Designing the Studio | Creative Business Basics

This one means a lot because @kritikatrehan is someone I've grown to admire for both her craft and the way she leads her team at @studiopingpongindia Having her trust me with the inner workings of her studio is something I'm very grateful for! ✨ If you're a creative founder, looking for support on the operational side of things at your studio, send me a DM & let's chat :) #designstudio #designbusiness #creativebusiness #womenwholead #businessgrowth

In this episode of Designing the Studio, Aakanksha addresses some of the challenges of being a solo creative founder: including handling criticism. From learning which feedback deserves your attention to understanding how your own standards shape the culture of your team, she shares an honest perspective on building creatively while staying grounded in your vision. Watch the full video on YouTube to dive into her thoughts on criticism, creative leadership, and building a studio culture that reflects what you truly stand for. ✨ --- Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ (Creative Business, Design Studio, Productivity, Teamwork, Project Management, Time Management, Task Management)

Reading has been a big part of my self-learning journey towards and here are some of the books that have made me rethink things. ✨ Have you read any of them? -- Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ Book a 1:1 with @nishitamohta for one time consult for your creative practice (link in bio) (Creative Business, Design Studio, Productivity, Teamwork, Project Management, Time Management, Task Management)

'Shaping Your Portfolio' is a 3-hour hands-on session where we take whatever you have — the messy, the half-finished, the "I don't know if this counts" — and shape it into something you can actually send. You'll leave with clarity on what to include, what your work says about you, and one solid case study. Done. 📍 Saturday, May 9th | 4–7 pm LAFA Shop & Bindery, Caranzalem, Panjim ₹1,199 per person | Limited slots DM @lafalab to register, or message me directly.

Portfolio pending? We’re fixing that this Saturday, for our creative community in Goa. ‘How to Shape your Portfolio’ is a 3-hour guided working session with @nishitamohta (Creative Business Consultant & Educator) to: • figure out what to include (and why) • understand how hiring managers review portfolios • and build one solid case study during the session Comment ‘portfolio’ to get more details, or directly DM @lafalab for registrations. See you there! ✨ portfolio building, design portfolio, creative portfolio, portfolio process, portfolio selection, case study design, design case study, portfolio structure, self branding for designers, creative careers, early career designers, junior designers, job hunting creatives, portfolio tips, design process, visual portfolio, portfolio review, creative confidence, overcoming creative blocks, decision fatigue, creative work, design thinking, presenting your work, storytelling in design, portfolio development

Have you been meaning to make your portfolio… but keep spiralling over decisions? (What to include, what to cut, where to host it, what to even say… the questions can feel endless.) So naturally, it’s been… delayed. By a month. Or 6 months. Or 6 years. No judgement 🙂 If you're ready to get it done this summer, this workshop is for you 🫵 No pressure to be perfect. Just a structured, guided space to finally sit down and do it. Join us at LAFA on Saturday, 9th May, from 4-7pm.  Fee: ₹ 1,199/- per person Limited seats available. DM @lafalab to register. #portfoliobuilding #portfolio #creativeprocess #goa #lafa [How to Shape Your Portfolio, Portfolio Building, Portfolio Design, Guide, Workshop, LAFA, LAFA Shop and Bindery, Goa, Caranzalem, Taleigao, Miramar, Students, Professionals, Novices, Creative Spaces, Creativity]

Aakanksha Gaur is the founder of @anomalietattooco : a temporary tattoo brand to transmute the practice of drawing and illustration into wearable art. In this episode of Designing the Studio, she shares her journey from creating art in isolation to building a living, breathing community around it. It’s also an honest look at being a solo creative founder, navigating criticism, holding your vision, and learning how much you influence what you build. Watch the full video on YouTube to dive into her thoughts on community, creative collaboration, and building something that feels like an extension of yourself. ✨ ----------------- Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ (Creative Business, Design Studio, Productivity, Teamwork, Project Management, Time Management, Task Management)

Being on screens for most of our work hours can clutter our thoughts, but stepping away can do something close to magic. ✨ Is walking a part of your work ritual? 🤞 --- Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ If you’re looking for a one-time consult on project management systems for your creative practice, book a 1:1 with @nishitamohta (link in bio) (Creative Business, Design Studio, Productivity, Teamwork, Project Management, Time Management, Walking)

Breaking down a task can feel overwhelming, but separating the process makes it lighter, clearer, and actually doable. Not everything needs to be solved at once. Read this post to learn how you can do it 3 steps ✨ ------ Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ If you're looking for a one-time consult on project management systems for your creative practice, book a 1:1 with @nishitamohta (link in bio) (Creative Business, Design Studio, Productivity, Teamwork, Project Management, Time Management, Task Management)

Team check-ins are about alignments & keeping the energy high 🚀 If you're feeling stuck, check out these three essentials. -------- Follow @designingthestudio for more actionable tips to turn studio chaos into clarity ✨ If you're looking for a one-time consult on project management systems for your creative practice, book a 1:1 with @nishitamohta (link in bio) (creative business, designstudio, productivity, teamwork, project management)

“Is it unprofessional to ask other designers what they charge?”, is a very common question I get from young professionals & students. The short answer is: Depends on how & who you ask. The long answer is: In this post below. The even more nuanced answer: In Episode 02 of @designingthestudio on YT where I discuss pricing traps for designers with Vidit Agarwal of @bywitchcraft (🔗 in bio) Sometimes the most “awkward” questions are simply the ones we were never taught how to ask well. Hope this protocol helps! #designfreelancer #designbusiness #creativebusiness #pricingtips #designcommunity

As emotional humans, we can get pricing all tangled up with self-worth. ❌ “Pricing is all about confidence.” ❌ “If I just believed in myself more, clients would pay me more.” While confidence does matter, it’s only the starting point. Confidence gets you INTO the pricing conversation. But it doesn’t justify the number on its own. ✅ The real shift happens when you begin to understand your client’s business - their risks, their goals, the problem your work is actually solving. That’s when pricing stops feeling awkward and starts feeling obvious. Not because you charged more — but because you finally knew the "why" behind your number. 💡When we go from being designers to design entrepreneurs, we must think from our client's shoes, always! --- I speak with Vidit Agarwal of @bywitchcraft about pricing myths of all kinds, in Episode 02 of 'Designing the Studio' – the podcast where I invite you, dear reader, to join my conversation with founders as we go behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. (🔗 in bio) Are you rethinking how you price your work? Tell me in the comments below, and let's keep the conversation going.