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Talks & Workshops De-Mystifying Design & Business

Alyssa Phillips Downey of Amp'd Designs and Make Your Design Matter ® smiling while holding a laptop against her chest.

I’m Alyssa, a Brand and Web Design expert, and an educator for ambitious business owners and self-employed creatives.

My talks provide actionable solutions to relatable problems every business owner or designer experiences. Whether an audience of entrepreneurs or a community of creatives, I’m focused on helping attendees learn valuable skills, feel inspired by new perspectives, and most of all feel more confident in their businesses and equipped to grow towards their goals.

As a speaker, I blend empathy with empowerment, helping attendees feel validated in their current challenges and experiences while providing realistic steps to help them move forward in the right direction.

I love incorporating interactivity, worksheets, or freebies into a workshop to encourage a positive and engaging experience.

Speaking for Business Owners

Designing logos and websites can seem daunting and confusing — but it shouldn’t! My mission is to de-mystify the design process and help entrepreneurs thrive.

I help business owners understand not only the power design has to help their brands grow, but the power they have in their own hands to implement impactful techniques and connect with their ideal audiences.

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What I can speak about:

I specialize in topics about branding, brand strategy, brand story, and building effective websites.

Example topics:

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  • Take-aways:

    • What is “brand story” and why does it matter

    • How to understand your brand story

    • How your story helps identify marketing opportunities

    • How it enforces your design for a consistent visual brand

  • Take-aways:

    • What makes your website connect with your ideal customer

    • How to fix common website mistakes so your website better converts your audience into customers/clients

    • Receive a checklist of important factors to keep in mind when building your site

    • Recommended layouts for the most common website pages

  • Take-aways:

    • How to know what you need from a designer

    • Questions to ask to make sure you hire the right fit

    • What to look for in a designer to be sure they’re the right fit for you

Speaking for Designers

Starting — and growing — a freelance design business is hard. I know because I’ve been there! My self-employment journey was full of mistakes and lessons learned. Now, after 8+ years of working for myself, I’ve come out the other end with tried and true processes, foolproof policies, and a sustainable and fulfilling business.

I love generously sharing my processes, workflows, and experiences to help other self-employed creatives smoothly nail their projects, wow their clients, and grow their businesses with confidence.

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What I can speak about:

I specialize in topics about client communications, design process (internal and client-facing), navigating difficult situations, and policies and boundaries.

Example topics:

  • Take-aways:

    • How to shift your mindset from frustration to empathy when sticky situations arise

    • Policies to implement and contract clauses to add to prevent sticky situations

    • How to steer projects back on track when they go off the rails

    • We’ll look at a handful of common difficult situations, such as clients disappearing during a project, clients unhappy with the designs presented, scope creep, clients requesting “bad” edits, etc.

  • Take-aways:

    • Actionable steps to improve your process and communications to prevent project delays and scope creep

    • How to get all the content and information you need from your clients by the date you need it

    • Methods for clear communications that set the stage for smooth projectsHow to nip boundary-pushing in the bud right away

    • Contract clauses to add to prevent projects from going awry

  • Take-aways:

    • The simplest way to stay booked with repeat clients

    • How to exceed clients’ expectations without burning yourself out

    • How to create a 5-star client experience that makes people crave working with you over and over again

For colleges:

I love talking with design students about career path, the brand design process, and how to work as a freelance designer.

Featured talks:

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Squarespace Circle Day — Client Wrangling: Keeping Timelines on Track

The Simply Profitable Designer Summit — The Loyalty Loop: Past Clients, Future Profits

Product Powerhouse Summit — How to Sell with Brand Story

Why Do Clients Pick the Worst Logo?

Alyssa Phillips Downey giving a speech in front of a presentation screen that says "how do you define branding?"

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Photo by Lindsay Barrasse

Why invite me to speak?

Why I’m qualified to teach people about this stuff:

I don’t just talk the talk — I walk the walk. I work with clients myself, and all the things I teach others are things that I personally implement with my design clients and in my own design business.

The formal resume:

My decade+ of experience as a professional designer has given me a solid background in and understanding of branding, strategy, website design, and building a freelance business.

I hold a BFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and worked in NYC as a designer and art director before starting my own business.

As an educator for designers, I taught a college-level branding course, and also co-founded the Asheville Chapter of AIGA, a national professional organization for designers.

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Take it from them — here’s what attendees, organizers, and collaborators have to say:

  • — Geneviève M, Attendee, Simply Profitable Designer Summit

    Hey Alyssa, I ADORED your talk on the Simply Profitable Designer Summit! 💛

    And I want to thank you for this incredibly helpful freebie. This is one the best freebies I’ve ever received — you should charge for it!

    The off-boarding scripts are the most helpful to me. I was stuck not knowing how to design my off-boarding process in a way that’s not overwhelming for my clients. 

    Reading your scripts and checklist, I now have a clear view of how to streamline my off-boarding process. Thank you so very much!

  • — Jamie Karolich, Program Manager, Craft Your Commerce by Mountain BizWorks

    Alyssa Phillips's workshop on “Best Practices: Client Relationships” was truly enlightening and beneficial for our community. Her expertise in the subject matter was evident, and her organized approach made the workshop highly informative. Alyssa's professionalism and ease of collaboration made the entire experience enjoyable and productive. Our community greatly benefited from the valuable insights and information she shared. I would highly recommend Alyssa's workshops to anyone seeking to enhance their understanding and implementation of effective client relationship strategies.

  • — Hera Marashian, Associate Director, Senior Career & Industry Strategist, and Visiting Professor, Pratt Institute

    I have been following Alyssa Phillips' inspiring journey from professional to business owner, and she continues to amaze with her ability to connect and engage. Whether speaking one-on-one with students or addressing a group, Alyssa consistently creates meaningful conversations. The audience greatly appreciated the insights she shared, and her presentation left everyone feeling informed and inspired. A truly exceptional speaker!

  • — Johanna Hagarty, business coach

    I've had the pleasure of working with Alyssa for years including co-hosting a webinar with her. Her meticulous preparation played a crucial role in creating a seamless and engaging experience. Not only did Alyssa have a keen ability to capture audience questions during the presentation, but she also effortlessly integrated them, making the webinar flow smoothly. Afterward, she facilitated getting valuable resources that allowed the audience to further implement the lessons learned. Working with Alyssa is a testament to an ongoing dedication to delivering quality content and providing unwavering support to individuals and businesses alike.

  • — Jillian Ohl, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Western Carolina University

    Alyssa came to speak to my college course and spoke not only about her journey as a designer but also broke down the intimidating barriers of design pricing, business practices, and client relationships. By bringing in the physical examples that represent the breadth of her work, students were able to directly handle the materials and see the range of opportunities that graphic design allows for. She is a wonderful resource for students!

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    Your talk was truly wonderful. It is so important for students to see real world stuff happening in their community. In fact, you directly inspired one student because after seeing your work he decided to design an album cover for his final project.

  • — Lora Eggleston, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Mars Hill University

    Alyssa brought such an insightful and engaging presentation to my MHU graphic design class. She spoke and showed examples of her journey from student to professional designer and it was very motivational for my students. Her passion and knowledge for the subject of graphic design was evident, and it gave my students a way of connecting their current education journey to where and what they want to do in their futures.

  • — Kenn Kotara, Professor, Mars Hill University

    Alyssa Phillips was a guest speaker for a senior-level graphic design class of mine at Mars Hill University. Her presentation spoke to those areas of interest for my students — client relationships, design processes, networking, and design organizations. My students were profoundly impressed with Alyssa’s communication style and the depth of her knowledge and experience as a designer. Alyssa is the consummate professional designer, and a wonderful guest speaker.

  • — Student, Asheville-Buncombe Technically Community College Digital Media Program

    I loved this class more than any of my previous classes, and I'm a few classes away from graduation so that is saying something. The course was fantastic and what I believe what made this course even better was the instructor. Alyssa has been the best instructor at AB Tech. A teacher that actually taught the class and was dedicated in every way possible to making sure everyone is receiving the instruction that they are paying for. Alyssa is right now the saving grace. I just wished that she could teach my remaining classes.

“I think this was the most helpful event for me so far today. Thank you Alyssa!”

“This is definitely one I will watch again!”

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“Fantastic session! Thank you so much Alyssa. I'm leaving better than I started. 💫”

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“I feel like this session is really therapy for us all”

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“Loved the next steps slide in your design presentations! Brilliant”

“You’re killin’ it Alyssa! This was great!”

“The deadlines in essentially EVERY communication is so helpful!”

“I really enjoyed this, Alyssa! Thank you so much. Can we download these slides somewhere?”

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“Fantastic help Alyssa! So many great takeaways here, appreciate you!”

“So much I hadn’t thought of! Thanks. 👍”

“That helps SO MUCH”

“I really liked ‘Our Pledge’ — it feels collaborative and respectful”

“I love how you’re all about delighting your clients and building trust 🤩”

“Love it, great presentation! Lots of great ideas to keep customers wanting to come back time and time again!”

“Alyssa - you are awesome. Thank you SO much for being here in the chat with us, for hanging out with us this week - and for those of you watching on the replay, definitely connect with Alyssa, get her scripts, get in her world - this strategy is GOLD!!!”

 

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