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The Tom Smith Design Blog

Tom's thoughts on everything from design to AI.

The Process Post

Process Jun 22, 2026

The Process Post

Keeping my portfolio up-to-date as a practicing creative is a fool's errand. This is something of a process journal, where I'll periodically add Loom videos and short blurbs about what I'm working on on any given day.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

How This Graphic Designer is Supercharging Advertising Design for Marketing Teams in 2026

Information Dec 17, 2025

How This Graphic Designer is Supercharging Advertising Design for Marketing Teams in 2026

Marketing teams in 2026 need a creative all-rounder. Here’s how Tom Smith runs strategy-led campaigns, builds modular systems, animates everything, and keeps assets editable for marketers on the move.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

2026 Designer benchmark assessment: Can your designer do this?

Information Dec 8, 2025

2026 Designer benchmark assessment: Can your designer do this?

A quick benchmark assessment to pressure-test whether your designer is ready for the 2026 marketing and product landscape.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

Business Name Brainstorming: 5 Essential Checks Before You Commit

Education Oct 10, 2025

Business Name Brainstorming: 5 Essential Checks Before You Commit

Naming your business? This quick business name brainstorming checklist covers everything—trademarks, domain availability, spelling, and more—to help you avoid costly mistakes.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

3 Reasons Why You Should Start Using Figma for Marketing Design Today

Opinion Sep 5, 2025

3 Reasons Why You Should Start Using Figma for Marketing Design Today

'Figma isn’t just for UI/UX… it’s a powerful tool for marketing teams too. Explore how Online Figma and the Figma site make collaboration simple, fast, and effective.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

Forget Niches: The Future Belongs to Generalist Designers

Opinion Sep 3, 2025

Forget Niches: The Future Belongs to Generalist Designers

'AI is the intern. The generalist is the creative director.' Why the era of niche designers is ending, and how generalists are taking the lead.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

Top 5 Reasons to Hire Tom Smith

Information Oct 15, 2024

Top 5 Reasons to Hire Tom Smith

Tom Smith is an evergreen talent and 'Jack-of-All-Trades' who can occupy any cog within the creative pipeline and supercharge your creative output.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

7 Creative Business Naming Brainstorming Tips

Education Oct 6, 2024

7 Creative Business Naming Brainstorming Tips

Coming up with your business name should be a fun and exciting process. I've compiled a few tips to help you get to that 'a-ha' moment.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

6 Helpful Tips for New Freelance Graphic Designers

Education Sep 19, 2024

6 Helpful Tips for New Freelance Graphic Designers

I've strung together some amazing tips for new freelance designers that I've learned over the course of 10 years doing freelance graphic design.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer

How I Built My Portfolio Site for the Cost of a Domain

Education Aug 30, 2024

How I Built My Portfolio Site for the Cost of a Domain

I built and deployed my portfolio site for the cost of a domain using Hugo, Tailwind CSS, Flowbite, and Netlify.

Tom Smith Creative Director & Designer