I’m chatting with graphic designer Bhavini Lakhani about the client red flags we really should trust sooner, especially when we’re freelancing and trying to keep everyone happy.

We talk about what happens when a project starts feeling off before it has even properly begun, from scope changes and last-minute timelines to contracts that are definitely not the NDA they were meant to be. Bhavini shares a story about walking away from a chunky project after a few too many warning signs, and we get into why saying no can feel weirdly terrifying, even when your gut has already packed a bag and left the building.

We also chat about the freelance design situations so many of us recognise, like clients wanting instant access, projects that creep beyond the original agreement, being asked to work at ridiculous times, mates rates becoming a problem, and the guilt that kicks in when you try to hold a boundary.

Guest

Bhavini Lakhani is a freelance graphic designer and the founder of B81 Designs. She works on brand identity and marketing collateral for mid-sized businesses, and has been freelancing for almost 15 years.

Find Bhavini here:
Website: https://www.b81designs.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b81designs
LinkedIn: Bhavini Lakhani

Connect with me on

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

YouTube

Substack

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode. If you’ve listened and any part of Bhavini’s story resonated with you.

The Creative Room is my private community for designers and creatives who want somewhere to ask the awkward questions, get support with tricky client situations and talk about the real side of running a creative business.

Join The Creative Room here: designerinyourpocket.co/thecreativeroom

I’m chatting with my lovely pal Darren Meredith about something we’ve both been asked about quite a lot, our experience working with Canva and Adobe as creators.

And just to say this right at the start, this isn’t a “which design tool is better” episode. This is much more about what it’s actually like behind the scenes when you create content, build an audience, get invited into brand programmes, and then start realising that the shiny outside of a brand partnership doesn’t always tell you what it’s going to feel like once you’re in it.

We talk about what it was like being Canva Experts, why parts of that experience became frustrating, and how things changed when Adobe reached out to us. We get into unpaid creator work, brand expectations, embargoes, contracts, exclusivity clauses, audience trust, and the uncomfortable moment when you realise a brand might be getting a lot of value from you, but you’re not necessarily getting the same value back.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and how Darren and I met through Canva
03:08 Darren’s route into Canva tutorials
06:27 How I accidentally fell into Canva content
10:51 What it was like inside the Canva Verified Expert programme
18:15 Talking honestly about unpaid creator work
19:26 Canva’s reaction to us being approached by Adobe
21:16 Exclusivity clauses and why they became a problem
25:54 The difference in the Adobe Ambassador community
31:48 Creator contracts, paid work and reading the small print
33:38 Why creators need to price their time properly
36:47 Darren’s advice for creators who want to work with brands
39:54 Confidence crashes, imposter feelings and creator comments
41:54 Content creation in your 50s and what might come next

Find Darren

Website: http://bettercontentcreators.com
Instagram: instagram.com/bettercontentcreators
YouTube: Darren Meredith

Find me

Instagram: instagram.com/thehonestdesignerdiaries
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thehonestdesignerdiaries
The Creative Room: designerinyourpocket.co/thecreativeroom

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, like the video, leave a comment, or share it with another designer or creator who needs to hear this one. It really does help more people find the podcast, and it means I can keep having these honest conversations with brilliant creatives.

And if you’ve had your own weird, brilliant, disappointing or eye-opening experience with a brand partnership, I would genuinely love to hear about it.

In this episode of The Honest Designer Diaries, I’m chatting with Teresa Ferreira, founder of Ferrrgood Studio, about leaving her role as Head of Design at the Financial Times and building something of her own.

Teresa had what many designers would probably see as the big, impressive, “you’ve made it” kind of job. But after seven years at the FT, and a pandemic-induced bit of rethinking, she started to realise she was craving more creative fulfilment.

So she condensed her full-time role into four days and used her Fridays to test freelance life. Eight months later, burnout hit, and the Friday freelance experiment became the start of a much bigger exit plan.

If you’ve ever sat in a role that looks brilliant from the outside but doesn’t feel right anymore, this one might hit a wee nerve.

Juls x

Chapters
00:58 Meet Teresa Ferreira
02:34 Leaving corporate design
07:50 Needing more creative fulfilment
08:32 Freelancing on Fridays
10:00 PowerPoint trauma and being asked to “pretty things up”
21:20 Burnout and knowing something had to change
27:09 Showing up online and getting visible
30:09 Bad clients and confidence knocks
31:18 Deciding to leave
35:30 Imposter syndrome
39:50 Why creative community matters
41:25 Where to find Teresa

Find Teresa online:
Instagram: @‌teresaferrgoodstudio
LinkedIn: Teresa Ferreira
Website: ferrgoodstudio.com

Connect with me on Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | YouTube | Substack

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode. If you’ve listened and any part of Rachel’s story resonated with you, send me a message on Instagram at @‌designerinyourpocket_juls or @‌thehonestdesignerdiaries.

I really hope you enjoy the chat.

And because The Honest Designer Diaries is still a brand new podcast, it would really help if you could follow, subscribe or leave a 5* rating and review wherever you’re listening. If you’re watching on YouTube, liking the video and leaving a comment helps more designers find these conversations too.

And if you know another designer, creative pal, student, graduate or freelancer who might enjoy this chat, please send it their way.

I have a private community called The Creative Room, where creatives can chat about the real day-to-day stuff that comes with working in the industry or running your own creative business.