These workshops are fundamental for everyone working in design. All creatives, project and account managers, administration, finance, production and technical staff will find it directly relevant to their work. Delegates are either within their first three years of employment or are more experienced staff seeking an invaluable refresher course.

To book Level One Training please complete the booking form

How to communicate in writing
Liz Lydiate
An idea only becomes a good idea when you can communicate it well. Persuasive writing is vital; it gives clients confidence and increases your effectiveness. We’ll give you techniques to improve the style and content of your writing and to avoid those spelling and grammatical mistakes that can undermine you. This workshop covers the communication of concepts and also preparation for better correspondence, memos, reports and proposals.

Spend your time better
Improving your time management skills
Liz Lydiate
The well-worn phrase is true: time is money. If you work in design, your time will be charged to clients so it’s vital that you learn techniques to use time wisely. In this workshop we look at ways of maintaining quality and creativity under pressure. That involves organising yourself better, as well as better planning, prioritising and delegating of work tasks and – yes, handling interruptions too. We’ll give you tips on good time-management practice that will make you more effective in your work.

Here’s an idea
Solving problems through initiative, information and ideas
Liz Lydiate
You’re a creative company from top to bottom, and ‘ideas’ aren’t just confined to creatives. But where do ideas come from and how can you make sure they keep coming? This workshop helps design agency staff of every kind to understand how your brain works and how you can use resources, research and information to generate ideas that really work. We’ll give you problem-solving techniques that boost your creativity and explore ways to constantly stretch your own mental flexibility.

Design is a business
The commercial context for design
Michael Thomson
Design isn’t art. It’s about finding good ways to meet the commercial objectives of clients, and design is extraordinarily effective at achieving that. But to do the most effective work as a design and creative consultancy, you need to understand the commercial context in which we all operate. This workshop helps you to think through the issues and come up with creative approaches to understanding and supporting the growth of businesses.

Business, the law and you
The legal and commercial framework for design
Henry Lydiate
All design and creative consultancies have to work within legal and business frameworks. The rules apply to you and to your business. This workshop gives you the basic understanding you need for a successful career in the design and creative businesses. We explore different legal models, for design and creative businesses and their clients, as well as their respective rights and duties. Contracts are at the heart of law so we help you to understand how to construct and manage them – as well as avoiding or handling disputes.

People count
Starting to manage people
Henry Lydiate
Working with other people is a fundamental skill. It’s also the trickiest skill to acquire early in your design career – most people are simply plunged into the deep end of managing and supervising others. This workshop equips you with the skills you need even if you have little experience. We look at business structures, the challenges and benefits of team-working and, most of all, how to achieve results through people. It’s a lively, interactive workshop with exercises on delegation and empowerment, goals and standards, motivation, reprimands and praise.

Keep your clients; grow your business
Managing client relationships
Shan Preddy
All that effort to win clients; then it’s so easy to lose them. Keeping clients and actively developing them is the real secret of success for design and creative businesses, and this workshop gives you the techniques you need through tuition and group exercises. It explores what clients are looking for, and how to manage the relationship to mutual satisfaction. Understanding the clients’ needs and how they manage design in their organisations is vital, so we’ll take you on the ‘client journey’ and give you the tools to satisfy and retain clients and then develop relationships that grow the business.

Presentations: An Introduction
Shan Preddy
Most people dread them at first, but making presentations can’t be avoided if you’re going to succeed in business. It’s easier, and much less daunting, if you prepare yourself well – and that’s the purpose of this lecture-based half-day workshop. You’ll get practical tips and techniques without being asked to do a presentation yourself. We will cover how to prepare, including examining behavioural psychology, and we’ll explore techniques for visual aids and remembering what you want to say as well as the basics of body language, voice control, eye contact, dress and appearance and controlling nerves – all vital to help you make the impact you want.

Course Tutors
Henry Lydiate
Liz Lydiate
Jeremy Myerson
Shan Preddy
Michael Thomson

Dates

Spring

Monday 5 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - How to communicate in writing

Wednesday 7 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - Spend your time better

Tuesday 13 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - Here’s an idea

Thursday 15 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - Design is a business

Friday 23 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - People count

Wednesday 28 March, 9.00 – 12.30 - Keep your clients; grow your business

Wednesday 28 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - Presentations: An Introduction

Friday 30 March, 1.30 – 5.00 - Business, the law and you

Summer

Wednesday 13 June, 9.00 – 12.30 - Keep your clients; grow your business

Wednesday 13 June, 1.30 – 5.00 - Presentations: An Introduction

Thursday 14 June, 9.00 – 12.30 - Business, the law and you

Thursday 14 June, 1.30 – 5.00 - Design is a business

Friday 15 June, 9.00 – 12.30 - Spend your time better

Friday 15 June, 1.30 – 5.00 - People count

Saturday 16 June, 9.00 – 12.30 - How to communicate in writing

Saturday 16 June, 1.30 – 5.00 - Here’s an idea

Autumn

Monday 5 November, 9.00 – 12.30 - How to communicate in writing

Monday 5 November, 1.30 – 5.00 - Spend your time better

Tuesday 6 November, 9.00 – 12.30 - Here’s an idea

Tuesday 6 November, 1.30 – 5.00 - Design is a business

Wednesday 7 November, 9.00 – 12.30 - Business, the law and you

Wednesday 7 November, 1.30 – 5.00 - People count

Thursday 8 November, 9.00 – 12.30 - Keep your clients; grow your business

Thursday 8 November, 1.30 – 5.00 - Presentations: An Introduction

Prices

Standard rates:
Half day workshops
DBA Members £199 + VAT (£238.80)

DBA Non-members £299 + VAT (£358.80)

Training package (all 8 workshops)
DBA members £992 + VAT (£1190.40)
DBA Non-members £1792 + VAT (£2150.40)

Traveller rates:

To make our training more accessible to those based outside London, we are offering a discount to individuals whose offices are located more than 60 miles from the DBA office (EC1V 9HX). If this includes you, please book using the rate below. We will then contact you to verify your postcode.

Half day workshops

DBA Members £139 + VAT (£166.80)

DBA Non-members £239 + VAT (£286.80)

Training package (all 8 workshops)
DBA members £692 + VAT (£830.40)
DBA Non-members £1492 + VAT (£1790.40)

Location: Headrooms - St John’s Path, Clerkenwell, EC1M 4DD.

Continuous Professional Development Value:

Training package: 80 points

One half day module: 10 points
For more information on CPD click here.

Making a booking

To book online click here

Any queries you can contact Georgina at bookings@dba.org.uk or on 020 7251 9229