Mark Busse | Industrial Brand

Dear Design School Grads: Be Authentically You And Harness Creativity And You’ll Succeed. No Big Deal, Right?

I was honoured to be invited back to Vancouver Island University to give the commencement speech for their design program’s 2013 graduation.

Unpaid internships are harming the design industry – and they’re illegal

If you can’t fork over ten bucks an hour for a young designer to contribute to your success, then it’s completely inappropriate for you to lure them with hope and false promises of exposure and experience.

Travel IS school

I don’t care what prestigious school you attended; your design education is incomplete without travel. Lots of it.

Three traits of successful design managers

The roles authenticity, humility and purpose play when leading a design team.

Is it time to update your website? Probably.

When is it a good idea to update your website? Read our key tips for updating your site, and a few reasons why people don’t.

When clients don’t ‘get it,’ it’s your fault

While you cannot ultimately control the reactions and decisions of your clients, you can build structures into your process that clear a path towards a successful outcome.

Who cares if your website looks good? Employees, for starters

These days, employee retention is on the tips of many business owners’ tongues. According to multiple sources, such as Forbes Magazine, the young workforce is not aiming to find a company and sit comfy and stable in any decent position for the rest of their lives. Rather, fresh-faced workers want a job that actually matters […]

Those you want to show your design portfolio to don’t have time. Deal with it

A few common assumptions, and some challenges to those assumptions, that demonstrate that it’s about much more than your portfolio.

Don’t forget your staff or risk your branding project failing

Don’t keep your staff, vendors, or your clients in the dark when you make the choice to rebrand.

11 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way Managing a Design Firm

The following article by Mark Busse was published in December 2012 in Design Edge Canada Magazine. The purpose of this column is to challenge some of the assumptions that many young designers and future firm owners may have entering this profession. If I can help a few of you avoid learning even one or […]

Is it time to take your name off the door?

What’s in a company name? Does yours accurately reflect what you offer? Or is it time to take your name off the door?

Styleboards: Saving time, money, and headaches during web design

Most businesses these days are familiar with the process of identity design; they either have experience working with a design agency in the past, or have a rough understanding of the process. However, when it comes to web design and development, it is often a different story. The fact is, there are many different barriers to a successful project for both designer and client.

Posts By: Mark Busse