The Ultimate Guide to My Design Newsletter
Let's review all the most valuable and most read articles...
I wanted to make sure you guys all had a chance to read through some of these lengthy and info packed articles about design I wrote this past year. I also wanted to provide you guys with some news and updates.
I will be pinning this to the top of my substack newsletter so newcomers can see the full list of articles and their descriptions (and will keep it updated as new ones are added!)
First a bit of news:
I use to offer paid subscriptions on my substack newsletter and many of the articles were locked, I decided to make my newsletter completely FREE to read so that this info can benefit thousands!
(Monthly payments for those who had premium subscriptions I canceled last month and thank the people who supported me in helping me experiment and try new things. Your support counted so much!)
Some of these articles are pretty intense and took many many hours to write. My main goal was to go beyond what most articles online do as it was originally created as premium content.
I hope you enjoy the list below but lastly a few notes: (Because these and future articles for free, I would appreciate your support by checking out what I offer below)
Make sure to check out my website for links to my best selling design courses and other things I offer.
Note: I offer pretty discounted unique Udemy coupons for my courses that give you a big chunk off the price. Link here.
My design theory pdf book is now 50% off for substack subscribers! It also comes with high rez files for all of my design theory posters!
Now on to the good stuff…
1.) Everything I know about portfolio building in one mega article.
I spent the most time on this one. I wanted to create a masterclass in creating a really solid portfolio that will help you land new work and jobs. This was a pretty popular article as almost any creative needs to have one.
The Starter Guide to Building the Ultimate Portfolio!
What I find most creatives struggle with is knowing how to create a portfolio that helps land them jobs, clients, work or increases their prospects. There are so many questions like: What portfolio builder do I use? Do I need a website based portfolio, or a pdf one?
2.) How to make Passive income as a creative.
Most of you are interested in turning your creativity into cash. I go over my personal experience with producing passive income using my design skills and I am honest about which methods worked out best.
The Most Profitable Passive Income Ideas for Creatives! My Top 8!
In this article we are going to talk about some of my favorite passive income ideas for creatives. Creative people have an awesome array of talent and how you share that with the world can generate some nice passive income for you. The following ideas are curated with illustrators, graphic designers, web designers, watercolor artists and anyone with a c…
3.) Let’s talk about AI and how it will change the design industry.
I get asked about this every day. Will AI take over my creative job? It can feel this way with AI getting better and more accurate each month. I talk about my thoughts on the topic in the article below in FULL.
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will Affect the Design Industry and How We Can Be Ready for The Future of Design
Graphic Designers can breathe easy, Illustrators might be shaking in their boots. I think the biggest question I get asked about the rise of AI (or Artificial Intelligence) programs like MidJourney, Chat GPT or Adobe’s new Firefly is, “Will designers and creatives be replaced by these programs?”
4.) How do I price myself as a creative?
I decided to turn my pricing guide into a full length article. If you want to know how much to charge clients then this is a MUST READ. I go over hourly and fixed rates as well as a few other methods.
The Practical Guide To Freelance Pricing - FULL GUIDE!
What if I shared everything I know about how to price yourself as a freelancer in one post. Well, this is it. Most people would divide such a massive resource into 10 or so different article posts, but not me. I think that would fragment the content too much and would make it difficult to piece all the articles together into a concise “one stop shop” of…
5.) Finally a place with a full design brief!
One thing that I was disappointed with online is the lack of good realistic design briefs so you can start building a good design portfolio. I took the time to write these 5 with as much realism as possible and as much detail too! I even posted student work at the end to give you some ideas and inspiration.
5 Amazing & Detailed Client Briefs To Beef Up Your Brand Design Portfolio!
Creating realistic design projects for your portfolio is a must for finding higher paying work and applying to higher paying design positions. You want to show off your visual design skills of course, but you also need to showcase your ability to work with client briefs, company values and desires and turn that into something that resonates with the bra…
6.) Very honest stories about working with clients.
This one gets really personal as I share a tough story about working with a client. I also share other experiences of other students who went through tough times with client work with real life stories. Lastly, I share how to navigate each situation with care.
How to Navigate Tough, Awkward and Hard Client and Work Situations in the Creative Fields
Let’s just admit one thing to each other, clients can suck. Clients or employers can suck the creativity, motivation and passion right out of us but in some cases we need to find ways to power through those situations to create great work. In other cases, it might be wise to quit or fire the client, and we will talk about some of those situations, too. …
7.) Can you copyright a logo? What are the copyright rules with logos?
Another concern is the lack of education and knowledge of copyright in the creative industry. I wanted to create a article that helps get give you a crash course in copyright issues with a focus on logo design.
How to Make Sure Your Design or Logo is Unique and Not Copyrighted
There have been so many questions I have received from students throughout the years and this one is big. This article is available to ALL subscribers for free! If you are not subscribed to my e-mail newsletter please do so below! How do I make sure I do not copy someone else’s design work? Like a logo design for example?
8.) Gender-neutral design
There are some neat history lessons in here for those interested in design theory! This one got a little controversy when I first posted it. Do not miss reading this as I do NOT get political with this one and try to stay focused on what we can do as designers to best connect with our target audiences visually.
Feminine or Masculine Design? What the different genders prefer and how to create effective gender-neutral designs
What makes a design appeal to a gender? As graphic designers our main goal is to communicate messages in the most effective way possible and connect with the viewer. If we find out our audience is mostly male, how do we design to appeal to a male dominated audience? More importantly, if I identify as the opposite gender or a neutral or non-specific gend…
9.) Interested in going freelance? Are you ready?
This one goes into detail about figuring out if switching from salaried work to freelance work might be for you. We go over the daily schedules of each type of worker.
When do I know I am ready to go freelance, if at all?
When do I know I am ready to go freelance, if at all? Salaried work and Freelance creative work are two totally different work cultures and choosing between the two can be difficult. There are pros and cons to each work culture choice. Ask yourself which of the two columns sounds more rewarding? Which of the two columns do I NEED in my life right now?
Hoping to add more articles with time!
Let me know which topics in the comments you would like to see me write about next!
Make sure to check out my website for links to my best selling design courses and other things I offer.
Note: I offer pretty discounted unique Udemy coupons for my courses that give you a big chunk off the price. Link here.
My design theory pdf book is now 50% off for substack subscribers! It also comes with high rez files for all of my design theory posters!
Lindsay, every time I read one of your articles, I'm reminded of why I chose to take your design courses in the first place. Your transition from paid to free content not only shows your dedication to spreading knowledge but also your commitment to helping creatives at all levels. Your course on branding and graphic design has been particularly transformative for me!
As one of your students, I can't recommend your courses enough to anyone reading this. The depth and practical insights you offer are invaluable, especially with the discounts on Udemy making it even more accessible.
Looking forward to seeing what topics you tackle next. Keep inspiring us, Lindsay!
Cool