Better: The Brand Designer Podcast
Jen Davis
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born.Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record.In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed!Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 1, 2020 • 1h 4min
S3 E6: Working with Copywriters with Diana Martinez from Required Reading
As brand designers, we all know how important brand messaging is, but can often feel overwhelmed by the idea of finding and working with a copywriter. Today we are taking a deep dive in copywriting with Diana from Required Reading.We start our conversation today with a discussion about books we are reading/recently finished. (You’re going to want to check some of these out!) Diana shares how she got started writing for brands and we share our tips for getting started with a copywriter.Giselle and Jen share some of the best questions that we ask in client questionnaires and Diana talks all about the importance of brand messaging. We finish off our chat sharing our strategies for confidently beating imposter syndrome.If you are a brand designer thinking about working with a copywriter or have worked with a copywriter, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesBooks mentioned:The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Amazon*Gwyneth Paltrow Cookbook: Amazon*Think Like a Monk: Amazon*Obsessed: Amazon**Affiliate links: we receive a small commission to help support the podcast at no cost to youLinks Mentioned:Diana’s website: https://www.reqreading.coDiana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reqreading/
Nov 24, 2020 • 56min
S3 E5: Working with Web Developers
We are talking all about working with web developers! If you’re a designer, wanting to up your web design game, or start outsourcing the dev work, this episode is for you.To kick off the episode, we both share what we would do if technology didn’t exist and we didn’t have to make an income. Then we transition into talking all things outsourcing to developers and why web design goes hand in hand with branding.Giselle shares how she found her developer, we discuss what we look for in web developers, Jen talks about her “revision week”, and we give our best tips for communicating well with our developers.Web development and outsourcing can be scary, so we packed this episode with tons of tangible takeaways. Whether you are experienced in the designer/developer relationship, or getting ready to start one, we share helpful tips and advice for designers of all levels. We can’t wait to hear what you think!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:TinyPNG: Tinypng.comFigma: Figma.comMarkup.io: Markup.ioJen’s PM: nviousstrategies.comJen’s Developer: aquilacreative.coGiselle’s Developer: novatail.coGiselle's ClickUp Course: clickupfordesigners.com
Nov 17, 2020 • 59min
S3 E4: Mastering Print Design with Dave Hopkins from Print Academy
If you’ve ever wondered what offset printing or flexo printing is, this podcast is for you!In this episode, we chat with Dave Hopkins of The Print Design Academy. Dave demystifies popular print design terms and shares how designers can increase revenue with print management.We were so inspired by all of the ways Dave uses print design to create high-value brands, and know you will be too! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Print Design Podcast: APPLE | SPOTIFYQuickie Podcast: APPLE | SPOTIFYPrint Design Academy: https://www.printdesignacademy.com/Creative Mornings: https://creativemornings.com/instagram.com/printdesign_academy
Nov 10, 2020 • 52min
S3 E3: Nailing The Sales Call
Episode 3 is here and we are back with another Jen + Giselle conversation! This week’s chat is all about nailing the sales call and it is packed with takeaways for you guys!We kick off the episode with an honest conversation about how Covid-19 has effected our businesses this year. We then get into the nitty gritty about our inquiry process, our initial emails, and talking pricing with clients. We share tangible ways we cast vision for our clients and present ourselves as experts in the industry. Jen talks about how she frames deliverables based on client’s needs/budget and Giselle shares deep questions that she asks her clients during the sales call.We hope this discussion inspires you to confidently approach your sales calls! Comment below and let us know what you think!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Honeybook: https://www.honeybook.comThe New Exec: http://thenewexec.comGet Our Sales Call Question Template!
Nov 2, 2020 • 1h 18min
S3 E2: The Best Branding Tools of the Trade with Michael Bruny-Groth from The Logo Package
We are so excited to be sharing our interview with Michael August Bruny-Groth from the Logo Package! If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that we LOVE The Logo Package Express. This tool has been a game-changer for our businesses and saved us (literally) hundreds of hours.Michael shares his story about how The Logo Package Express was developed, we chat about the best branding tools of the trade, switching from Sketch to Figma, and setting up retainers for clients. Michael also gives us a sneak peak into what is coming next for The Logo Package. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:The Logo Package TwitterThe Logo Package IGThe Logo Package FBThe Logo Package* (Our affiliate link for $20 off Logo Package)Resources:FigmaRan Segall YouTube (Flux Academy)Value of Money book (amazon)*Flux Academy*ProsperoDubsado* (20% off your first month or year)CalendlyHoneybookFontspringCreative MarketMoyo StudioClickUp*Logo Geek Facebook Group*Affiliate links: we receive a small commission to help support the podcast at no cost to you
Oct 27, 2020 • 46min
S3 E1: Catching Up with Jen & Giselle
We cannot tell you guys how excited we are to be back recording, in your earbuds, and hanging out with you guys today! Episode 1 of Season 3 is a classic Jen and Giselle chat. We share updates on our businesses, talk about building teams, Jen shares some big news, and we laugh over more love-fest moments (of course). We are so thankful for all the love and support from this community! We know you guys are going to LOVE our upcoming season 3 episodes!In this episode: We each share one skill that we have picked up since we last recorded. Jen’s big announcement. Building teams and rebranding. Being a design consultant, not just a designer. Transitioning from Squarespace to Webflow. If you could travel back to any point in your career, what point would you go back to you and what advice would you give yourself?Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Webflow*Flux Academy Webflow and 10k Website Courses*Giselle’s IG @wanderdesign.coJen’s IG: @hellojunecreative*Affiliate links: we receive a small commission to help support the podcast at no cost to you
Apr 21, 2020 • 41min
S2 E12: Answering Your Inbox Questions #2
Wow, another season in the books! We're wrapping it up with an episode full of answers to your inbox questions. Jen and Giselle cover a wide range of topics for brand designers, including process, value-based pricing, dealing with indecisive clients, and more. Listen in then tell us your answer to our question for you in our Facebook group. Can't wait to hear it!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesGet our Diagnostic Call (and future freebies!): https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5fb20acd07f9a37b1e828789Olive Garden Rebrand: https://thedieline.com/blog/2014/3/10/before-after-olive-gardens-new-logo Paula Scher Citi logo: https://medium.com/@nedwin/the-1-5m-napkin-abd2702927d0 Amplify Shopify Course by Morgan Rapp: https://www.amplifyshopify.com/
Apr 14, 2020 • 55min
S2 E11: Designer Day Rate with Jamie Starcevich from Spruce Rd
What's a Designer Day Rate? Why would designers replace client retainers for this? And what are the benefits to this service? Join us as Jamie from Spruce Rd describes how this premium one-day design service has empowered her brand design studio, what she's learned, and what she recommends! We also get into a bit of her client psychology and her signature Zero-Revision process. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Jamie's Website: https://www.sprucerd.com/Free Zero-Revision Training: https://sprucerd.lpages.co/zero-revision-design-presentation-method/Shareworthy Course: https://shareworthydesign.com/Free #BrandSelfCare Challenge: https://sprucerd.lpages.co/brand-self-care/
Apr 7, 2020 • 41min
S2 E10: Unlock Your Inner CEO with Jane Scudder from The New Exec
Are you scared to call yourself a CEO, despite you being the business owner of your independent design gig? We were too, until Jane gave us the low-down on how to unlock our inner CEO and transform our business as a result! In this episode, we talk about what our initial thoughts are on the word "CEO" and the benefits of stepping into this mindset. We also discuss CEO days, why they're important to work ON your business and not just IN your business, and how to start implementing this time into your work week.Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:The New Exec Website: thenewexec.com Jane Scudder Website: janescudder.comJane's IG: @thenewexec @janescudder Jane's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenewexec/LinkedIn (Jane): https://www.linkedin.com/in/janescudder/LinkedIn (The New Exec): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-new-exec/
Mar 31, 2020 • 46min
S2 E9: Rebranding Your Design Business with Amber D'Ambrosio from One 11 Studios
When it comes to rebranding ourselves, why is it SO HARD despite us brand designers? We have Amber D'Ambrosio (formerly Amber Hukari) tell us all about her rebrand process since she transformed into One 11 Studios. We go over when you actually need to rebrand, valid reasons for rebranding, and what to avoid. Join us!Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesLinks Mentioned:Amber's Website: www.one11creativestudios.comAmber's Instagram: @one11creativestudios
