 After designing a logo for a client, do you provide a brand style guide along with the files, so the client has guidance on how to use the logo? If not, you're missing out on positioning yourself as an expert, adding value to your work and charging more.

#50 Mike Killen and I talk confidence and how it's vital in closing the deal and why you should be selling futures, not features. Get actionable tips to use when talking to clients, including how to respond when a client says, "That's too expensive."

#49 Jacob Cass of Just Creative talks about his design journey, his logo design and presentation process, how to add more value with brand strategy and some amazing marketing tips. Plus, find out why he calls himself "the pink cow."

#48 Do you spend a lot of time creating logo formats? Are you unsure which ones to send to a client? Do you properly prepare logo files to prevent potential issues? Find out that and how to add value to your work by following these best practices from me and guest Michael Bruny-Groth from The Logo Package Express.

#47 Do you struggle with whether to refer to your freelancing business as "I" or "we"? Are you misrepresenting yourself if you use "we"? Will potential clients prefer just you or a team? Will you not get larger projects if you use "I"? Hear the pros and cons.

#46 Many graphic designers are so excited when a prospect contacts them, they miss a crucial step: evaluating the prospect. Having a vetting process is vital to avoid problem clients. Here are 6 reasons freelance designers should screen prospective clients.

#45 There are a lot of differences in mindset and behavior between graphic designers who are perceived as order takers and those who are perceived as experts. Here are 14 reasons graphic designers are seen as order takers instead of as experts.

#44 Monthly recurring revenue is all the rage these days. But what most freelancers and agencies don't realize is that it can cause problems. David C. Baker of the 2Bobs podcast joins me to talk about 9 ways recurring revenue actually hurts your business.

#43 There are many ways to learn and improve your skills. But you may not even know what you need help with or you may be focusing on the wrong thing. That's where one-on-one design mentoring can help. Here are 10 ways a design mentor can help you.

#42 Blair Enns of Win Without Pitching and I discuss pricing, taking back your power in the client-designer relationship, how not to sell, mindset issues and much more. Also, find out what the "flip" is and why it's vital in the client-designer relationship.

#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.