How to Run a Successful Design Business: The New Professional Practice

The design sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, and now covers a wide range of specialist disciplines from branding and communications to product, commercial interiors and digital. Yet design firms often lack long-term vision, strategies and plans, and research from the Design Council shows that far too many suffer from poor profitability. Shan Preddy believes that the more a design firm knows about business, the more successful it will be, both creatively and financially. That's why she has gathered over 80 design-sector experts from different fields – advisors, practitioners, clients and representatives from design organisations – to provide you with information, suggestions, guidelines and thought-provoking opinions. Whether you're experienced or just starting out, How to Run a Successful Design Business: The New Professional Practice covers everything owners and managers of design firms need to know.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword, David Kester; Preface, Shan Preddy; Section 1 The Industry; The arrival, Jeremy Myerson; The present, Shan Preddy; The global context, Michael Thomson; The client perspective, Shan Preddy; The future, James Woudhuysen. Section 2 The Business: The vision and values, Shan Preddy; The culture, Shan Preddy; The product, Shan Preddy; The business journey, Adrian Rasdall; The business structure, Peers de Trensé; The money (part 1) Mandy Merron; The money (part 2), Gary Baxter; The law, Jo Evans; The intellectual property, Darrell Stuart-Smith; The management issues, James Woudhuysen; The validation, Shan Preddy; The memberships, Shan Preddy; The network , Phil Jones; The working environment, Shan Preddy; The neverending story, Shan Preddy. Section 3 The People: The management team, Shan Preddy; The creatives, Rod Petrie; The client facers, Jan Casey; The hunter-gatherers, Blair Enns; The farmer-growers, Shan Preddy; The strategists, Ann Binnie; The orgs and ops, Shan Preddy; The incoming resource, Madelaine Cooper; The ongoing resource, Kim Briggs; The outgoing resource, Kim Briggs; The training, Liz Lydiate; The development, Rod Petrie; The rewards, Mandy Merron; The cavalry, Madelaine Cooper; The self-incentive, Kevin Duncan . Section 4 The Income: The marketing strategy, Shan Preddy; The marketing plan, Shan Preddy; The geography, Christine Losecaat; The reputation, Julia James; The media, Lynda Relph-Knight, The social media, Gemma Went; The sales process, Shan Preddy; The pitch, Jonathan Kirk; The no pitch, Blair Enns; The record, Shan Preddy; The procurement, Tina Fegent; The prequal, Simon May; The roster, Simon May; The client journey, Shan Preddy; The client experience, Shan Preddy. Section 5 The Work: The terms, Barry Morris; The knowledge, Liz Lydiate; The brief, Kate Blandford; The projects, Lorna Dallas-Conte; The research, Don Preddy; The meetings, Sean Blair; The feedback, Shan Preddy; The proof, Deborah Dawton; The recognition, Stef Brown; The planet, Sophie Thomas. Section 6: The Designers; Section 7 The Clients; Section 8 The Design Bodies; Section 9 The Reference Library; Section 10 The Contributors; Index.

About the Author :
Shan Preddy is a Partner at Preddy&Co which specialises in business development consultancy for design firms and training for their staff. Her professional affiliations include the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Marketing Society, where she is a Business Leader. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, an Elected Associate of D&AD, a Fellow of the RSA and an accredited consultant on the DBA Experts Register. In addition, she is a regular speaker at, and chair of, design conferences and a skilled awayday facilitator. Throughout Europe, many leading design firms have benefited from Shan's expert business advice, and thousands of design professionals have read her books and participated in her popular masterclasses. Gary Baxter, Ann Binnie, Sean Blair, Kate Blandford, Kim Briggs, Stef Brown, Jan Casey, Madelaine Cooper, Lorna Dallas-Conte, Deborah Dawton, Peers De Trensé, Kevin Duncan, Blair Enns, Jo Evans, Tina Fegent, Louis Hellman, Julia James, Phil Jones, Jonathan Kirk, Christine Losecaat, Liz Lydiate, Simon May, Mandy Merron, Barry Morris, Jeremy Myerson, Rod Petrie, Don Preddy, Shan Preddy, Adrian Rasdall, Lynda Relph-Knight, Darrell Stuart-Smith, Sophie Thomas, Michael Thomson, Gemma Went, James Woudhuysen.

Review :
'Don't mistake business savvy for drudgery. It makes you a better designer. The more you know about business, the better you'll be at seeing the world from your clients' point of view, working out what they need and spotting opportunities for them ... this book is good news. Whether you're starting out or an experienced veteran, the wisdom in these pages will help to make being in business a positive experience.' - David Kester, Chief Executive, Design Council '...a useful text for anyone starting or running a business, as the more we as designers understand and value the business world, the more impact we can make with our ideas. This book has some very impressive contributors and is an interesting read and also a useful book to have on your shelf for ongoing reference.' Deborah Szebeko, thinkpublic 'As co-proprietor of a design agency and former President of the Pan-European Brand Design Association (PDA) I have over the past 35 years been following the rise and fall of small and large design companies. Maintaining an equilibrium between customers, team work and design quality is indeed a delicate balancing act at which many fail and few master brilliantly. Clearly, a book that explains how these elements are connected was long overdue; Shan Preddy has now written it. Please read it. It belongs on every designer's bedside table.' - Jean Jacques Schaffner, Schaffner & Conzelmann, Basel, Switzerland 'Shan Preddy's new publication is a bible for design business practice. She and her contributors cover all the basics for growing your firm, avoiding pitfalls and offering some surprising insights that might otherwise be lost... it's easy to dip in and out of. Everyone in the industry should read this invaluable contribution to success.' - Celestine Phelan, Chairman, Event Communications Ltd. '...The basic premise is: the more you know about business, the more you'll be able to understand your clients. With such a specific topic and sparse use of imagery, the tone and immediacy of message is all-important and Preddy has worked with all types of professionals in the design sector, delivering detailed, valuable chapters that reflect these varied points of view.' Computer Arts 'How to Run a Successful Design Business should be a useful text for anyone starting or running a business, as the more we as designers understand and value the business world, the more impact we can make with our ideas. This book has some very impressive contributors and is an interesting read and also a useful book to have on your shelf for ongoing reference.' - Deborah Szebeko, Founder of www.thinkpublic.com 'Doing creative work with impact needs headspace and optimism... it's never too soon to take your business seriously. Thankfully help is at hand from a dream team of experienced practitioners.' - Joe Heapy, Director, Engine Service Design 'It's not very often a book comes along that is as relevant to one's business as this one...The success of the book lies in the variety and cross-section of information provided by the specialist practitioners Shan has invited to contribute to the book. Their heartfelt and in-depth knowledge delivers great nuggets of consultancy advice that would normally take you years to accumulate. The book does a great job of reminding you of all the good things you've ever learnt; it provides reassurance that much of what you've implemented (or tried to) is right; most importantly it provides the inspiration and confidence to go on to achieve ever greater things...' - Caroline Hagen, Managing Partner, Reach 'A well informed and, at times, surprising wealth of information; which whilst acknowledging extremely well the traits of the design sector provides sound advice for any modern business. The book explores so many important facets, which you can easily dip in and out of. And I particularly like the use of quotes at the start of each chapter, which add an interesting mix of humour and philosophy.' - Adryan Bell 'A 'must read' for anyone who wants to follow their passion in design whilst putting food on the table. Shan Preddy has managed to collect the hard learned experiences of some of the best (if not best looking) in the business. I wish I'd had this when I started out thirteen years ago. It would have saved a lot of grief.' - John Corcoran, Director, Wire Design Ltd 'There are two things special about this book: first, it is comprehensive. Lots of other books cover bits. This covers the whole waterfront. And secondly, it is beautifully written - simple, engaging, no mumbo-jumbo. For anyone running a design company it is a 'must read' book.' - Anthony Simonds-Gooding CBE, Chairman, The Design Business Association 'In this seminal work, Shan Preddy has brought together some of the brightest minds in the design industry... the result is a vital reference tool for anyone who works in the field of design... whether you are a just starting out, or you are already a seasoned 'Don’t mistake business savvy for drudgery. It makes you a better designer. The more you know about business, the better you’ll be at seeing the world from your clients’ point of view, working out what they need and spotting opportunities for them … this book is good news. Whether you’re starting out or an experienced veteran, the wisdom in these pages will help to make being in business a positive experience.' – David Kester, Chief Executive, Design Council '...a useful text for anyone starting or running a business, as the more we as designers understand and value the business world, the more impact we can make with our ideas. This book has some very impressive contributors and is an interesting read and also a useful book to have on your shelf for ongoing reference.' Deborah Szebeko, thinkpublic 'As co-proprietor of a design agency and former President of the Pan-European Brand Design Association (PDA) I have over the past 35 years been following the rise and fall of small and large design companies. Maintaining an equilibrium between customers, team work and design quality is indeed a delicate balancing act at which many fail and few master brilliantly. Clearly, a book that explains how these elements are connected was long overdue; Shan Preddy has now written it. Please read it. It belongs on every designer's bedside table.' – Jean Jacques Schaffner, Schaffner & Conzelmann, Basel, Switzerland 'Shan Preddy's new publication is a bible for design business practice. She and her contributors cover all the basics for growing your firm, avoiding pitfalls and offering some surprising insights that might otherwise be lost... it's easy to dip in and out of. Everyone in the industry should read this invaluable contribution to success.' – Celestine Phelan, Chairman, Event Communications Ltd. '...The basic premise is: the more you know about business, the more you'll be able to understand your clients. With such a specific topic and sparse use of imagery, the tone and immediacy of message is all-important and Preddy has worked with all types of professionals in the design sector, delivering detailed, valuable chapters that reflect these varied points of view.' Computer Arts 'How to Run a Successful Design Business should be a useful text for anyone starting or running a business, as the more we as designers understand and value the business world, the more impact we can make with our ideas. This book has some very impressive contributors and is an interesting read and also a useful book to have on your shelf for ongoing reference.' – Deborah Szebeko, Founder of www.thinkpublic.com 'Doing creative work with impact needs headspace and optimism... it’s never too soon to take your business seriously. Thankfully help is at hand from a dream team of experienced practitioners.' – Joe Heapy, Director, Engine Service Design 'It's not very often a book comes along that is as relevant to one's business as this one…The success of the book lies in the variety and cross-section of information provided by the specialist practitioners Shan has invited to contribute to the book. Their heartfelt and in-depth knowledge delivers great nuggets of consultancy advice that would normally take you years to accumulate. The book does a great job of reminding you of all the good things you've ever learnt; it provides reassurance that much of what you've implemented (or tried to) is right; most importantly it provides the inspiration and confidence to go on to achieve ever greater things…' – Caroline Hagen, Managing Partner, Reach 'A well informed and, at times, surprising wealth of information; which whilst acknowledging extremely well the traits of the design sector provides sound advice for any modern business. The book explores so many important facets, which you can easily dip in and out of. And I particularly like the use of quotes at the start of each chapter, which add an interesting mix of humour and philosophy.' – Adryan Bell 'A 'must read' for anyone who wants to follow their passion in design whilst putting food on the table. Shan Preddy has managed to collect the hard learned experiences of some of the best (if not best looking) in the business. I wish I'd had this when I started out thirteen years ago. It would have saved a lot of grief.' – John Corcoran, Director, Wire Design Ltd 'There are two things special about this book: first, it is comprehensive. Lots of other books cover bits. This covers the whole waterfront. And secondly, it is beautifully written - simple, engaging, no mumbo-jumbo. For anyone running a design company it is a 'must read' book.' – Anthony Simonds-Gooding CBE, Chairman, The Design Business Association 'In this seminal work, Shan Preddy has brought together some of the brightest minds in the design industry... the result is a vital reference tool for anyone who works in the field of design... whether you are a just starting out, or you are already a seasoned