Make and Design with Carina Gardner

In this episode, we are joined by Diane Rooney who is a past Design Suite member who has joined the CG Team. She currently moderates our peer design meetings and works with the Design Suite community…

What is standing between you and that big dream of becoming a designer? Some of you may already be designing, and that’s awesome! You can still take some nuggets from what I talk about today. For the…

As a former college professor, Carina understands how the college system works. She recently got to attend a college orientation, which gave her a glimpse of what is going on in the college system at…

In this episode, Carina talks about the things she wishes she had known when she started designing full time 14 years ago. These items that are discussed are those that involve really starting and ru…

Starting a design business is a very fun place to be! Being a designer is a wonderful career choice. Carina often sees designers that are just getting started that just can’t figure out what they’re …

It’s almost that time of year again! Carina mentions that August has always marked the beginning of her fall season. August is a great time to start thinking about how we can have our best season eve…

This episode discusses building resilience as a designer. Carina discusses that when she was teaching at the university, the main emphasis was on having a thick skin.  Especially when we’re starting …

In this episode, Carina gives practical advice and discusses the eight things you have to have in order to be a designer. Some of these items are physical things, while others are mindset things. How…

We all want to avoid being that person with the tacky design. In this episode, Carina discusses the 3 tacky mistakes that she often sees in design, so you can make sure that you are avoiding these mi…

Concerns over a possible upcoming recession are often brought up by designers and business owners. However, Carina believes that being a designer is recession proof because designers often possess a …

While Carina may encourage younger people to go back to college to get their design degree, going back to college may not make sense for those that are in other stages of life. In this episode, Carin…

Carina has been dedicated to creating the most fluid and comprehensive surface pattern and crafting design program out there. Learn about what is new in her Design Suite program because the August re…

In this Episode Carina explains why Surface pattern Designers don’t need a portfolio. She also discusses the difference between a Collection and a portfolio. 

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Over the years, the design market has changed dramatically. Carina goes over some of those changes and why NOW is an amazing time to get into design.

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Carina talks to people often about starting a surface pattern design business. If you need first steps because you are ready to jump into the field, you will love this episode! Be sure to take advant…

There are cycles in every business and Carina walks you through some of the cycles in the design world. For surface pattern and craft designers, it can be demotivating to see sales plummet so tune in…

Designers can get frustrated as they see sales on design work plummet. So what is going on? Carina goes through possible reasons your designs aren’t selling.

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In this episode, Carina talks about the three ways that surface pattern designers and craft designers can reuse what they already have to make money. These tips will help you through the summer seaso…

It’s time to strategize! In this episode, Carina talks about the value of short term vs. long term strategy for designers. With the right approach, designers can put a plan in place to make money con…

Ready for the Accelerated Designer Workshop program? In this episode, Carina talks about the monthly program which is designed to take a deep dive into design topics. When you get the all access pass…