Mark started as the tea lady in 1982 and ended up as everyone’s boss. But even before MSO his entrepreneurial streak shone through: he managed to become the only student (ever) to graduate with more money than they started with. Mark’s goal is to create a hierarchy-free environment at MSO, where everyone is heard and no idea is wrong. He’s achieved it. Everyone feels valued and wants to use their skills to do the best work for the client. Most of all though, Mark is a joker and his wicked sense of humour makes him seem more like a mate than a boss. mark@msodesign.com
If there’s any stress around, Kelly just makes like a sponge (think absorption). And through it all, she still has a smile on her face. Kelly is a people person, which is a good thing, because her job is all about people. She treads the difficult tightrope between the client and the creatives – making sure everyone is happy, especially the client. Although no Picasso, Kelly understands design and loves working with creatively minded people (who are luckily in abundance here). Before MSO Kelly learnt her trade at the Mitsubishi Motors NZ Head Office as a Marketing Executive. kelly@msodesign.com
Greer becomes watery-eyed when she remembers her first Mac, “a tiny little thing like a shoebox”. But things have moved on since then, and so has Greer. Now she’s a technophile with all the logical answers to any production or technology question. An Ozzie in New Zealand (but don’t hold that against her), she spent seven years globetrotting, learning about herself, different cultures and religions – oh and having an unhealthy amount of fun. Her role at MSO is to entertain the troops and manage the workflow through the studio, trafficking projects and liaising with suppliers and clients to make sure it all happens on time. greer@msodesign.com
Ray’s been a part of life at MSO as long as anyone can remember, which means he’s an archive of information on clients and jobs. Focused more on the production side of the operation, Ray deals with many of the oddball jobs that crop up. Eagle-eyed and thorough, Ray can often spot a typo or a spelling mistake at 100 metres (very useful in a team of designers – providing he’s wearing his glasses!!). His passion is browsing recipe books and sampling wine – he has even been known to experiment in the kitchen. Another interest is the outdoors and he continues to marvel at nature’s diversity and vastness. ray@msodesign.com
A lover of cheese (the food) and music (the sound), Jess starting her working life in a CD shop, which bizarrely is where her interest in a design career began. She wanted to create those crazy, sexy, funky CD covers. At MSO Jess gets to indulge her passion for photography, as well as get stuck in to designing. Great at giving advice on different design options, Jess’s strength is her ability to tap into and direct her design towards the target audience. What Jess loves about MSO are the diverse skills in the team and the fact that you never have to soldier on alone when you’re drowning in work. jess@msodesign.com
Ingrid took a roundabout route into web design, beginning with a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Zoology. Whilst recovering in Europe she realised that computers were a necessary evil, so returned and took a multimedia diploma. Ingrid has been a web developer at MSO since 2003 (bar a six-month sabbatical in Europe). She enjoys problem solving and leaves nothing to chance with logical, well thought-out solutions. However, there’s more to Ingrid than logic. A great networker, she gets on with everyone and enjoys making people laugh. ingrid@msodesign.com
Brent is a ‘big picture’ guy. His official job title is Production Manager, but he likes to get stuck into those left-of-field jobs, like signage or direct marketing stuff. The unsung hero of the studio, he tackles those necessary evils like fixing the printer and ordering stock. A real rock of support, Brent is always there to help. Bend over backwards? This guy will contort his body into positions you wouldn’t believe possible to help out his team. He’s experienced (over 10 years in the industry), qualified (five years’ studying), highly skilled and we love to see the latest ‘inBrentions’ he comes up with. brent@msodesign.com
A lover of all things art, Kellie’s early years were filled with a yearning to become the next Van Gogh. As she got older she decided she was unfortunately (or fortunately) not tortured enough to make it into the ear-chopping-off world of fine art. Well, their loss. Kellie is creative, imaginative and full of great ideas. And she also helps other people to realise their ideas and develop their skills. Kellie’s designed in New Zealand and England, and also taught design at tertiary level. Kellie loves the fact that no one takes themselves too seriously at MSO; everyone’s always up for a laugh and a bit of banter. kellie@msodesign.com
Stacey’s parents realised at an early age that she was a budding designer, because they would find pencil drawings of logos on all their electrical appliances. Stacey moved effortlessly from the pencil to the Mac and now produces design work with flair and enthusiasm. Experienced in several different areas of the design industry, Stacey has worked as an architectural designer and as an illustrator and finishing artist. Able to critique work and add the final touch to make the piece balance, she’ll work out what the objectives are before we begin a project and make sure every box is ticked at the end. stacey@msodesign.com
Drummer Mike’s music career peaked when his band opened for the US group ‘The Vandals’ at The Mill. Luckily for us, his music career plays second fiddle to his design aspirations. Mike can’t quite pinpoint what inspired him to get into design, but it was probably a combination of different elements, like fashion, music and magazines. Passionate about design and a quick learner, Mike can deliver a diverse range of work, from classic to contemporary. MSO has proved to be a great environment for Mike, he enjoys the relaxed atmosphere and the way everyone pulls together to deliver a quality job. mike@msodesign.com