Design Life

Do you sometimes feel guilty for taking a break? Maybe you tinker on things throughout your break to ease the guilt, or perhaps you feel the guilt after enjoying a weekend away. Well we feel that too, so that’s what we discuss in this episode. You’ll hear our feelings on this guilt, and our advice for overcoming it and allowing yourself the permission to relax. More at www.designlife.fm

Working from home is becoming more and more common as more creatives take on a freelance life, and more companies embrace the remote way of working. In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of making your living space your working space, and give advice for combatting loneliness, switching off and distraction. More at www.designlife.fm

Us designers can be emotional people. We love our jobs and we feel passionately about our creative projects. But what happens when that passion wanes? In this episode we talk about what it’s like to lose the passion you once had for a project, and what to do about it. More at www.designlife.fm

Learning a new skill can be hard, especially when you’re teaching yourself. But it’s also a vital part of growing as a designer throughout your career. In this episode we chat about how we teach ourselves new skills, the struggles we face, and how we deal with them. More at www.designlife.fm

Struggling with confidence is a big problem creatives face. We’ve all had days where we feel like we can’t keep going on our creative journey; that we’re not good enough and should just give up. But facing those hurdles is a part of the learning process and something we have to learn to deal with. In this episode we discuss confidence issues and give advice on ways to feel more confident in your w...

Sending a client the deliverables is the last step of a project, so it’s one that can have a lasting impression. In this episode we discuss our process for sending client deliverables and some improvements we want to make to end the project on a really professional note. More at www.designlife.fm

Stepping out of your comfort zone is something you have to do every now and then to learn and develop. In this episode we talk about what that means for us in terms of our side projects, taking on new opportunities, and also with our design style. More at www.designlife.fm

When you’ve got a tight deadline to meet (or when you’ve just got a lot to do) little tricks to speed up your workflow can make all the difference. In this episode we talk about how our workflows have improved over the years and suggest some ideas for you to try. More at www.designlife.fm

The design world has gotten a little too perfect. All we see are beautiful finished products. The ideas thrown out along the way never get shared. But there is value in sharing your process and it can help others learn. In this episode we talking about perfectionism and sharing, and about how we need to see more crappy work. More at www.designlife.fm

How do your personal morals fit in with your design work? As designers, and as humans, we have a responsibility to think about the user and put forward work that makes the world better rather than worse. In this episode we discuss ethics and morals, and share examples of a few things we draw the line on. More at www.designlife.fm

In this episode we reflect on what it’s been like to leave design school and start designing full time. We cover the many differences in the design process and the people you work with in school vs out in the “real world” and share advice for making the transition smoother. More at www.designlife.fm

When it comes to creating content online, consistency is the key to building a reputation and an audience. In this episode we discuss how we stay consistent with our content creation and share advice for how to overcome some common struggles. More at www.designlife.fm

Remote working is becoming more and more common, and more and more desirable these days. In this episode we discuss our remote jobs and share advice for focussing and connecting with your team as a remote worker, and making the most of your nomadic situation.  More at www.designlife.fm

When it comes to your design career, you need to think about what you want out of it and where you want to end up in the future so that you can make steps towards it now, and make choices that align with those goals. In this episode we discuss the career goals of our listeners (and our own!) and share tips for figuring out what you want, and working towards it. More at www.designlife.fm

Constraints breed creativity. If they’re not too restrictive, they give you a starting point and a box to think outside of. In this episode we discuss how to see constraints in a positive light and share advice for setting your own constraints on side projects. We also talk about what to do when a client is overly prescriptive and the constraints box you into a corner, and how to treat budget and...

Lack of focus is our biggest enemy when it comes to productivity. In this episode we talk about focus time and how we can create it for ourselves. We discuss some different apps and techniques that help towards finding focus, but we also talk about the fact that focus looks different for everyone. The thing that helps someone else focus may not work for you, but it’s about experimenting and seeing...

When it comes to getting jobs in creative industries, your portfolio is more important than your resumé. Your portfolio should show your best work, and should demonstrate why you’re the person to hire for the job. It can be tough to create a good one. There are lots of decisions to be made, from what work to include and how to talk about it, to what platform to use and how much process to show. In...

The start of a new year is the perfect time for you to think about what you want to get out of the year ahead, and set some goals. In this episode we get super honest and share our audience building, teaching, learning, financial, content and health goals for 2017. And of course we give some advice for setting your own goals for the coming year. Be ambitious, and let’s make it a good one! More at...

The people you surround yourself with can have a huge impact on your life. That impact can be positive and uplifting, or it could be negative and crush your dreams; it’s up to you. In this episode we talk about how to find inspiring people and make them a part of your life, and also about how to let go of people who might be having a negative impact on you.  More at www.designlife.fm

Sometimes you have to say no to really good opportunities, whether that be because you’re too busy to take them on, or because you want to make sure there is still room for great opportunities to come your way. In this episode share our experiences with saying no to things we might otherwise have said yes to, and give some advice for figuring out whether or not you should say yes to something.  Mo...

A contract is an essential part of being a freelancer. Even if you’re just starting out, it’s valuable to put one in to your process as soon as possible. In this episode we share advice for creating your contract and some hurdles to watch out for, alongside so many useful resources in our show notes. More at www.designlife.fm

Content marketing doesn’t have to be a thing only big businesses do to seem like they know their customers; it’s something we as creatives can do to get our names out there, attract the right type of client, and become a part of the creative community by giving knowledge back. In this episode we discuss the benefits we’ve gotten from content marketing, as well as tips for creating content. More at...

When you market yourself for freelance work, there are two main ways to brand yourself: as an individual or as a studio. In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of each and help you figure out which option is best for you. More at www.designlife.fm

For Design Life’s one year anniversary episode we invited our listeners to send in an audio recording telling us about something they’re struggling with at the moment. We do our best to answer their questions about managing time, confidence, finding clients and opportunities, and creating content. In this episode you’ll hear advice for getting through the struggles and share our own stories on the...

We often hear stories of designers waiting months for payment. It’s hard asking for money, so how do you get clients to pay up? In this episode we talk about issues with payments, and share advice for making the payment process professional and easy. Remember, you deserve to be paid for your work in a timely manner, and there are things you should be doing that will help make this happen. More at...