As the summer fades and the holiday season approaches, many designers feel the urge to slow down or even stop designing. It is a common occurrence.  The bustling summer months often lead to a well-deserved break. However, the holiday season should not be a time for designers to pause. In fact, it's a critical period to keep the creative juices flowing. Here’s why:

The Holiday Sales Boom

Everyone knows the holiday season is the time designers see the biggest sales of their year. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because sales are booming, you can relax. However, this is actually the best time to stock your shops with new, appealing designs. Customers flocking to your store for holiday gifts will likely return throughout the year if they see versatile designs suitable for other occasions.

Year-Round Appeal

When customers visit your shop during the holiday season, they are not only looking for Christmas or Hanukkah gifts. They’re also scouting for items they can use later in the year. Crafters are looking for designs for birthdays, Mother’s Day, back-to-school events, or any other special occasion. By offering a diverse range of products, you ensure a steady stream of customers throughout the year, not just during the holidays.

Leveraging Holiday Creativity

Let's be honest – if you're a designer, you're probably already in full holiday mode by November. I know I am. Designing Christmas cards, creating a whimsical Christmas Village, constructing a Gingerbread House, crafting Christmas ornaments, and planning all sorts of holiday-themed projects become a significant part of what you do this time of year. So why not capitalize on this festive creativity?

Stock Your Shops

All the holiday-themed items you’re designing can and should be added to your shops. By continually updating your shop with fresh designs, you keep your inventory dynamic and engaging, encouraging repeat visits and purchases.

Preparing for the Post-Holiday Season

The designs you create during the holiday season don't just have to be for the holidays. Think ahead and create items that can be marketed for other events and holidays throughout the year. This ensures that when the holiday rush is over, you’re not left scrambling to come up with new products. Your shop remains stocked with relevant, appealing designs that keep customers coming back.

While it might be tempting to slow down as the holiday season approaches, maintaining your design momentum can lead to significant benefits. By continuing to create and stock your shop with versatile designs, you ensure a steady stream of customers throughout the year. Embrace the festive spirit and leverage your holiday creativity. While you are at it, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and make lots of fun gifts to give and to put into your shop. 

Here are a few fun holiday podcasts from Make and Design that will get your creative juices flowing.

Episode 214 5 Things That Make Me Crazy During the Holiday Season

Episode 51 Get Your Holiday Crafting and Quilting Gifts Done Now

Episode 75 Three Crafts I Recommend You Try This Holiday Season

Episode 64 How Will You Show Up for The Holidays?

We have been gearing up for our first Fall Semester with our first cohort for the Design Certificate and the Master of Arts in Design Business. We are excited to announce that we are officially 50% enrolled for classes this fall. We will continue to take applications until our classes are full at which point we will open up applications for Spring Semester 2025.

Today we are highlighting the Methodology for Creative Innovations and Color Theory Class. This class has two versions to accommodate our two emphasis areas for the Master of Arts degree.  

B502 Methodology for Creative Innovations and Color Theory for Digital Technology: Artists and designers analyze and create using traditional and emerging methodologies and techniques to foster innovative thinking and understanding of color theory, guiding them through the process of generating, developing, and implementing creative solutions to create marketable products. Course work emphasizes useful new digital technologies in design and how to use them effectively. (3 semester credit hours)

B503 Methodology for Creative Innovations and Color Theory for the Visual Artist: This class provides artists and designers with structured methodologies and techniques to foster innovative thinking and understanding of color theory, guiding them through the process of generating, developing, and implementing creative solutions to create marketable products. Course work emphasizes understanding how visual art can be used to create marketable products. (3 semester credit hours)

The Design Certificate program has a similar class with different projects and papers if you choose that route.

Learn more at www.uadb.education.

Want to apply? Please apply at https://uadb.education/apply/. Transcripts are not needed at the time of application.

As designers, I believe it is essential to recognize the value and limitations of AI in our field. While AI is a powerful tool, it will never fully replace the nuanced work of an actual designer. I can still remember when computers revolutionized design. When they first emerged, they were met with skepticism and resistance. Many who specialized in traditional methods like lithography or screen printing found themselves out of work because they refused to adapt. The ultimate danger for designers today is ignoring AI technology out of fear, ego, or pride. Instead, we should embrace it, learn about it, and integrate it into our workflow because the industry is moving in that direction. Just as computers did not render designers obsolete, I believe that AI won’t either. It will simply be the next evolution in our toolkit.

Some good examples of how AI is currently being used are design tasks such as:

• Mockups
• Color correction
• Straight art
• Prompts
• Getting started images
• Logo design

Charts and graphsIt is important to remember that AI operates primarily with pixels. This presents limitations in creating scalable vector graphics, which are essential for logos and corporate images. AI cannot produce vector images, making designers indispensable for these tasks.
Designers will always be needed because AI cannot handle the entire design process. While AI can assist with the creative aspects, it cannot understand the purpose of a product, create layered SVG files, produce spot colors, or color-match artwork accurately. These tasks require a designer's expertise, critical thinking, and practical application skills.

Another thing to consider is that AI-generated artwork often has a uniform look, whereas designers can create original content, filter biases, and understand the nuances of language, colors, and elements. These are things AI cannot do.

Yes, I do believe that some design jobs may be lost to AI. But I also believe that many more will be created. As more people use AI for design, they will need professionals to clean up, vectorize, and make their designs usable. The types of design jobs at risk are those involving quick turnarounds and inexpensive designs like logos, as well as pixel-based design programs like Procreate.

My advice to designers today is to avoid markets without proven profitability and focus on areas where they can pivot quickly to other opportunities. Be wise about your choices and stay adaptable. These things will help ensure a successful future in design.

There’s no doubt about it…AI is a valuable tool for designers, but it is not a replacement. Embrace it, learn from it, and use it to enhance your work. By being smart and critical thinkers, designers can navigate the evolving industry and continue to provide unique and indispensable value.

Ever wanted to be a surface pattern designer? Learn more at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

For many designers, the summertime-sale-slump (try saying that 5 times fast) is REAL. After years of owning my own design businesses, I would brace myself in May for what was going to happen in June, July, and August.

Since designing was my full time job, I did not stop creating even when sales were low. 

Why? 

Because I knew what the other months of the year looked like. I knew that by slowing down my production of designs, I would be preceding a lot of sales that would happen later in the year.

Over the years, I would hear design friends complain about the summer sales. Low sales often lead to low motivation to create, which is why so many would pause their design work. This would often lead to crazy holiday months. This included rushing to fulfill product orders and creating new products at a maddening pace during the busiest times of the year. 

Here are a few strategies I've developed over the years to make the most of the summer months and prepare for the busier seasons:

1. Focus on Inventory Building: Use the summer slump to your advantage by building up your inventory. This ensures that when the high-demand months roll around, you have a robust selection of products ready to go. This not only saves you from the frantic rush of creating on the fly but also allows you to offer a wider variety of designs to your customers.
2. Experiment and Innovate: Summer can be a great time to experiment with new designs and ideas. Since the pressure is lower, you can afford to take creative risks and innovate. This period can be an opportunity to refine your skills, try out new techniques, or even explore different niches that you wouldn't have time for during busier months.
3. Plan Ahead for Holiday and Event Designs: Use the downtime to plan and create products for upcoming seasons. This might include designing holiday and seasonal crafts or designs. It might also mean getting ahead on promotional graphics, planning social media content, or setting up email campaigns. Having these ready in advance can save you a lot of time and stress later on.
4. Engage with Your Audience: Summer is a great time to engage more deeply with your audience. Host online workshops, run contests, or simply share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your creative process. Building a stronger connection with your customers can lead to increased loyalty and sales down the line.
5. Evaluate and Improve Your Shop: Take this time to review your online shop. Update product descriptions, improve your photography, and make sure your website is user-friendly. Enhancing the overall shopping experience can have a significant impact on your sales when the busy season hits.
6. Network and Collaborate: Reach out to other designers and businesses for potential collaborations. Working with others can bring fresh ideas and new audiences to your work. It's also a great way to stay motivated and inspired during slower times.

By staying productive and proactive during the summer months, you set yourself up for success when the busy season arrives. Remember, consistency is key in the design business. Keeping your momentum going, even when sales are slow, can lead to significant payoffs later in the year. So, embrace the summer slump as a time for growth and preparation, and you'll be ready to shine when the sales start rolling in again.

Carina.

Experience the latest Silhouette Cameo 5 and the innovative Electrostatic Mat, along with an exclusive visit from the Silhouette America team at Carina’s home.

Carina recently had the opportunity to have a visit from the Silhouette America Team. During their visit they were able to sit down and chat about the different projects that Carina has designed for the Silhouette studio over the last 10 years. And her love of the Silhouette products.

The Silhouette team also brought her the new Cameo 5 with the Electrostatic mat, which she was really excited to try out. She had recently watched a fellow maker demonstrate with the Silhouette Electrostatic mat at her Craft and Design Event and thought that it would be the perfect addition to her tools for making her large 3D house projects that she is known to make. She is excited to try the new Electrostatic mat because it’s great for paper projects, it doesn’t have the sticky tack that a normal mat has. This helps so that when removing your cuts off the mat it doesn’t stick, which helps prevent the paper from curling and even tearing when removing. The other exciting part about the Electrostatic mat is that the clean-up is super easy because there isn’t any more scraping needed to remove the paper that doesn’t get used.

Carina also talks about her design process on how she likes to create practical designs for the Silhouette store. Most designers design for others, while she is often designing projects for herself; like for kids’ birthday parties, her husband’s work events, holiday décor for her own home, and even regular home décor for herself or for her kids.

Some of the comments from the viewers suggested that her large poster designs that were made using the Silhouette Pro look like professional designs that you would see in the stores. Carina and the Silhouette team talked about all the amazing projects and capabilities that can be created with the Silhouette; even with just scrap materials that you have laying around your house. And how the Silhouette is one of the best ways to make unique and custom décor projects for your home.

Carina has a love for Silhouette Cutting Machines that dates back prior to being a contributing designer for the Silhouette Store. Carina continues to utilize the Silhouette machine because it’s stood the test of time in her design creations.  She has designed cut files that are simple, some intricate and others that are massive and require building skills as in the case of her Giant oversized Gingerbread House.  Over and over again, Silhouette has helped makers design and create all sorts of projects by making their machines easier to use, adding features that help makers craft projects with ease and speed, which cuts down on the time for the completion of art projects. 

Want the full scoop? Head over to Carina’s YouTube channel for the complete unboxing experience.

Want to watch the replay of the Live with Silhouette America at Carina's House? Check it out here

Thinking about getting the new Silhouette Cameo 5 with the Electrostatic mat? Explore all the fantastic features, and get yours now here. 

As a designer we are always on the lookout for ways to design faster, and smarter and having the right tools at your disposal can make all the difference between a chaotic workflow and a seamless design process. There are 3 software products that I've come to rely on that have not only enhanced my productivity but also elevated the quality of my work.

1. Adobe Creative Cloud –

The Adobe Creative cloud suite has become an essential group of programs that I use on a daily basis to not only create my designs but to also create social media images, publish my books, edit videos, and more. There really is a reason that the Adobe Suite is the industry standard. There are many programs out there that can accomplish some of the things that the Adobe Creative Suite can, but you will find that they aren’t quite as robust as the Adobe programs and you will find that you can do things that you can’t in those other programs. Click here to learn more

2. Monday.com –

Monday.com is a versatile project management tool designed to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration. It operates through customizable boards where users can create tasks, assign team members, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time. With its intuitive interface, Monday.com allows you to visualize projects through various views like timelines, calendars, and Kanban boards. Integration with other tools and automation features further simplifies complex processes, making it easier to manage projects, communicate effectively, and stay organized. Learn more.

3. Planoly –

Planoly is a user-friendly social media management tool tailored for planning and scheduling Instagram and Pinterest posts. It allows users to visually arrange and preview their social media content with a drag-and-drop interface, ensuring a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing feed. With Planoly, you can schedule posts, track analytics, and manage comments all in one place. Its intuitive design and robust features make it easy to maintain a consistent posting schedule, engage with your audience, and optimize your social media strategy. Find out more here.

Whether you are just starting your design business or are a seasoned designer looking for ways to take your business to the next level, these are a few that I have come to rely on to run my business.

The right software can be a game-changer for any design business, and the three tools, each with its unique capabilities, have proven indispensable to my workflow. From managing projects seamlessly with Monday.com, planning visually stunning social media content with Planoly, to harnessing the power of Adobe Creative Suite for design excellence, these products have empowered me to work more efficiently and creatively.

I hope this insight into my toolkit inspires you to explore these tools and discover how they can elevate your own design practice. Investing in the right software is not just about improving productivity; it's about unlocking your full creative potential.

If you would like to learn more about building a profitable design business check out our next Bootcamp

Carina’s first book Design Profit & Prosper is a Surface Pattern & Craft Designers guide to making money. 

Most designers struggle to become profitable from their design businesses, and Carina explains it’s because most do not have the right tools to do so. In Design Profit and Prosper Carina shares ways to:

• Do what it takes to stand out in the design market to achieve success.
• Practical strategies needed to create steady income.
• Secrets and models for finding the holes in a designers business. 

Carina has a Ph.D. in Design and was the Creative Director of Cartabella, a large scrapbooking company. She also designs fabric for Riley Blake and die cut files for Silhouette. As well as having her own thriving design business for over fifteen years. Carina’s decisions in business have allowed her to profit and prosper as a designer, and she shares those secrets in this book.

This book is great for new designers and seasoned designers alike who are wanting to start, grow and even take their design businesses to the next level. She walks you through design and business models to help you grow as a designer like the Problem Solving Cycle, Practical Designer Model, & Good, Better, Best model.

“New designers think they should develop products for the sake of creation and beauty. The artwork is SELF SERVING. Practical designers develop products to HELP customers solve problems and strive to create differently so they stand out. The artwork is insightful and SELFLESS.”

Ever wanted to be a surface pattern designer? Learn more at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp

This book also comes with a workbook to use as you follow along and practical steps and exercises to help you plan your business along the way.

Here are some things people are saying about the book:

“As someone who has worked with Carina and her designs in the past, she has the wisdom of someone who has studied and worked as a designer. She has wrapped that into this book. It is clear she wants designers everywhere to succeed and it shows through.” -Sarah Cannon

“Carina’s expertise makes her a leader in this space and her wisdom is unparalleled. Throughout this book, Carina gives real advice to help designers learn how to make their dreams a possibility.” - Rachel Perry

If you are a designer looking to uplevel your business the practical advice that is given in this book is a great guide to help you start, build and grow a thriving design business.

Do you want to learn more? Click here Design Profit and Prosper