Better: The Brand Designer Podcast
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born.
Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record.
In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed!
Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
Location:
United States
Description:
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born. Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record. In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed! Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
Language:
English
Episodes
S9 E11: How to Level-Up Your Web Services with Chris Misterek from Showit
4/30/2024
Today I interview Chris Misterek from Showit! As you all know I am a huge fan of Showit and we talk everything from Chris' own design journey, to the Showit design community, to creating websites that convert.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Chris Misterek
Guest Business Name: Showit
Guest Website: showit.com
Links Mentioned:
Sign up for Showit
Spark Conference for Showit Designers
Mec Labs formula: C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a (https://meclabs.com/about/heuristic)
Steve Krug Books on Conversion - Don’t Make Me Think & Rocket Surgery Made Easy
Inbox Question:
"How can I sell Showit as my preferred web building platform to clients, even though they might be more aware of platforms like Squarespace and Wordpress?” - Lauren B.
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:09:17
S9 E10: Entering a New Era of Brand Strategy with Marion Tan
4/16/2024
The industry landscape when it comes to Brand Strategy is shifting, and designer/strategist Marion Tan from Hearten and Hone and By Marion Co. joins me to talk about her unique approach to offering this signature service to her clients (hint: it doesn’t have to be as complex as you think!)
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Marion Tan
Guest Business Name: By Marion
Guest Website: bymarion.co
Guest Instagram: @bymarion.co
Links Mentioned:
FREE MINI COURSE: Brand Strategy Training Ground https://bymarion.co/training-ground
Use code “BETTER” for $50 off of Marion’s signature brand strategy course, SOUGHT AFTER STRATEGIST http://bymarion.co/sas-betterpod
Inbox Question:
“I’d love advice for how I can relaunch my studio as a luxury brand” - Sierra Mechelle
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Duration:01:02:42
From the Archives | S5 E3: Running a Successful Design Business with Neurodivergence with Lea Gucciardi
4/9/2024
I’m on spring break! Enjoy this favorite episode from the archives featuring my good friend Lea Gucciardi from Arq Design Studio.
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designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:09:44
From the Archives | S6 E6: Refining Your Sales & Proposal Process
4/2/2024
Description: I’m on spring break! Enjoy this favorite episode from the archives where Esther and I discuss how to up-level your sales and proposal process.
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Duration:01:06:56
S9 E9: Are You Making These Design Business Mistakes?
3/25/2024
Another solo episode! In this one I go through some of the most common design business mistakes new and even experienced designers make. Don't make the same mistakes I did!
Links Mentioned:
25% off one year of Honeybook
Inbox Question:
“Helpful tips to gain confidence in presenting concepts?” - Gemma de Munk
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:29:31
S9 E8: How to Level Up Your Onboarding & Offboarding Experiences
3/19/2024
Having a good on / off boarding process is the key to a positive client experience, in today’s episode I am going to do a quick deep dive on mine and show you some lesson’s learned and maybe give you a few new ideas for yours!
Links Mentioned:
Honeybook Discount Code
Boxfox
Inbox Question:
“how to explain the importance of following a brand guide” - Heather Van Dyne
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:24:55
S9 E7: Business IRL: How to Maintain a Streamlined & Inspiring Office Space (At Any Size)
3/12/2024
Episode Description:
Today I go over my desk setup and how I like to keep my office space to make sure I am both productive and in a good mood. A little lighter and on the quick side today.
Inbox Question:
“I’m looking for guidance for the legal side of business setup. Do most people start with a sole proprietorship or an LLC?” - Kaitlin Knust
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:21:40
S9 E6: How to Make Consistent Five Figure Months on Day Rates Alone with Sarah Masci
3/5/2024
I got to chat all things VIP Days (how to price them, how to run them, and how to sell them) with the OG day rate creator herself, Sarah Masci of Day Rate Mastery. Sarah’s story spans well over a decade, and it was incredible to hear how she generated tons of leads early on in her company, how she configured her work schedule, and how she shifted her mindset to be able to make consistent five figure months on day rates alone.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Sarah Masci
Guest Business Name: Sarah Masci
Guest Website: www.sarahmasci.com
Guest Instagram: @sarahmasci
Links Mentioned:
VIP Days 10 Different Ways (Free PDF!)
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:05:00
S9 E5: All About Inquiries: Stats, Trends, & How to Get More
2/27/2024
Inspired by Abbey McGrew’s podcast episode from Unfiltered Designers! How many inquiries we got, how they found us, and who booked!
In this episode Jen shares her secrets for converting those site clicks into Inquiries. Jen shares some real inquiries from real clients and talks about what exactly on her site, her social media, or her brand got those clients from just thinking about it to actually booking a discovery call.
“What are your best tips for advertising yourself as a brand designer?” - Natalie Brown
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:39:06
S9E4: How to Project Manage Your Studio to Success
2/20/2024
Project management is a skill that every brand design studio owner needs. Having good project management doesn’t just help your business run smoothly, but it leads to a good work environment for your employees and provides your clients with a seamless client experience. In today’s episode Jen shares her best tips and lessons learned around becoming a better project manager.
Links Mentioned:
Brand Messaging & Copy Sprint for Designers Waitlist - a new Hello June offer!
Iterating on the One Concept Method podcast episode
Notion
shopcreativelaw.com
Inbox Question:
“How do you manage the subjectivity aspect of designing a brand with a client and setting boundaries on the amount of work or options you provide while giving them what they need/want?” - Maddie Jacobs
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:45:49
S9 E3: Steal My Web Design Process
2/13/2024
Episode Description:
In today’s episode Jen shares her entire web design and web development process, from a blank slate all the way to launch day, Jen explains the systems that she has in place that allows her small team to design, build, and deliver the perfect website every time. Get ready to take notes, this one is packed with a lot of value and details!
Inbox Question:
“Finding clients who only need branding services is challenging. I’m often finding web development or design services is easier. What are the best lead gen options for this space?” - Marta Nicole Rodzen
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:42:29
S9 E2: How to Confidently Show Up as the Face of Your Brand with Marisa Switzer
2/6/2024
Marisa Switzer is the founder of RISE Creative, a strategic design studio for female-founded e-commerce brands. In today’s episode we chat about her shift from the NYC fashion girlie lifestyle to owning a brand studio, showing up confidently as the face of her brand, and how her transition into motherhood has give her added confidence and clarity.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Marisa Switzer
Guest Business Name: Rise Creative Co.
Guest Website: www.risecreativeco.com
Guest Instagram: @risecreativeco
Links Mentioned:
https://risecreativeco.com/bootcamp
Inbox Question:
"Where do you market your services besides your website and Instagram?” - Erin Fitzsimmons
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:54:58
S9 E1: How to Get Faster at Brand & Web Design
1/30/2024
Welcome to the first episode of season 9!! Today I’ll be chatting about ways to improve your efficiency and get faster at brand and web design, allowing you to scale back on your working hours.
Inbox Question:
“What's an appropriate amount of time spent on choosing brand colors (initially)?” - Shelby Reed
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:24:37
From the Archives | S3 E8: How to Book Your Dream Clients with Meredith Uyeyama from Quixotic Design Co
1/23/2024
Welcome to another episode from the archives! We have Meredith Uyeyama from Quixotic Design Co on the podcast to chat all about booking dream clients and nailing the sales call.
We open the episode sharing our favorite places to get icons for branding projects. Meredith then tells her story about starting a design studio, becoming a creative director, and managing a team.
We dive into how Meredith has defined her ideal client and successfully found her niche in the industry. Meredith shares how she got her first client and her number one tip for getting referrals.
We share our advice for having an abundance mindset, branding for our ideal client, writing goals and keeping promises to ourselves. Meredith talks all about the strategies her team uses to build relationships with dream clients and the value of building rapport before selling.
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Guest Information:
Guest Name: Meredith Uyeyama
Guest Website: https://www.quixoticdesignco.com/
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quixoticdesignco/
Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:03:35
From the Archives | S5 E6: Level-Up Your Pricing & Start Charging $10k+ with Carli Anna
1/16/2024
Welcome to another episode from the archives! Five years ago Carli dropped out of design school and started her own business with charging $200 a logo. Today, at 25 years old, She runs a multiple six-figure business that allows her to provide for her growing family, book dream projects at 15k+, all without selling her soul and every hour to her business. Now Carli is teaching other creatives how to charge more while still having more fun in their business. In this episode we talk to Carli about her story, why she's passionate about teaching others how to earn money, and her learnings on the path to success.
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Guest Information:
Guest Name: Carli Anna
Guest Website: https://carlianna.co/
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlianna_/
Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:12:43
From the Archives | S2 E3: Typography, Typography, Typography!
1/9/2024
Welcome to another episode from the archives! Typography is one of the most fun (if not challenging) parts of our jobs as brand designers. We go over the vocab, resources, and chat about our favorite foundries and fonts.
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:39:19
From the Archives | S5 E11: Designing a Website from Start to Finish with Kenzie Amick
1/2/2024
Welcome to another episode from the archives! Kenzie is a brand and website designer who fell in love with website design and decided to start her business focusing on brand and website design for small businesses. In this episode we talk about the process of building a website from start to finish, making websites feel like our clients’ digital homes, and the details we think about when putting a site together.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Kenzie Amick
Guest Website: https://www.kenzieamick.co/
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzieamick/
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:00:30
S8 E19: Answering Your Inbox Questions
12/19/2023
It’s our last episode of season 8! Today I’ll be answering your inbox questions, diving into topics like how to get high-profile clients, firing clients, structuring day rates, hiring team members and more! Thank you SO much to everyone for listening along this season.
Links Mentioned:
Our “The One Concept Method” Episode
Our Scaling Episode
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:00:34:56
S8 E18: How to Launch Your Services with Kelsey McCormick from Coming Up Roses - Use Code BETTER for $50 off Launch Your Own Way!
12/12/2023
Use code BETTER for $50 off the live cohort of Launch Your Own Way (Jan. 10-12 2024). Today I’m joined by Kelsey McCormick of Coming Up Roses, a squiggle-brained brand designer, marketing strategist, and mentor. Kelsey empowers creative professionals to fearlessly and unapologetically show up as themselves online and IRL. We chat all about launching services, her transition into education, and so much more.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Kelsey McCormick
Guest Business Name: Coming Up Roses
Guest Website: https://www.cominguproses.co/
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cominguproses.co/
Links Mentioned:
Launch Your Own Way - Use code BETTER for $50 off the live cohort of Launch Your Own Way (Jan. 10-12 2024)
Inbox Question:
"How do you keep your designs from falling into the abyss that is the overpopulated design world?” - Mai Mai Gerber
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:06:48
S8 E17: Rethinking Social Media Marketing with Xanthe Appleyard from Oh Sierra
12/5/2023
Today I’m joined by Xanthe of Oh Sierra, a creative studio that help leaders and brands harness the potent power of community – online and IRL – through content marketing strategy, collaborative events, and creative spaces. In this education-packed episode we discuss the future of social media, what designers are overlooking in marketing, thought leadership, and more.
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Xanthe Appleyard
Guest Business Name: Oh Sierra
Guest Website: https://ohsierra.ca/
Guest Instagram: @ohsierracreative
Inbox Question:
"What’s your biggest struggle running your business that isn’t talked about enough?” - Mariah M
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Duration:01:09:37