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Welcome to
RESOURCEFUL DESIGNER

I help graphic and web design freelancers start, run, and grow their design businesses.

Hi, I’m Mark Des Cotes. I’m an active graphic and web designer with over 35 years of experience in the design field, and over 20 years running my own design business. Join me as I share insightful strategies, actionable tips, and essential resources to streamline your design business, helping you attract more clients, charge what you’re worth, and give you more time to focus on what you love most—designing.

Design Resources
Mark Des Cotes, Owner, host and producer of Resourceful Designer.
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Most recent podcast episode

The Power Of Email Signatures – RD366

The Power Of Email Signatures – RD366

Email signatures are a powerful yet often overlooked tool for building trust and winning clients, turn email signature design into a profitable offering for your own design business.

The Power Of Email Signatures – RD366

Email signatures are a powerful yet often overlooked tool for building trust and winning clients, turn email signature design into a profitable offering for your own design business.

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Other recent content

5 Soft Skills Every Successful Freelancer Needs to Master – RD362

5 Soft Skills Every Successful Freelancer Needs to Master – RD362

Let’s break down the five essential soft skills every freelancer needs to succeed beyond just strong design chops. Drawing from my years of experience, I share actionable tips on communication, relationship building, strategic thinking, time management, and budgeting to help you build a thriving, sustainable design business.

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What people are saying about Resourceful Designer

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I’ve been listening to that podcast since I started working as a full-time independent graphic designer, and it has helped me navigate the creation of my business. Mark gives a lot of tips and resources that are actionable, sometimes a precious gain of time or good strategy direction. Thanks, Mark!

5
Karl from Belgium
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A podcast full of really useful tips for designers of any level. Mark has a really positive attitude, which is great as a boost when motivation might be low.
5
Nick from Ireland
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I’ve been following Resourceful Designer for years, and I haven’t found a better resource with plenty of great tips from an experienced home-based graphic designer. Mark does an amazing job of sharing his experiences and pieces of advice on how to run a successful home-based design business. Actually, I recently decided to start my own home-based design business, and I’m sure listening to Mark’s podcast helped a lot in convincing me to make the leap.

5
Nicolas from France
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As a new person in the world of design, through his podcast, Mark Des Cotes has helped me understand parts of the industry in simple, clear ways! Super knowledgeable and has practical tips to help anyone in design!

5
Eddie from Canada
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This podcast has enlightened me to many facets of running a graphic design business and being an artist. I’ve been listening for years, from being an artist at a print shop to finally starting my own design business! Thank you Mark for this continued legacy of helpfulness that I’m listening to intently to progress my own business!

5
Panda from USA
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An excellent graphic design podcast providing many helpful tips and tricks you can and should implement in your own graphic design business. With excellent sound quality and an inspiring tone, Mark helps all graphic designers grow, inspiring us every week to stay creative.

5
Jocke from Sweden
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Although this podcast primarily targets designers who run their own businesses from home, all designers will benefit from the topics discussed. I have personally gleaned an incredible amount of helpful information and resources from Mark to strengthen both my passion for design and my business. I strongly recommend that you listen to this podcast!

5
Dan from Canada
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I am just starting my home graphic design business and came across your podcast a couple of weeks ago. After listening to that show, I had to go back and start at the beginning. Thank you for this resource, it has helped answer questions that I did not know that I had.

5
Sndsakaitis from USA
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I love these podcasts! They are so helpful and give me simple tips to run my new design business productively. Really great to hear from someone who has achieved longevity in this business with a steady clientele! Awesome information!

5
Lesa from USA
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I have been an independent graphic designer working out of my home studio for over a decade, and I LOVE listening to this podcast! Mark is so positive and helpful. Thank you for your generous time and for your great podcast.

5
Nicki from USA
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Wouldn’t it be nice if you could spend more time designing and less time worrying about your graphic design business?