Creating Fresh and Engaging Experiences

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Courtney Zielinski, partner and creative director at Hughes design|communications, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My company, Hughes design | communications, is a boutique graphic design studio. We specialize in designing and visual branding for print and digital spaces. Our customers range from small, independently-owned companies to schools and large associations. We love working with our clients to tell their business stories and connect with their audience. We especially love finding creative and new ways to transform information into something more tangible and visual.

Tell us about yourself

My mother, Donna Hughes, founded our company in our living room in 1985. I grew up visiting her design glasses in grad school in Basel, Switzerland, and watching her work at a drafting table in our house, and I was fascinated by the graphic design process. I got my BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago and then immediately began working for Hughes Design.

In 1999 I moved out to San Francisco to work and learn web design at the nucleus of the dot com boom — it was such an exciting time to be there, to be young and eager, and to soak up so much! I was really excited to bring what I had learned back to Chicago and to Hughes Design. In 2004 I moved back and joined forces with my mom as a partner, and we expanded our business to include web design and development.

I find so much pleasure in problem-solving with design. Oftentimes information can be dry and/or difficult to grasp or connect with. I see my job as creating a visual language that turns information into communication. It truly never gets old for me, and I love watching my clients' businesses grow and prosper.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm extremely proud that we have been in business for almost 40 (!!) years, and I think our longevity really speaks to the personal relationships we develop with our clients and the hard work and dedication we show to each project. Many of our clients have been with us for over a decade, and we get a lot of work through referrals. Knowing our clients trust us and are so happy with our work is such a reward.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Owning a business can be a vulnerable position to be in. When times are slow like during the pandemic, it's really scary to have work slow down and not know for sure how much income we'll be bringing in. It can also be challenging to balance the more "business" needs of a company— marketing, administrative tasks, creating proposals — with the work, which is obviously the part I love most. I tend to get hyperfocused on doing design work, so I try to schedule these tasks so they don't pile up (still working on that!).

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Have a plan! Both for the growth of your business and for anything that might go wrong. Has money been saved for slow times?
Be brave! Get clear on what you can provide as a business that the market needs and communicate that to potential customers. Trust in your talents.
Balance! Take breaks, go have adventures, and read. It's hard to resist the pull to just work, work, work, and grind away, pulling all-nighters, but it's important, both for your own health and happiness and also for your business, to hit pause. Your business and work (and you!) will benefit from you being fresh and inspired.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://hughesdesign.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hughesdesigncommunications
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hughes_design

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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