Made By James

Made By James

Graphic Design

We Build Design Leaders

About us

At Made By James we focus on a ‘No- Nonsense’ approach to design education, no gate-keeping, no fluff and no BS. Guiding you through the things that truly matters: honing your unique creative gift, building a body of work that lands you your dream clients and fine-tuning your processes to allow you to build a profitable business.

Industry
Graphic Design
Company size
2-10 employees
Headquarters
Winchester
Type
Privately Held
Specialties
education and graphic design

Locations

Employees at Made By James

Updates

  • View organization page for Made By James, graphic

    6,826 followers

    What are your thoughts?

    View profile for James Martin, graphic

    Your No-Nonsense Design Mentor ✖️Design Your Own Way™️ ✖️Creative Partner @lincolndesignco ✖️Designer Advisory Board Member @canva

    Is AI the New NFT? Look, I get it. AI is everywhere... but is it a necessary tool or a massive distraction? Every tool, every app, every design influencer screaming that it’s a must-have for business, creativity, design—you name it. But let’s not forget: many of these design influencers are paid (by their master) to talk about it positively. I wonder how they really feel? Not long ago, NFTs were sold as revolutionary for digital creators.... “Get in or get left behind!” Yet, for most, that bubble didn’t bring value; it just shifted focus into something that, for many, led to little more than wasted energy. Now, AI has charged into the 'creative' room, and I can’t help but wonder: Is this going to be another wave that ends up distracting designers? Personally, I think AI is an incredibly useful tool in certain workflows. I use it to take notes on my Zoom calls and I treat ChatGPT as my new Google... It's also a brilliant mental sparing partner. But do we really feel that things like Generative Fill and endless AI variations are a threat to human creativity? Or is it just another way to commodify creativity, making originality the first casualty of convenience? For designers, the temptation is obvious. But the risk? The work might end up looking like everyone else’s. Worse, we risk losing what makes us uniquely valuable. Maybe it’s time to ask: Are we innovating, or are we just getting caught up in the latest gumpf? One thing I am pretty sure of is that AI isn't going anywhere - so open conversations and dialogue are the key to understanding it's benefits. I’ll leave you with a quote I really like: “Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” #creativity #design #designer #AI #artist #graphicdesign

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  • Made By James reposted this

    View profile for James Martin, graphic

    Your No-Nonsense Design Mentor ✖️Design Your Own Way™️ ✖️Creative Partner @lincolndesignco ✖️Designer Advisory Board Member @canva

    Shit I (we) don’t need to do. 1. Write a post telling you I’m going on holiday for a week. 2. Explain that I won’t be posting online for that reason. 3. Tell you all that I’ll miss you and my content will be back very soon. No one gives a flippity flop whether you post or not my friends… and you also don’t need to make your holiday a personal journey of discovery, because you have been “working so hard” and you need some time “to find yourself” because you have been “giving so much of yourself on social media” (which you don’t have to do) It’s like watching an episode of the Kardashian’s - why does taking time off have to come with so much narrative, drama and soul searching? This is a reminder that you don’t need to ask for permission to carry on with your life. Buckle up buttercup, See y’all later. Love James, Kate & Rocco ❤️ Ps. I’m off on holiday xxx

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  • Made By James reposted this

    View profile for James Martin, graphic

    Your No-Nonsense Design Mentor ✖️Design Your Own Way™️ ✖️Creative Partner @lincolndesignco ✖️Designer Advisory Board Member @canva

    “Get your hands off my chips” I went out to dinner with Kate and Rocco a couple of weeks back, and the usual happened. I order a bowl of chips, and Kate insists she doesn’t want any… but ends up eating most of mine! Every. Single. Time. So, as the waiter walked by, I asked if we could get an extra bowl. He smiled, nodded, and said, "No problem." A few minutes later, we had a fresh bowl of chips for everyone to enjoy. That got me thinking! Not once did that waiter whine, moan, or roll his eyes about some bearded guy asking for more chips after his original order. He just did what needed to be done and added it to my bill – no fuss, no drama. He handled scope creep like a champ. In the design world, we face the same challenge. Clients start with one vision, but as things take shape, they often want more. It’s normal and if you’re ready to adapt, you’ll stay ahead. Keep it saucy. P.s Yes I am British, chips are fries for all my American friends. #design #designer #graphicdesigner

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  • View organization page for Made By James, graphic

    6,826 followers

    Are you a WE or a ME? Over the years I have learnt about the importance of allowing my clients to be a part of the process. I was taught, like many others, that clients were NOT allowed to be involved in the decision making as “they don’t know what they are talking about!” I believed this was true… for many moons I actually started testing a new way, I started to let my clients in… and it taught me that all the issues I had like scope creep and “annoying” clients was actually my fault. I followed the cookie-cutter processes and they caused a lot of anxious moments over the years as I treated every client as the same… even when they needed different things. But over the years I have learnt to design my own way, take everything that’s good from the people I trust and add my own little MBJ flavour. I just wanted to pop this message here: you and your creativity are not the problem! It might just be conventional methods that are broken. Have a great day and I hope this inspires you to be creative with your own process. #graphicdesign #graphicdesigner #graphicdesigners #designprocess #logoprocess #creativeprocess #brandidentity #branding #designeducation #branding #branddesigner #branddesign

  • Made By James reposted this

    View profile for James Martin, graphic

    Your No-Nonsense Design Mentor ✖️Design Your Own Way™️ ✖️Creative Partner @lincolndesignco ✖️Designer Advisory Board Member @canva

    Every client is different Every project is different All the deliverables are different Many of the touch points are different All the stories are different All the prices should be different Clients personalities are different All your ideas should be different It’s amazing that people still try to treat every client the same, and have zero flexibility in their process and pricing. I used to be that person. Creativity is not just drawing - use it to make you business work too. This is my personal process now that I have developed over the years and it gets tweaked on the regular. Hope it helps spark some ideas for yourself Design you own way #design #creativity #graphicdesign

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  • Made By James reposted this

    View profile for James Martin, graphic

    Your No-Nonsense Design Mentor ✖️Design Your Own Way™️ ✖️Creative Partner @lincolndesignco ✖️Designer Advisory Board Member @canva

    Dear all males of our species. Be sure to create a safe environment where your female friends feel welcome. If you are going to create a poll of “the best” accounts to follow, make sure it represents our industry as a whole and doesn’t just include men. Some of the best in our industry are female and don’t be blind to their impact. I am personally inspired by the work and drive of Debbie Millman Jess Goldsmith Melinda Livsey Jessica Walsh Jennifer Hood Amy Hood Ilana Griffo and many others. This is not a dig or an attempt to make you do something you feel you have to do. Just an nudge to be open to inspiration from our whole community. Seek goodness and creativity outside of your normal lens. Love to all Happy Friday. Ps. This book is awesome Jess Goldsmith #design #creativity #art #graphicdesign #typography

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