Bruce Burgoyne

I am the Creative Director at Mackman. I oversee all of our internal and client creative output. I'm a multi-disciplinary designer and bridge both brand, print and digital design. With over 20 years' experience in the creative industries as a practising photographer and former degree lecturer, and over 14 years at Mackman, I have developed the brand identity and brand architecture strategies that are so intrinsic to Mackman's offering today.

What does your typical day look like at Mackman?

Obviously no day is ever the same here, though my days are somewhat regimented. My role means that I can cover multiple bases throughout the day and it can be hard to follow at times. My first point of action usually involves catching up with various different teams, co-ordinating a number of different projects. This stage is mainly just me making sure things are on track and moving forward. My day then shifts its focus from operational to a focus on business development in collaboration with Paul - our Managing Director. After this I will usually spend the remainder of my day focused on what's most pressing at that particular time in our process, be it strategic, creative, or to do with business development. In between these more regulated scenarios, a usual day will be supplemented by a number of smaller, ad-hoc requirements, be it questions from the team or a new issue which needs resolving.

What is your favourite part of working for Mackman?

I think the best part of working at Mackman is the sense of achievement you get when you transform a brand, business or a website. It can be the smallest of things, something which we may take for granted, but can make a massive difference to the success of an organisation's performance. This, for me, is incredibly rewarding. Another thing is the fact that with Mackman you get to learn the ins and outs of the different businesses you work with. This can make you feel like you are a part of these different businesses, like you're not just working for one business, you're working on behalf of, or within, a number of different organisations. Even though we are an external agency, clients always get the sense that you're a part of their team and this allows us to do what we do well.

What has been an inspirational motto or quote for you in your career?

Keep it simple. Trust your intuition. Back when I was studying Graphic Design in the 90s, a graphic designer I observed at the time, David Carson, was always big on intuition. If you become skilled at a certain discipline or specialism, you learn to trust your gut, and that's something I believe in strongly.

What sort of activities do you enjoy in your free time?

I'm a walking cliché of a middle-aged man. I like cycling, I've got a man cave, I still have my DJ decks from my teenage years and I make bread at the weekends. But what I enjoy doing the most during my free time is to spend time with my family, take my two boys out on the bikes on a really long cycle ride. It's more to stop them fighting than anything.

What is the best lesson that you’ve learnt from marketing?

The textbook solutions are not always the most effective, the audience is always ahead of the curve. Don't think you know everything about the mechanisms, the environment is always changing and sticking to age-old theories will hinder your ability to stay current.