Shows
Design Bigger13: How to Sell Brand Strategy to Clients ’Who Already Have It’Does your client say they “already have brand strategy”? 🤔 Don’t stop there. In this episode, Nika breaks down the big myth that brand strategy = brand positioning—and shows how there’s a whole world 🌍 of strategic work agencies can deliver after a brand positioning is set.
Drawing from her experience with global brands 🌐, Nika walks through the three levels of brand strategy—foundational, executional and activational —and explains how you can confidently offer strategic services 💼 even when you're not the 'original' strategist. From sub-brand development to tone of voice guidelines 🗣️, this episode will expand your idea of what's possible.
🔑 In...2025-06-1309 min
Design Bigger12: Stuck in a Niche? How Smart Design Agencies Break Into New IndustriesYou’ve got a strong portfolio 💼, a clear area of expertise 🎯, and a steady stream of clients 💸. But what if you want out of the category you’re known for?
Maybe you’re the go-to studio for tech brands 💻, but you dream of branding restaurants 🍽️. Or you’ve done a ton of CPG work 🧴, but want to land a hotel project 🏨. Pivoting into a new industry is something every agency faces at some point — and it’s absolutely doable.
In this episode 🎙️, I break down the classic 6-step new business strategy 📈 that helps independent agencies move into new categories intentionally — an...2025-06-0520 min
Design Bigger11: 6 Mistakes That Tell Clients You’re Not a Strategic Designer (Yet)In this episode, I cover six mistakes I see all the time—in independent studios, freelancers, even junior strategists inside agencies. They’re subtle. But they scream to clients: “This person’s not thinking strategically.”
These are small things—like skipping intro slides or over-describing your design—but they quietly undermine your authority. Luckily, they’re easy to fix.
You’ll learn:
Why skipping “intro slides” is the biggest red flag there is
The difference between design executions and brand ideas
How to stop oversharing like a design school grad
How to f...2025-05-2213 min
Design Bigger10: If You’re Scared to Present Strategy as a Designer, You Need to Know These 4 ThingsFeeling like an impostor when it comes to presenting brand strategy? You’re not alone. This episode is your pep talk, history lesson, and practical guide all rolled into one.
What you’ll learn:
Why strategy was originally part of the designer’s job — before it got siloed into a separate role in big agencies.
Two powerful facts that will make brand strategy (and strategists) less scary.
Two simple hacks you can use right now to present your strategy confidently and ditch the fear.
Connect with me:
👉 Sign up to...2025-05-1613 min
Design Bigger9: Design Frameworks: Still Telling Clients They Need Brand Purpose? Do This Instead.🎙️ In this episode of Design Frameworks, I unpack the rise, fall—and unexpected evolution—of brand purpose in modern marketing, brand strategy and design.
If you're building brands from the ground up, leading positioning work for clients, or rethinking your own agency’s approach to storytelling, this episode gives you the context and tools to decide how (and if) brand purpose fits into your strategy today.
What You’ll Learn:
💸 How Unilever’s brand purpose strategy shaped the last decade of marketing and advertising
💣 Why brand purpose became overused, misunderstood—and how to avoid the same m...2025-05-0719 min
Design Bigger8: How to Attract Dream Clients: Not the Advice You ExpectIn this episode, I offer a surprising reframe on the idea of “dream clients.”🦄 Those beautiful case studies you see on The Dieline, The Brand Identity, or the Pentawards? Most of them didn’t start with a sexy brief. They began with ordinary clients—generic names, undifferentiated products, and uninspiring brand worlds. The difference? The agency made them dream clients 🌈.
I share real examples of turning underwhelming briefs into standout brands through strategy—proving that the✨ magic often comes from the creative process, not the client.
Whether you’re freelancing or leading a growing studio, this episode is a re...2025-05-0213 min
Design Bigger7: How to Sell Strategy to Clients Who ‘Just Want Design’In this episode, we talk about how to position strategy in a way that even clients who don’t know what strategy is are eager to buy it. Based on my Free Guide Stop Giving Away Your Strategy: Write Proposals That Get You Paid, this episode offers practical advice on how to position and price strategy—plus how long things usually take.
You’ll learn 🚀:
- Why even small clients and brands are willing to invest when strategy is framed the right way
- What language to use in a proposal so clients immediate...2025-04-1521 min
Design Bigger6: How to Survive the Latest ChatGPT Update as a DesignerIn this episode, we dive into the hot topic that’s been shaking up the design industry—last week's release of ChatGPT-4o’s advanced image generation and what it means for designers, copywriters, photographers, and strategists.
I break down the hard and soft reasons why AI won’t replace human creativity, how to position yourself beyond what AI can do, and the strategic thinking skills that will set you apart. Plus, I share practical steps you can take tomorrow to prove your value to clients and future-proof your career.
In this episode you'll learn:
...2025-04-0417 min
Design Bigger5: The Ethical Blind Spots in Your Design ProcessIn this episode, we dive into the ethical blind spots in the brand design process (in particular, packaging and visual identity design). While design has the power to shape perceptions and influence consumer decisions, it can also mislead and deceive if not approached thoughtfully. We talk about the fine line between creativity and manipulation, showing how designers, without a strategic framework, can unknowingly contribute to unethical practices. Through real-world examples, we show how design can subtly mislead or manipulate, and how a strategic approach can help avoid these pitfalls.
In this episode you'll learn:
...2025-03-2816 min
Design Bigger4: Design Frameworks: Color Theory FailsIn this episode of Design Frameworks, I’m breaking down why classic Color Theory doesn't help your design thinking. While it tells how colors influence emotions, it ignores cultural and commercial context, ie. category codes—which are what really matter when choosing colors for a brand. You’ll learn: ✅ Why Color Theory is outdated for branding ✅ How to audit Category Codes to make smarter color choices ✅ The real questions to ask when selecting a brand color Resources & Links: - Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund - Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund...2025-03-2107 min
Design Bigger3: Mastering Brand Strategy: My Wild RideIf you’ve ever felt like strategy is an intimidating world reserved for 'genius' strategists, this episode will break that myth. I share my personal story of faking it till I made it in the creative industry and debunk the idea that strategic thinking is something you have to be born with. I reveal everything — from how I used to Google every single word on the briefs I received to how access to old decks on the agency's strategy server became my best teacher.
We'll talk about how strategy is simply thinking before doing — something you already do as...2025-03-1415 min
Design Bigger2: Design Frameworks: Brand ArchetypesIn this episode, we kick off the Design Frameworks series, diving into brand strategy tools and whether they actually work for independent designers and studios. Today’s focus: Brand Archetypes—the classic framework introduced in 2001 by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson, inspired by Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes (like the Hero, Lover, and Jester).
We explore:
- Why big brands used archetypes—to differentiate portfolios (think Dove as the Caregiver vs. Axe as the Hero).
- Why they fell out of favor post-2015—because modern brand personalities need more nuance than "We're the Lover."
- Wh...2025-03-0508 min
Design Bigger1: Why Big Agency Strategy Failed Your Design StudioIn this debut episode, I dive into a hot topic I discuss with my design clients all the time: why big agency brand strategy often fails when applied to smaller studios. Big agencies—think Wieden+Kennedy, Interbrand, or Pentagram—craft strategies for Fortune 500 giants, where every move impacts global markets and investment portfolios. Their method is rigorous, data-heavy, and slow-moving by design. But when this same approach is repackaged for independent studios, it often feels unnecessary, and out of touch with the needs of fast-moving businesses. I break down three key reasons why this happens:
1. Big brands dema...2025-02-2116 min