For many of us, the conversation was as much about designing a life as it was about design firm management. More...

Downtown development maximizes the value and use of transportation infrastructure through compact development. By their very nature, downtowns support livable communities, economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability constructs of the USDOT’s Strategic Plan. More...

We’re poised at the threshold of doing absolutely brilliant things at the interface of design and psychology. More...

A new article I had the pleasure of writing for the January/February edition of Design Intelligence, this exploration of the larger issues around a given project challenge encourages us all to look deeper at our clients’ challenges, our networks and ourselves. It proposes a renewed focus on collaboration, rather than competition, to find solutions to our society’s… More...

One of the most pervasive ideas in the New Economy is “Glocalization:” the idea that global thinking can and should be applied to local initiatives for the benefit of a community.

The largest city in the region, Traverse City

There was a time, long years ago, when taking care of your own job responsibilities was the only thing you had to do. We’ve all had surprising, even flabbergasting customer service experiences where the individual you’re dealing with either doesn’t have the interest, or the authority, or the capability to handle a simple request. Cable companies, software tech support, sixteen year… More...

In our healthcare work, we often face the critical question of how to manage competing interests in patient room signage. With so much potential information that could be displayed, what should be? What specific functionality does staff need to effectively do their jobs? How much precautionary information should be shared with visitors? Finally, what about the patient’s privacy concerns?

We’d like to explore the issue a bit further, starting… More...

We work in a service industry. We charge fees based on services rendered. You, our clients, trust us to educate, to provide our expertise, and often to advocate on your behalf as the “outside expert” who can help to influence approvals, policy, funding or purchase decisions.

But we need to be careful not to cross the line beyond what’s necessary for you. In most cases, an initial proposal will… More...

The Design Futures Council asked Mark VanderKlipp, President, and Jeff Corbin, our founder, to offer advice to design firm owners on how a successful transition could work. Corbin Design completed its ownership transition in 2005. This article is a summary of several speaking engagements on the topic: Link to the full article

Train and orient your team to speak in one consistent voice

Think about how many people in your organization have contact with the public on a daily basis. A key encounter could happen anywhere: in a hallway, on the street, on the phone or online.

If you’re a parent, you know about teachable moments, right? Each of these encounters is an opportunity to create awareness for… More...