The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast

What are the upcoming  2024 Graphic Design & Logo trends for Graphic Designers to follow - or are they worth following at all? Graphic design and Logo trends can be an effective tool for a designer, but rely on them too much and you'll find yourself in dangerous territory.  Graphic design trends can create anxiety and derail good design, while logo design trends can damage a brand. So are...

When your Digital File Management is done right, it can make you a MUCH better designer. Nailing your Digital File Management can set you free from tedious hours spent searching for lost files, and boost your efficiency through the roof, and allow you stay in the creativity zone . Picture this: a world where 'untitled_document_245' is banished, and 'final_final_version_FINAL' i...

Whitespace in a design. Graphic Designers love it - but struggle to sell it because many customers think it's wasted space.  Whitespace is a silent partner that can make or break a design, yet it's misunderstood by many. So why is it such a controversial topic between designers and clients? Why do so many clients write it off as wasted space? Whitespace is not wasted space. This week, we...

Find out what keeps Graphic Designers up at night! Customers, Computers, Software Ghosts and Crashes...Graphic design can be a scary business - downright terrifying!  In this podcast episode of the Angry Designer, the cackling Canadians explore the scary side of graphic design, as they uncover the things that keep graphic designers up at night and share 12 hair-raising graphic design movies.  Don&...

There is a gold mine waiting for Graphic Designers - and it's in PowerPoint Presentations! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, PowerPoint presentations are an integral part of the business world. Whether it’s for sales presentations, investor decks, or even customer proposals, a kick ass PowerPoint Presentation can make all the difference - and are a perfect opportunity for Graphic Designers. Often people...

Nailing your Graphic Design Portfolio can make the difference between scoring your dream client, project,  job or making business cards at Kinkos.  Whether you're pitching a client, or in a job interview,  truth is, no matter how good you are and how great your work is, it won't just speak for itself!  But what are people looking for?  Isn't your website enough? How far back do you...

The misconceptions - or delusions - customers have about Graphic Designers are both flattering and absurd.  These eyebrow-raising comments often leave us scratching our heads wondering 'how could they honestly believe that?  While what we do may look glamorous or fun, we understand the reality of the graphic design game can be a LOT different than what customers consider it to be . So what do...

What does it take to run a successful Graphic Design and Branding agency? Or better yet, to be invited to speak at Adobe Max not once, but TWICE! Saddle up for the second half of our amazing conversation with social media sensation Kristy Campbell. From her thoughts on the future of AI in graphic design, her secrets to success, business wins & business fails to her upcoming talk at @adobe MAX,...

Saddle up, Angry Designers - this week we're heading back down under for another kick-a** guest episode! This week, we're joined by the AWESOME @kristy.thepinkpony , Founder and Chief Designer at @pinkponycreative 🙌 With over 8 years of industry experience, Kristy has made her mark on the graphic design world. From yoga, fitness and health, to food, fashion and commercial property, Kris...

Get ready to unlock the ultimate secret to success in the world of design! As a graphic designer, you need a pretty diverse set of skills under your belt if you want to go pro, but the most VALUABLE skill might not be what you think... Creativity? Design skills? Typography? Sure, they're all important, but what is the number one skill you need to learn to guarantee success as a graphic design...

How do I get MORE! More Graphic Design work, more customers, more projects, more money? It's a question we hear ALL of the time.   The problem comes when designers focus on finishing a job and immediately start hustling for the next one. Sure, you've done the work you're contracted to do - but then what? And it's not just about asking; it's about acting. What are you doing...

To hand over, or not to hand over - that is the question for Graphic Designers. Shakespeare himself might struggle to answer this! There’s an age-old debate over native file sharing, and it’s a clash of perspectives that every designer faces 🤔 Clients ask for native files for a whole number of reasons, from printing requirements to future edits and even legal compliance. But, designers have their...

Remember when AI was just a "buzzword"? AI is quickly becoming part of our everyday lives, and for Graphic Designers there are 2 options - embrace it, or get left behind. AI isn't just a trend—it's a game-changer! It's like having your own personal design sidekick on steroids, helping you refine your graphic design game, skyrocket your efficiency and feed your creativity ...

We're dropping even MORE from our awesome conversation with Social Sensation, Logo Designer James Barnard @barnardco !  An award-winning Graphic Designer, Seasoned Freelancer, Design Educator, Dad and owner of Barnard.co, James had a less-than-traditional introduction to the industry. With over a decade in the industry, James has designed creative content for some of the UK’s biggest titles,...

Hold onto your seats as we are SUPER excited to be joined by the amazing Logo Designer James Barnard @barnardco !  Award-winning logo designer, seasoned freelancer, design educator, dad and owner of Barnard.co, James had a less-than-traditional introduction to the industry. Join us tomorrow for part 1 of an awesome conversation with Logo Designer James Barnard, as we uncover the man behind the mas...

Have you ever experienced something a client did that just felt...Cringy?  Strap in as we dive head first into the unbelievable world of jaw-dropping, face-melting, and eye-twitch-inducing remarks we all too often encounter from our Graphic  Design clients!  Brace yourself. From backseat designing to client-splaining,  The Angry Designers share some of their most ridiculous, Cringy client stories...

X is in - Twitter is gone, along with 4 billion dollars of brand recognition. Has Elon Musk gone mad or is he a genius? Join The Angry Designers this week as they chat about the internets hottest topic - Twitter rebranding to X. In this episode all about branding the gents discuss: - Harley Davidsons new logo - New X logo - Successful rebrands - Elons plan revealed - 5 key elements to a successful...

Pricing a logo can be a NIGHTMARE. How can some Graphic Designers claim to charge $100,000 for a logo, and others struggle for $1000! With so many pricing misconceptions out there, it's no surprise so many Graphic Designers are getting it wrong, leaving thousands on the table.  Strap in for a no holds barred Angry Designer 101 as the dapper gents lift the lid on REAL logo pricing. In this epi...

The Graphic Design industry has changed a LOT in the last 25 years - several times over. We're talking about the transition from print to digital, the gig economy, the introduction of social media, and even the mind-blowing creation of stock photography. (Anyone remember the days when you had to go out and photograph your own textures? ) In part 2 of another exciting Angry Designer double epi...

Get ready, Angry Designers, as zfactor hits 25 year milestone in business! Learn about what it took to make zfactor a successful creative agency. From the early days in Massimo's parent's basement, to almost crashing out, to landing their first billion-dollar client, strap in for one hell of a ride as the Angry Designers reflect on 25 years in the industry. Join us this week for part 1 o...

More and more often, we hear designers referring to themselves as 'award-winning designers' - but what does that actually mean? Does being an award-winning designer make you successful? Does it get you better work, more money and recognition from your peers, or is it the adult equivalent of having your drawing hung on the fridge? 🏅 Strap in Angry Designers, because this week we are hitt...

Strap in and get ready for more from the unapologetically awesome James Martin - Part 2! Graphic designer, educator, author and co-founder of Baby Giant, & the person behind the Made By James brand, James Martin is a legend in the graphic design space. Not one to shy away from more hard-hitting topics, in part 2, James continues to share more about his life, his craft and his plans for the fut...

On this guest episode of The Angry Designer, we have a conversation with none other than the AMAZING @made.by.james  James Martin. One of our design heroes and the unfiltered, self-titled NonConformulator of Logos - we are very excited to welcome James to the podcast. Graphic designer, educator, author and co-founder of @babygiantco , James has earned his status as one of the modern-day giants of...

Aren't you tired of always being told what to do to become a BETTER Graphic Designer, or to design a better Logo, or to be a better Freelancer? There is so much self help out there - our minds become numb to it! What if however, there was a list so ridiculous, that to be successful, you just had to do the opposite? In this weeks episode of The Angry Designer Podcast, we enter a world of oppos...

Changing a logo can be a big deal. It's not just an image, it's the face of a brand. It's how customers spot you in the crowd.  And way too often, new logos are received with rejection, screams, and genuine anger! But hold on, logo change doesn't always mean an extreme makeover! In our experience running zfactor, we're all about the "Logo Trinity", 3 degrees of a...