You start a design business because you love designing, then realise how much of your week goes into everything else that comes with it. Finding clients, sending proposals, chasing feedback and trying to remember when you last posted on Instagram, all while fitting in the work you actually get paid to do.

This week I’m joined by Tanya LeClair, the brand and web designer behind SoSwell Studio in Brisbane, Australia. We chat about the business side of being a freelance designer and the things we’ve both changed along the way to make working with clients a little easier.

From contracts that get updated after a difficult project to that anxious wait after sending a concept, this is a very honest chat about what goes on behind the finished designs.

We get into:

• Making time for design alongside marketing and admin
• Finding clients without constantly posting on social media
• Contracts, deposits and projects that stall when you’re waiting to get paid
• Why we both moved to presenting one logo concept
• Getting useful feedback beyond “I don’t like it”
• Clients asking family, Facebook groups and AI for opinions on their branding
• Figuring out what we actually want our businesses to look like

Connect with Tanya:
Website: soswellstudio.com.au
Instagram: @soswell_studio

If any of this sounds familiar, I’d love to hear how you handle it in your own business. Send me a DM at: instagram.com/thehonestdesignerdiaries

And if you’re enjoying The Honest Designer Diaries, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen, it really does help other designers find the podcast.