How to Start a Design Agency : My Personal Experience

G’day, design enthusiasts! 👋 Ever think around starting your own design agency? Well strap yourselves in because I’m about to spill the tea on how I went from being a solo designer to becoming the boss of a creative powerhouse. Believe me when I say it’s been one hell of a ride!

From Designer to Big Boss: The Plot Twist

You know that part in movies where the main character decides to change their life? Yeah, that was me starting an agency. Cue dramatic music! 🎵

Rewiring My Brain for Design Agency Business

First things first, I had to go from “make it pretty” to “make it profitable.” It was like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded! But hey, who doesn’t love a challenge?

Becoming a Leader (AKA Faking it Till I Made It)

This one was hard. Going from being a lone wolf designer to leading a pack. Talk about imposter syndrome! But soon enough I learnt that being a good leader isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about being transparent, setting clear expectations and giving constructive feedback. I started involving my team early in projects; saying things like, “I appreciate your brain and your craft. I trust you to solve this problem.”

Time Management: The Ultimate Boss Battle

Time management as an agency owner is on another level. Delegating tasks, prioritising like a pro and creating action plans for the week ahead… it was tough! At one point I even started tracking how long different tasks took using apps like Toggl just so I could plan my time better each day. Hiring a virtual assistant helped big time too – freed up hours of admin work so I could focus on the bigger picture stuff.

Building My Dream Team: Avengers Assemble!

Putting together my dream team felt like casting for a blockbuster movie; we needed stars, supporting actors and that one quirky character who steals every scene.

Hiring: The Talent Show

When I started hiring, I realised I needed a bunch of different skills. People with different perspectives. Hiring remotely opened up a whole new world of talent. Now we’ve got designers from all over the globe bringing their unique flair to our projects.

Creating a Kickass Culture

Creating an awesome work culture was my next big challenge. I wanted a place where creativity could thrive. So I made sure everyone felt heard and valued. We started sharing works-in-progress, which was scary at first but turned out to be a game changer. It’s all about being transparent and embracing feedback.

Communication: More Important Than Coffee (Almost)

Good communication is the secret sauce of any great agency. We use all sorts of fancy tools to stay connected but really it’s about keeping it real and being open. And maybe a few too many emojis 🙈🙉🙊

Some of our favorite tools include:

• Notion - I mean you know what Notion is, we used it for all our tasks and documents

• Beep - this is our superhero that we use to annotate live websites. It is crucial to provide visual feedback and make sure the website actually looks like in design. It has become quite famous among many design agencies.

• Telegram - this is where we communicate. It has groups, channels, search, files. Anything your team needs.

Finding Clients: The Great Treasure Hunt

Getting clients is like trying to catch Pokémon - gotta catch 'em all! But instead of throwing Pokéballs, we're throwing awesome ideas their way.

The secret strategy we used to get our first clients

So, as you are aware Beep is our own tool, it was built in-house. But we originally built it because we thought it is a killer strategy to get clients fast. Here is how it works:

1. We would find local businesses with bad websites. These can be found via local FB groups, Google maps, Forums

2. Find contacts of the business owner

3. Do a review of their website using Beep and annotating on their website explaining all the things that need to change.

4. Send them the review

5. Very often they would respond since you provide them with a free value

6. From there we would try to set up a call with them and understand how we can help their business via our services

Scaling Your Design Agency: To Infinity and Beyond!

Scaling an agency was like trying to go from a tricycle to a rocket ship. Exciting, terrifying, and there may have been some crash landings along the way.

New Services: The "Would You Like Fries With That?" Approach

We began adding new services faster than a coke-fueled barista makes lattes. SEO, CRO, UX - if it had an acronym behind it, we were probably doing it!

Partnerships: The Business Version of "Making New Friends"

I started forming partnerships with other agencies, and it felt like I had unlocked a secret level in a video game! We would team up with tech firms to create beautiful-looking products that worked even better. These relationships didn’t just bring in fresh leads — they forced us to innovate, boosted our reputation, and allowed us to take on bigger projects.

How to start a design agency, the grand finale

Starting a design agency has been one hell of an adventure — filled with ups and downs, but ultimately one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Along the way, I’ve learned the importance of shifting from a designer mindset to that of a business owner, building a strong team around you, and developing systems for attracting and retaining clients.

To wrap it up, what I’ve found is that success in this field comes down to three things: always be learning, be adaptable, and be willing to take calculated risks. Whether you’re just starting your own agency or looking to grow an existing one — remember that the path is rarely straightforward, but the rewards are worth it. So as you go on your own journey, stay open-minded, foster a culture of creativity within your team(s), and never forget who you’re serving. With some grit and determination — you too can build a thriving design agency.

FAQs (Because I know you like them)

1. What are the steps to starting a design agency? First thing’s first: Get yourself an amazing idea. Second, test out your marketing through experiments or something??? Third and final step: Profit! (Okay maybe there’s a few more steps in between but where’s the fun in that if I spoil everything?)

   
   

2. How much does it cost to start an agency? Anywhere from the price of a fancy dinner to the cost of a small island. Take your pick!

   
   

3. What do I need to do to start a UX design agency? Start by figuring out what UX even means. Then convince people that you aren’t just making pretty buttons. It's smooth sailing from there!

   
   

4. What can I do to get a job at a design agency? Step one: Be awesome. Step two: Prove it. Repeat as necessary until hired.

   
   

   Just remember, when it comes to design agencies, anything is possible… well, anything except for sleep and caffeine shortages. So get out there and design all of the things! 🎨✨