Thankfully, the GDC provides for more pithy subject matter than the weather, and yet we find other things to complain about. Not enough business. Too much work. Working too much, but not getting ahead. So, rather than whining: what can we do, collectively, to get out of the rut? How can we work more effectively for clients that care for our work and are willing to pay for it?

One way to work more efficiently is to find and qualify clients by conveying your professional credentials. We are not talking about something as mind numbing as rewriting your CV, or as brain thumping as developing a new self-promotion. Simply conveying that you are a Certified graphic designer (of course this must be true) will instantly set you apart from the throng. Your Name + MGDC. Incredibly, many designers who carry the MGDC designation fail to position themselves as such. As a talking point and a differentiator the designation does as much to inspire confidence as it does to help us talk to clients about our profession, without necessarily talking about (gasp) ourselves.

What else can we do to gain that edge, get inspired, retool and regroup? How about planning for some upcoming events: the biennial Icograda World Design Congress held in Beijing in October; the UCDA Design Conference also in October; and Design Thinkers in early November. Or, if you want some instant gratification, click and see how three GDC members have been selected by UNESCO to design posters to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.