An interview with Bruce Burgoyne – Designer

Bruce Burgoyne heads up the Mackman design studio

Bruce Burgoyne heads up the Mackman design team. He is a highly experienced graphic designer with a seemingly inexhaustible creative energy which permeates all he does. Bruce specialises in branding, packaging, websites and online technologies. Coming to Mackman with an impressive photographic portfolio, he also oversees much of our photographic/video work for clients.

Q: What is your working background?

A: I’ve been at Mackman for five years now. I first started as a freelance designer (and graphic design tutor at Colchester Institute) then joined the company to move the design aspect of the business on.

Q: How would you describe your working life at Mackman?

A: Very varied. ‘Eventful’ might cover it! There is a high sense of loyalty in the Mackman Group. Being valued in an organisation is very important.

Q: What (who) makes a good designer?

A: Good design is all about good ideas. Most people can buy a DTP program but without an idea which both looks great and communicates effectively your product will just be a mechanical interpretation of design. A good designer needs to eat, sleep and drink design. It’s a cliché but it’s true. The creative ideas often come outside of the work place. Any project should make you excited… that’s when you know you’re into design.

Q: What is the most challenging thing about your work?

A: The business of design. The ideas and concepts should come naturally. The tricky part is turning it into a tool to communicate an idea or sell a product. That comes with experience and with understanding the clients’ needs – something we take very seriously.

Q: What inspires you, both at work and at home?

A: Function and aesthetic. A thirst for making things work and look good.

Q: How would your colleagues describe you?

A: Hmmm… that’s very difficult. I’m full of good intentions!

Q: What are your future goals?

A: At home: to build a happy family – my girlfriend is expecting our first child in August, which makes me smile every time I think of it (a lot). At work: creative freedom is the best thing about my job and I want to continue to embrace that. Although we inevitably face technical and budget restraints, we can make the work as creative as we like. People come to us because they know they can get a solution and a quality product. I want to continue to build the kind of trust with clients which really allows us to do what we do best.