B.Des to MBA: Anyone here transitioned from core design to brand strategy/ marketing? Would love your perspective.
I’m currently a B.Des (Bachelor of Design) graduate working in the industry, and I’m seriously considering pursuing an MBA. I’m hoping to connect with anyone who has taken a similar path, or anyone on the business side who works closely with design-to-business pivots.
I love design, but I’ve realized that I want to move away from purely execution-focused roles and step into the more strategic part of the process. I want to be in the room where the big decisions are made before the brief even reaches the creative team.
Specifically, I’m really drawn to the intersection of design, strategy, and business. My goal is to pivot into roles like Brand Management or strategic marketing, where I can leverage a design background to build cohesive brand ecosystems, but back it up with hard business metrics and strategy.
I’d love to hear from the community on a few things:
- To those with a design background who got an MBA: How was the transition? Did you feel your B.Des background gave you a unique edge in marketing/strategy roles, or did you face a steep learning curve with the quantitative side of the MBA?
- To Brand Managers / Marketers: How is a design background viewed in your field? Do companies value the creative/empathy-driven mindset of a designer when hiring for strategic business roles?
- Application advice: For non-traditional applicants coming from a creative background, any tips on how to move forward.
If you’ve done this, know someone who has, or just have some brutal honesty to share about the reality of the pivot, I’d love to hear your thoughts!