Inside the business of graphic design : 60 leaders share their secrets of success / Catharine Fishel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fishel, Catharine M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Graphic arts--Vocational guidance.

Graphic arts.

Commercial art--Vocational guidance.

Commercial art.

Physical Description:

x, 277 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Allworth Press, [2003]

Summary:

Share the insights of today's most legendary graphic designers as they reveal the best-kept secrets (and failures) of their business lives! Based on one-on-one interviews with over 60 graphic design business owners, 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, and even rethinking whether to stay with the business or move on. Whether you dream of setting up a small studio or have been on your own for years, this provocative guide is an important source of success strategies for every graphics professional.

Contents:

Part 1 Planning 1

Section 1 Setting Goals Is Easy

Finding Them Later Is the Hard Part: Knowing Where You Are Going 2

Miriello Grafico: Managing Employee Expectations 3

SamataMason: Emulating Client Successes 7

Liska + Associates: Keeping the Big Picture in Sight 11

Rigsby Design: A Constant State of Becoming 15

Section 2 Reputation

Boost or Burden? Can You Hang Yourself on the Hook You've Created for Clients to Grab Onto? 19

Cahan & Associates: Putting Your Reputation to Work 20

Landor Associates: How to Defeat Complacency 24

Bull Rodger: Reputation as a Control Factor 28

Michael Schwab Studio: Sticking with a Good Thing 31

Part 2 Managing 35

Section 3 Running a Business That Doesn't Eat Your Creativity for Lunch: Staying Sharp Creatively and Administratively 36

Gee + Chung Design: Listening to One's Heart 37

Mirko Ilic Corp: Uncompromising Creative Ideals 42

Sagmeister, Inc.: Find Balance Between Work and Life 46

Terry Marks Design: Seven Postulates for Good Business 50

Section 4 You Can't Paddle If You're at the Helm: Building on the Star Quality of Your Good Name 54

Kiku Obata & Company: Taking Turns at the Plate 55

Trickett & Webb: Lots of Small Pyramids 59

Chase Design Group: Delegation, Finally 63

Ted Wright Illustration: Let the Work Do the Talking 67

Section 5 How Not to Art Direct Your Staff to Death: Being a Good Manager and Inspirer at the Same Time 71

Watts Design: Everyone's an Art Director 72

Fossil, Inc.: Directing Art and Hearts 76

Vrontikis Design Office: The Gentle Leader 80

Willoughby Design Group: Respect, Perspective, and Stepping Away 83

Part 3 Cooperating 87

Section 6 Together, Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar: When You Know How Your Business Partner Looks in Pajamas 88

Richardson or Richardson: Dissolving an Office 89

Parham Santana: Together, Day In and Day Out 93

Number 17: How to Stay Best Friends 97

Sayles Graphic Design: Keeping the Business Alive 101

Section 7 Design or Get Out of the Way: How Not to Knock Heads with People Who Are Nearly as Smart as You Are 106

BBK: A Laissez-Faire Partnership 107

AdamsMorioka: Divide and Conquer 112

Pressley Jacobs: a design partnership: Reshaping Management 116

Pentagram: To Each His or Her Own Specialty 120

Part 4 Growing 125

Section 8 Post-Sliced Bread: How to Behave When You're the Latest, Greatest Thing 126

Concrete: Blind Optimism and Success 127

VSA Partners: Leveraging Growth through Notoriety 131

Jennifer Sterling Design: Ignoring Fame Altogether 135

Alexander Isley Inc.: Broadening One's Base 138

Section 9 This Land Is My Land; This Land Is My Land: Opening an Office in Another City or Country 142

Turner Duckworth: A Trans-Atlantic Friendship 143

Desgrippes Gobe Group: Logical Worldwide Expansion 147

Johnson & Wolverton: Getting Started Overseas 151

Selbert Perkins Design: An Office on Both Coasts 156

Section 10 Quick-Start Start-Up: How to Get Out of the Blocks Quickly 160

WINK: Becoming Vested in Yourself 161

Archrival: How to Cause a Stir 166

no.parking: Fueled by Naivete and Hope 171

Dotzero Design: When Is the Right Time to Start? 174

Part 5 Rethinking 179

Section 11 Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Client: The External Big Hit 180

Lippa Pearce Design: How to Be Irreplaceable 181

Colby & Partners: Deal with It and Move On 185

KMS Team: On Being Prepared 189

Kendra Power Design & Communication, Inc.: Learning from Loss 194

Section 12 Recovering from the Loss of a Significant Creative: The Internal Big Hit 197

EM2 Design: Making Staff Feel Completely at Home 199

The Richards Group: When to Hold on and When to Let Go 203

Waters Design: The Unthinkable and Its Aftermath 207

Bailey Lauerman: Preparation and Prevention 212

Section 13 Setting a New Direction: Filing a Revised Flight Plan with Clients and Staff 216

KINETIK Communication Graphics/Kitchen [K]: Launching a Dream 217

Designkitchen: Sharpening Focus on Core Strengths 222

KBDA: Moving to New Digs 226

Melvaer&Lien: Presenting a Brand-New Face 231

Part 6 Leaving 235

Section 14 It's My Party and I'll Fly If I Want To: Leaving One Firm and Starting Another 236

Mitre Design: A Firm Splits in Two 237

erowe design: A Fledgling Firm Owner Reflects 241

Art Chantry: On Leaving One's Stomping Grounds 245

Bo Bothe/Savage Design Group: On Not Leaving 249

Section 15 To Boldly Go Where No Firm Has Gone Before: Breaking Into New Areas of Business 252

Hornall Anderson Design Works: Changing In-House Culture 253

LogoLounge, Inc./Gardner Design: How to Start a Second Business 257

UNO Hispanic Advertising + Design: The Benefits of a Very Defined Niche 262

Wired/Plunkett + Kuhr: Reevaluating Success 267.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

1581152574

OCLC:

50808935