Inside the Business of Graphic Design : 60 Leaders Share Their Secrets of Success

Inside the Business of Graphic Design: 60 Leaders Share Their Secrets of Success by Catharine Fishel Share the insights of today's most legendary graphic designers as they speak about the best-kept secrets (and failures) of their business lives. Inside the Business of Graphic Design casts a precise and realistic light on the risks, requirements, and rewards of running a creative and successful design business. Six sections discuss the entire cycle of business ownership, including goal setting, finding the right management style, cooperating with employees, triggering growth, rethinking one's business in the face of major changes, and even whether to stay with the business or move on. Whether you dream of setting up a small studio, or whether you've been on your own for years, this provocative guide is an important source of success strategies for every graphics professional. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 4 Dedication......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 PART ONE: PLANNING......Page 12 Section 1: Setting Goals Is Easy-Finding Them Later Is the Hard Part......Page 13 Miriello Grafico: Managing Employee Expectations......Page 14 SamataMason: Emulating Client Successes......Page 18 Liska + Associates: Keeping the Big Picture in Sight......Page 22 Rigsby Design: A Constant State of Becoming......Page 26 Section 2: Reputation-Boost or Burden?......Page 30 Cahan & Associates: Putting Your Reputation to Work......Page 31 Landor Associates: How to Defeat Complacency......Page 35 Bull Rodger: Reputation as a Control Factor......Page 39 Michael Schwab Studio: Sticking with a Good Thing......Page 42 PART TWO: MANAGING......Page 46 Section 3: Running a Business That Doesn't Eat Your Creativity for Lunch......Page 47 Gee + Chung Design: Listening to One's Heart......Page 48 Mirko Ili ? c Corp: Uncompromising Creative Ideals......Page 53 Sagmeister, Inc.: Find Balance Between Work and Life......Page 57 Terry Marks Design: Seven Postulates for Good Business......Page 61 Section 4: You Can't Paddle If You're at the Helm......Page 65 Kiku Obata & Company: Taking Turns at the Plate......Page 66 Trickett & Webb: Lots of Small Pyramids......Page 70 Chase Design Group: Delegation, Finally......Page 74 Ted Wright Illustration: Let the Work Do the Talking......Page 78 Section 5: How Not to Art Direct Your Staff to Death......Page 82 Watts Design: Everyone's an Art Director......Page 83 Fossil, Inc.: Directing Art and Hearts......Page 87 Vrontikis Design Office: The Gentle Leader......Page 91 Willoughby Design Group: Respect, Perspective, and Stepping Away......Page 94 PART THREE: COOPERATING......Page 98 Section 6: Together, Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar......Page 99 Richardson or Richardson: Dissolving an Office......Page 100 Parham Santana: Together, Day In and Day Out......Page 104 Number 17: How to Stay Best Friends......Page 108 Sayles Graphic Design: Keeping the Business Alive......Page 112 Section 7: Design or Get Out of the Way......Page 117 BBK: A Laissez-Faire Partnership......Page 118 AdamsMorioka: Divide and Conquer......Page 123 Pressley Jacobs: a design partnership: Reshaping Management......Page 127 Pentagram: To Each His or Her Own Specialty......Page 131 PART FOUR: GROWING......Page 136 Section 8: Post-Sliced Bread......Page 137 Concrete: Blind Optimism and Success......Page 138 VSA Partners: Leveraging Growth through Notoriety......Page 142 Jennifer Sterling Design: Ignoring Fame Altogether......Page 146 Alexander Isley Inc.: Broadening One's Base......Page 149 Section 9: This Land Is My Land; This Land Is My Land......Page 153 Turner Duckworth: A Trans-Atlantic Friendship......Page 154 Desgrippes Gob ̈¦ Group: Logical Worldwide Expansion......Page 158 Johnson & Wolverton: Getting Started Overseas......Page 162 Selbert Perkins Design: An Office on Both Coasts......Page 167 Section 10: Quick-Start Start-Up......Page 171 WINK: Becoming Vested in Yourself......Page 172 Archrival: How to Cause a Stir......Page 177 no.parking: Fueled by Na?vet ̈¦ and Hope......Page 182 Dotzero Design: When Is the Right Time to Start?......Page 185 PART FIVE: RETHINKING......Page 190 Section 11: Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Client......Page 191 Lippa Pearce Design: How to Be Irreplaceable......Page 192 Colby & Partners: Deal with It and Move On......Page 196 KMS Team: On Being Prepared......Page 200 Kendra Power Design & Communication, Inc.: Learning from Loss......Page 205 Section 12: Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Creative......Page 208 EM2 Design: Making Staff Feel Completely at Home......Page 210 The Richards Group: When to Hold on and When to Let Go......Page 214 Waters Design: The Unthinkable and Its Aftermath......Page 218 Bailey Lauerman: Preparation and Prevention......Page 223 Section 13: Setting a New Direction......Page 227 KINETIK Communication Graphics/Kitchen [K]: Launching a Dream......Page 228 Designkitchen: Sharpening Focus on Core Strengths......Page 233 KBDA: Moving to New Digs......Page 237 Melv?r&Lien: Presenting a Brand-New Face......Page 0 PART SIX: LEAVING......Page 246 Section 14: It's My Party and I'll Fly If I Want To......Page 247 Mitre Design: A Firm Splits in Two......Page 248 erowe design: A Fledgling Firm Owner Reflects......Page 252 Art Chantry: On Leaving One's Stomping Grounds......Page 256 Bo Bothe/Savage Design Group: On Not Leaving......Page 260 Section 15: To Boldly Go Where No Firm Has Gone Before......Page 263 Hornall Anderson Design Works: Changing In-House Culture......Page 264 LogoLounge, Inc./Gardner Design: How to Start a Second Business......Page 268 UNO Hispanic Advertising + Design: The Benefits of a Very Defined Niche......Page 273 Wired/Plunkett + Kuhr: Reevaluating Success......Page 278 Pt. 1. Planning -- Sect. 1. Setting Goals Is Easy - Finding Them Later Is the Hard Part -- t Miriello Grafico: Managing Employee Expectations -- SamataMason: Emulating Client Successes -- Liska + Associates: Keeping the Big Picture in Sight -- Rigsby Design: A Constant State of Becoming -- Sect. 2. Reputation - Boost or Burden? -- Cahan & Associates: Putting Your Reputation to Work -- Landor Associates: How to Defeat Complacency -- Bull Rodger: Reputation as a Control Factor -- Michael Schwab Studio: Sticking with a Good Thing -- Pt. 2. Managing -- Sect. 3. Running a Business That Doesn't Eat Your Creativity for Lunch -- Gee + Chung Design: Listening to One's Heart -- Mirko llic Corp: Uncompromising Creative Ideals -- Sagmeister, Inc.: Find Balance Between Work and Life -- Terry Marks Design: Seven Postulates for Good Business -- Sect. 4. You Can't Paddle If You're at the Helm -- Kiku Obata & Company: Taking Turns at the Plate -- Trickett & Webb: Lots of Small Pyramids -- Chase Design Group: Delegation, Finally -- Ted Wright Illustration: Let the Work Do the Talking -- Sect. 5. t How Not to Art Direct Your Staff to Death -- Watts Design: Everyone's an Art Director -- Fossil, Inc.: Directing Art and Hearts -- Vrontikis Design Office: The Gentle Leader -- Willoughby Design Group: Respect, Perspective, and Stepping Away -- Pt 3. Cooperating -- Sect. 6. Together, Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar -- Richardson or Richardson: Dissolving an Office -- Parham Santana: Together, Day In and Day Out -- Number 17: How to Stay Best Friends -- Sayles Graphic Design: Keeping the Business Alive -- Sect. 7. Design or Get Out of the Way -- BBK: A Laissez-Faire Partnership -- AdamsMorioka: Divide and Conquer -- Pressley Jacobs: a design partnership: Reshaping Management -- Pentagram: To Each His or Her Own Specialty -- Pt. 4. Growing -- Sect. 8. Post-Sliced Bread -- Concrete: Blind Optimism and Success -- VSA Partners: Leveraging Growth through Notoriety -- Jennifer Sterling Design: Ignoring Fame Altogether -- Alexander Isley Inc.: Broadening One's Base -- Sect. 9. This Land Is My Land; This Land Is My Land -- Turner Duckworth: A Trans-Atlantic Friendship -- Desgrippes Gobe Group: Logical Worldwide Expansion -- Johnson & Wolverton: Getting Started Overseas -- Selbert Perkins Design: An Office on Both Coasts -- Sect. 10. Quick-Start Start-Up -- WINK: Becoming Vested in Yourself -- Archrival: How to Cause a Stir -- No.parking: Fueled by Naivete and Hope -- Dotzero Design: When Is the Right Time to Start? -- Pt. 5. Rethinking -- Sect. 11. Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Client -- Lippa Pearce Design: How to Be Irreplaceable -- Colby & Partners: Deal with It and Move On -- KMS Team: On Being Prepared -- Kendra Power Design & Communication, Inc.: Learning from Loss -- Sect. 12. Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Creative -- EM2 Design: Making Staff Feel Completely at Home -- The Richards Group: When to Hold on and When to Let Go -- Waters Design: The Unthinkable and Its Aftermath -- Bailey Lauerman: Preparation and Prevention -- Sect. 13. Setting a New Direction -- KINETIK Communication Graphics/Kitchen [K]: Launching a Dream -- Designkitchen: Sharpening Focus on Core Strengths -- KBDA: Moving to New Digs -- Melvaer & Lien: Presenting a Brand-New Face -- Pt. 6. Leaving -- Sect. 14. It's My Party and I'll Fly If I Want To -- Mitre Design: A Firm Splits in Two -- Erowe design: A Fledgling Firm Owner Reflects -- Art Chantry: On Leaving One's Stomping Grounds -- Bo Bothe/Savage Design Group: On Not Leaving -- Sect. 15. To Boldly Go Where No Firm Has Gone Before -- Hornall Anderson Design Works: Changing In-House Culture -- LogoLounge, Inc./Gardner Design: How to Start a Second Business -- UNO Hispanic Advertising + Design: The Benefits of a Very Defined Niche -- Wired/Plunkett + Kuhr: Reevaluating Success Based on interviews with over 60 graphic design business owners, this volume seeks to cast light on the risks, requirements and rewards of running a creative and successful design business