The Business of Graphic Design: Protect and Perfect Your Passion
48mGeneral2025-02-06
Authors

Aaron Draplin
Designer of products, logos, and identity campaigns

Skillshare
Course details
When you start making money from your creative passion, it’s easy to get caught up in your craft and ignore all the “businessy” things. If spending hours crafting a logo for a new client is a walk in the park, then navigating taxes, client contracts, and email etiquette can feel more like an uphill battle. Luckily, respected graphic designer Aaron Draplin isn’t just a fan of logo design and long afternoons with Adobe Illustrator. He also enjoys making an honest living as a self-employed designer by running a business that works like a well-oiled machine. Get practical tips covering project templates, organization, emails, invoices, tax forms, contracts, and more! Learn how to protect your business and spend more time doing what you love.
Skills covered
Design BusinessSmall Business ManagementDrawingSmall Business and EntrepreneurshipGraphic DesignAnimation and IllustrationOne-Off
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - The business of design
1. From Templates to Taxes and More
- 02 - Perfecting project templates
- 03 - Keeping it organized - Refining project file structure
- 04 - Email like an expert
- 05 - Building an invoice
- 06 - Refining tax forms
- 07 - Crafting contracts
- 08 - Optimizing accounting
- 09 - Protecting your business
- 10 - Final thoughts