Why It Pays for Creatives to Pursue an MBA

"It really helps me to speak the language of non-designers, of managers," Jasmin shares about her professional life. "I often sit across from people in marketing who come from a hierarchical structure." It's not just their language that's different, but also their goals – influenced by corporate hierarchies – are different from those of creatives: The fact that design can solve many problems is not even apparent to them.

Six years after founding Cin Cin, Creative Studios, with her study colleague Stephan Göschl in 2015, Jasmin wanted to further develop her skills and pursue a business education alongside her job: "The way I think about the studio as a business has changed drastically through my studies. How I write proposals, develop strategies, and communicate with clients – I've become more structured and confident."

The lack of awareness among clients about the multifaceted work of designers and, conversely, the unawareness of creatives about the goals and constraints of managers is something Jasmin also addressed in her master's thesis. Starting with the idea of analyzing the touchpoints between design and management, she quickly came across the described "Perception Gap". Because the viewpoints of designers and managers are further apart than assumed. She tried to map the associated misunderstandings, conflicting goals, and frustrations in her work. "Naming the forces at play has also been incredibly helpful in my job," concludes Jasmin.

Good Insights

Content-wise, the topic fits perfectly into the development of her company: Cin Cin sees itself as a classic design studio on one hand, but also focuses on Creative Consultancy: "The invisible part of our design work starts with the conception. We identify potentials in the task that are not even mentioned in the briefing. This way, we bring convincing ideas to the table, set each project on the right track, and create lasting value for our clients." In this part of Cin Cin, Jasmin says, the insights from the MBA studies are particularly beneficial.

In addition to working in groups, where everyone brought their own specific strengths, she also highlights the international network she was able to build through her studies at the WU Executive Academy. And what challenges did she experience? On the one hand, the multiple burdens and on the other, the costs.

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