Design Domination

#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.

#21 Freelance designers, client relationships and getting clients are not that different from dating. Learn how to identify your ideal client, attract them, approach them, spot deal breakers, nurture the relationship and more.

#20 Geek out on typography with typeface designer Fábio Duarte Martins and me, learn a bit about typeface design and discover how typeface design can be a great source of passive income.

#19 Attorney Matt Johnston and I talk about trademarking logo designs. Find out how to make sure your designs don't infringe on an existing trademark, when and what to consider before trademarking, and the trademark process.

#18 Fellow longtime graphic designer Evelyn Powers and I talk about lessons learned from bad client experiences as freelancers, how to identify red flags with prospects and clients, and how to fire bad clients.

#17 Ted Leonhardt and I talk about confidence (or lack thereof) and bullying and how they affect how creatives and graphic designers—especially freelancers—perceive their value, set rates and negotiate salaries.

#16 Creative Business owner and industry veteran Cameron S. Foote discusses what to consider before going out on your own as a freelancer, how to present your work to get objective feedback, when to push back with a client, how to earn more respect from clients and specializing.

#15 Designer and humorous creativeLIVE instructor Jason Hoppe and I talk all about Adobe® InDesign and page layout. Learn some best practices and time-saving tips for an efficient page layout process.

#14 Ever considered a full-time or part-time career as a fine artist? Hear from Michael Auger, who's had a solid freelancing career as an illustrator, painter and graphic designer.

#13 Do you have trouble pricing your design work as a freelancer? Do you suck up out-of-scope work that you should be charging for? Learn what to include in your graphic design contracts and estimates and figure out if your projects are profitable.

#12 Print designers, do you use the same folds for direct mail projects over and over because you think other types of folds cost too much or seem too complicated? Get inspiration, education and free templates from Trish Witkowski, Foldfactory.

#11 Freelance designers, have you ever considered creating stock images to generate passive income? Stock up on some tips and best practices from Anne Bracker of the YouTube channel Graphic Design How-To, who's been doing just that, so that you can make the most of your efforts.

#10 Freelance designers, ever feel like an imposter? Like your work isn't good enough? Do you lack confidence presenting your design ideas? Do you find it hard to give yourself credit where due? This stems from the imposter syndrome. Find out how it can help us or hold us back.

#9 Do you dream of going out on your own as a freelancer and working wherever and whenever you want, so you can enjoy a more flexible lifestyle? Robert and Alyssa Simmons talk about the freedom they've experienced working for themselves and pursuing their dreams.

#8 Are you getting what you need—and want—from clients? Do clients send you the wrong types of files? Does it takes a long time for clients to sign your contracts? Do you find yourself resending logo or print files for the umpteenth time? Are you embarrassed because clients point out edits you missed? Do you make it easy for clients to say yes? Learn how to improve your processes for a smoother, m...

#7 Want to increase your proficiency in presentation design? Considering a career in it? Laura Foley explains how she's made a career out of specializing in PowerPoint design. Learn best practices when using PowerPoint and how to price PowerPoint projects.

#6 Are your design contracts helping— or hurting —you? Do clients understand your contracts? Do you ? If you don't have a solid contract, you may be unknowingly giving away your design rights or taking on liability you shouldn't be. Even worse, if you don't operate as an LLC or corporation, your personal assets could be at risk if you make a mistake. Learn how to prevent a contract catastrophe, ge...

#5 Freelance designers, are you getting the clients you want? Are you sick of prospects who can't afford your rates? Are you missing out on work that you want? Are you always in feast or famine mode? Don't be at the mercy of taking whatever comes to you. Get marketing tips for designers from Ilise Benun.

#4 Do you know why a client should hire you when they can pay $50 to a cheap freelance designer, Fiverr or 99Designs, or set up a Wix, Weebly or Squarespace site themselves? Learn how to charge more for design work and set yourself apart.