A fellow designer turned us on to this gem of a site, published by the US Postal Service. It offers a free subscription to Deliver Magazine’s digital edition and a host of tips, case studies and other goodies related to direct mail marketing and design. Check out the February 2011 issue for a treat of a project where a cardboard mailer doubles as a makeshift phonograph that plays an included 45rpm record that tells the history of the company. Wowie zowie!

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We’ve all heard that dreaded, yet ubiquitous, question from a client: “Can you make the logo bigger?”  We rationalize, we plead, we instill the fear of a failed campaign – all to no avail.  Enter the genius of Michael Beirut with a solution to this all-too-common issue designers face. This is the most deliciously devious – make that, clever – “strategy” we’ve come across in a long while. Enjoy!

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Check out this annual special section on the Fast Company web site that explores the intersection between business and design. You’ll find slideshows, exclusive video, an expert design blog and you can also join the Design Topic group.

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This is an idea that has been a long time coming. With the availability of design software and the proliferation of the Internet, how can you be assured that someone else, somewhere, hasn’t already designed a logo similar to the ones you’re presenting to clients? In steps the Identity Archives Project – a database of logo and identity designs from around the world, searchable by keywords. The site is relatively new, so if you like the idea, pass it along to your designer friends and help grow the database.

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A great article to get freelancers thinking past just doing design work, to focus on the bigger-picture considerations of running a design business.

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Freelance Switch offers a valuable tool to help calculate an hourly rate based on office and personal expenses, annual billable hours and profit margin. Now, there’s no excuse for under-selling yourself!

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Creative Public offers graphic designers and Web designers a one-stop resource and information site to help designers be more successful in business.

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With a vast library of creative-related business forms, articles, books and a monthly newsletter, Creative Business is a go-to resource for freelancers and creative firm principals.

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With a focus on the business of design, Creative Latitude offers a vast library of articles, designer profiles and a ton of great resource links.

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Coming up with a great tagline is a struggle many people face. More often than not, they get it wrong by focusing on what their product or service is and neglecting what it offers. To capture a reader’s eye at a glance, you need to combine all three elements of mission, promise and brand to create a great tagline that really works.

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