Design schools teach aesthetics and creativity—but skip the part where design becomes a business. Sydney-based interior designer and business coach Alix Helps tackles the biggest gap between what design schools teach and what designers need to run profitable practices. Learn why undercharging makes you resentful (not attractive), how team happiness directly impacts your bottom line, why superannuation matters more than you think, and the exact systems that are non-negotiable for sustainable growth. Discover the warning signs you need coaching help, what "standing out" really means in a saturated market, and the one business fundamental that would transform your practice this month.
The most common way I see designers accidentally derail their projects is by not setting the expectation that their clients need to be responsive and decisive.
Design schools do a wonderful job of teaching aesthetics, concept development and creative thinking - but they largely skip the part where design becomes a business.
Graduates come out knowing how to design a beautiful space, but not how to price their time, manage cashflow, read a P&L, or protect their margins. They’re often deeply uncomfortable talking about money, yet money is the thing that determines whether they’ll still be in business five years later.
The biggest gap is commercial confidence. Designers aren’t failing because they lack talent, they’re failing because no one taught them how to turn that talent into a sustainable, profitable practice
In my experience, happy, supported teams make better decisions, communicate more clearly, and stay longer. That reduces costly turnover, mistakes and burnout; all of which have a very real financial impact. But there’s another layer to it.
A team that genuinely enjoys what they do creates a certain energy, and that energy is felt by clients. Happy people doing work they’re proud of tend to attract clients who are optimistic, respectful and aligned with how we work. It sets the tone for the entire relationship.
Integrity matters enormously too. When a team is aligned around doing the right thing - for clients, suppliers and each other - trust builds quickly. And trust is a great greaser of wheels! It shortens decision-making, reduces friction, and improves the client experience immeasurably.
The result is better outcomes, stronger referrals, fewer fires to put out, and a business that doesn’t rely on adrenaline or crisis mode to function.
Designers aren't failing because they lack talent, they're failing because no one taught them how to turn that talent into a sustainable, profitable practice.
Alix HelpsDirector, Alix Helps Interiors
Undercharging - but more specifically, not understanding their true cost of doing business.
Many new designers set fees based on what they think feels reasonable, what competitors charge, or what they think a client will tolerate. Very few actually reverse-engineer their pricing from their overheads, salary requirements, tax, super, and profit.
The irony is that undercharging rarely makes designers more attractive. It just makes them more resentful, more exhausted, and more likely to over-service. Sustainable pricing isn’t about being expensive, it’s about being realistic.
One designer I worked with had an exceptional eye and glowing client feedback, but she was constantly stressed, forever chasing invoices, and quietly subsidising her projects with a heinous amount of unpaid hours.
She’d been chalking up the problem to “difficult clients” or “bad luck,” but the real issue was a lack of structure. No clear scope boundaries, inconsistent fees, and a reluctance to enforce terms.
She didn’t need more talent. She needed clarity.
Undercharging rarely makes designers more attractive. It just makes them more resentful, more exhausted, and more likely to over-service.
Alix HelpsDirector, Alix Helps Interiors
Everything became calmer.
Once we tightened her service structure, introduced clear payment milestones, and gave her the language to talk confidently about fees and process, clients actually became easier. She stopped attracting tyre-kickers and started attracting people who respected her expertise.
Financially, she finally paid herself properly. Emotionally, she stopped dreading her inbox.
The realisation that work can be both creative and sustainable is really empowering when the penny drops!
Alix HelpsDirector, Alix Helps Interiors
Most designers don’t neglect super because they’re careless - they neglect it because, as sole traders or business owners, no one ever makes it feel urgent. It’s not compulsory(why??), cashflow can be lumpy, and there’s always something more immediate demanding attention.
Designers are also natural optimists. They assume they’ll work it out later, that future income will be higher, or that the business itself will be the asset. Maybe they’re waiting for Prince Charming to gallop over the horizon on his pristine white stallion – who knows? The problem is that “later” has a habit of arriving quietly- and by then, time is the one thing you can’t make up.
What’s really at stake here is choice. Design is rewarding, but it’s demanding work, and relying on being able or willing to work indefinitely is risky. Super isn’t about taking money away from today’s life, it’s about giving your future-self options, independence and security.
Even small, consistent contributions make a meaningful difference over time. The designers who get this right early don’t necessarily earn more - they just think longer term, and that compounds.
systems don't remove creativity - they protect it.
Alix HelpsDirector, Alix Helps Interiors
By being honest that you can’t ignore any one of them.
Great design without budget control creates stress. Budget without time discipline creates chaos. Time without process creates burnout.
By being honest that you can’t ignore any one of them.
Great design without budget control creates stress. Budget without time discipline creates chaos. Time without process creates burnout.
I help designers understand that their role isn’t just to design - it’s to lead projects. That means setting expectations early, documenting decisions, and having the confidence to say, “If we change this, something else has to give.”
Clients actually appreciate the clarity and again, that builds trust.
In practice, it means nothing important lives in someone’s head.
Clear scopes. Written processes. Centralised documentation. Tracked decisions. Structured approvals. Transparent fees. Payment upfront.
These systems don’t remove creativity- they protect it. When designers aren’t firefighting or second-guessing themselves, they can focus on what they do best.
Non-negotiable systems are the ones that remove ambiguity.
Ambiguity is expensive
Alix HelpsDirector, Alix Helps Interiors
Standing out isn’t about having the loudest brand or the trendiest Instagram grid. It’s about clarity. Designers who stand out know who they’re for, how they work, and what they won’t compromise on. They communicate confidently, price transparently, and deliver consistently. In a crowded market, professionalism is surprisingly rare — and incredibly magnetic.
Constant exhaustion. Resentment towards clients, resentment … full stop. Avoiding conversations about money. Inconsistent income. Feeling busy but not profitable. Wondering how much you’d get paid if you just worked in a lovely shop and went home every day without a single care in the world.
Another big one? Thinking, “Everyone else seems to have this figured out except me.” They’re not broken - they’re just missing a proven framework
Set up their business so the money is doing the heavy lifting for them, not the other way around.
The very first thing I get every coaching client to do is put a simple financial structure in place that gives them clarity and protection from day one. I’m not talking aboutmore spreadsheets, orcomplicated forecasting here. Just a clean, intentional setup that tells them exactly what money is available, what’s already spoken for, and what’s theirs to pay themselves.
When that structure is in place, something shifts almost immediately. Designers stop feeling anxious about every invoice and start feeling safe and protected. They make clearer decisions, price with more confidence, and sleep better knowing there are no nasty surprises lurking at BAS time.
Most people are genuinely shocked at how small the change is, and how quickly it changes how they feel about their business.