Hi there!

My name is Ben Burns. I’m a designer, creative director, and maker.

Over the last twenty years, I’ve had a wild ride. I have built my own studio from the ground up, worked with creative teams at larger agencies, and helped thousands of creatives build happy, healthy businesses.

But I didn’t start this way.

I can remember the very beginning of my career as a design intern at a creative agency. Most of my day was spent resizing logos and getting artwork ready for press... glamorous work, right?

I dreamed of the day that I’d be allowed to tackle a logo design for a real-world client myself. I studied logos crafted by design legends. I have sketchbooks full of personal studies from those days.

And one day... it happened.

I got my very first logo design project from a freelance client!

I was so incredibly excited. The night before our first meeting I could hardly sleep. I arrived at the coffee shop extra early wearing Chuck Taylors and my most designerly-looking glasses. We sat across from each other holding steaming mugs, and I cracked my notepad open.

“So what kind of logo are you looking for?” I asked.

“Oh!” she replied, “I dunno... I found some art that I like... but honestly I’m open to what you think would be best.”

We chatted more about the project (it was for an ultimate frisbee team), and we said a warm goodbye once our coffee went cold. I walked out of there full of inspiration and ideas.

A few months and dozens of logo concepts later, I realized that I was upside down on the project: At that point, I was pretty much paying her for the opportunity to work on that logo.

And what’s worse, the team had all but moved on from the idea of using a custom logo for the season that was nearly over.

The project eventually fizzled out, and even though she was willing to pay me, I refused. Because it wasn’t her fault. It was mine:

• I thought that all I needed to do was design cool logos until we landed on the perfect one.
• I was sure she would explain exactly what they wanted, and course correct me when I went off track (like a creative director).
• I simply didn’t know how to run a branding project.

Fast forward over two decades, and I’ve got a little more experience under my belt. Check out this testimonial from a project I finished this year:

“Ben took his time to develop a deep understanding of Mode and helped us to articulate ideas and values we had been forming over years but that had not quite surfaced. He created a space for us where thoughts could flow freely and form into something more without getting bogged down in execution.

On several occasions, his team pulled off the impossible for us by taking demanding feedback and turning it into results that felt like magic. Finally, the willingness to put in the extra work and perfect even the smallest details showed that this team is really putting their heart into their work.”

—Jaicob Stewart, CEO, Mode Designs

Not to shabby eh?

I realized that when it comes to offering creative services, the creative portion is only half of the battle. The service is the other half.

Your job isn’t just to deliver great design... it’s to design a delightful, guided experience for your clients.

If the project starts with muddy expectations, misalignment, and little communication, the middle gets messy. And that’s where most branding projects fall apart.

Mismanaged projects can kill profit, destroy relationships, and crush our creative souls. We’ve all been there, right?

There’s real complexity in managing branding projects and the people behind them. But there’s good news: this is a problem that we can solve with process. And that’s exactly what I’ll cover in this workshop.

We’ll cover the entire process, step by step:

• Putting together a scope of work before the project begins
• Running a discovery workshop that actually surfaces the truth
• Adding research and surfacing insights that matter
• Delivering discovery results in a client-ready format
• How to move from discovery into visuals
• Presenting your work in a way that wins confidence
• Pulling useful insights from client feedback and adapting to it
• Delivering a brand identity project beautifully
• Capturing testimonials easily
• Landing more work once the initial project is completed

You’ll leave with a repeatable system you can use on every project. No more winging it. No more hoping your client stays engaged. No more wondering if you’re “doing it right.”

New this round:

👉 The Real Numbers

I’m putting real dollars on the process. Three branding projects at three scopes: what I’d charge today, roughly the hours, and where the margin lands. You’ll see how price and profitability move as the client’s needs grow.

👉 The Discovery Synthesis Kit

Load it into whatever AI you already use. Paste in your workshop notes, transcript, or recording and get a strong first draft of your discovery recap in the format we teach, plus the contradictions and open questions you’d otherwise miss. A starting point, not a finished deliverable.

👉 A live style guide critique

One participant’s style guide, critiqued live by Steph and me during the Q&A, recorded, and added to the course.

👉 One month of Bravemark... FREE

Deliver a beautiful, interactive brand guide instead of a messy folder of files.

Our goal here is to pass on all that I’ve learned through all the failures, wins, ups and downs of a crazy creative career. And if this speaks to you, don’t wait: grab a spot before Friday night.

See you inside,

Ben Burns
Co-Founder
Maker Division

Questions & Answers

Is this about logo design?

Nope. This is about running the project. I’ll teach you how to manage clients, structure discovery workshops, and deliver results, not how to draw logos. We’ll make specific recommendations on classes to take for logo design, moodboards, and style guides in the class if you need them.

When does this start?

The pre-recorded course unlocks on October 5, so you have a week with it before we meet live:

• October 13, 12 to 4 PM ET: Live Workshop
• October 14, 3 to 4:30 PM ET: Live Q&A and style guide critique

Everything is recorded and available through November 13.

What if I’m unable to attend live?

No problem. Replays live inside your Division account through November 13.

What exactly am I getting?

The full Project: Branding course. A live workshop with real exercises. A live Q&A with a style guide critique. The Real Numbers lesson. The Discovery Synthesis Kit. Templates, scripts, and worksheets. One month of Bravemark. Access through November 13.

What’s new this round?

Three things. The Real Numbers lesson (three scopes, what Ben would charge today, the hours, and the margin). The Discovery Synthesis Kit (files for your own AI that draft your discovery recap from notes, transcripts, or recordings). And a live style guide critique during the Q&A.

What’s Private Studio?

Ten seats. Everything in Project: Branding plus a private call with Ben where you take apart how you run branding projects today and fix what’s slowing you down. It includes 90 days inside Maker Division, and your membership continues at our $99/month legacy rate for as long as you stay. Pay in full or split it into three payments of $332, same deal either way.

How does the style guide critique work?

Once you’re in, there’s a post in the course community. Drop your style guide in the comments. We choose one and critique it live during the Q&A on October 14. It’s recorded and added to the course for everyone.

What is the Discovery Synthesis Kit?

A set of plain files you load into Claude, ChatGPT, or whatever AI you use. Paste in your discovery workshop notes, a transcript, or a recording, and it returns a first-draft recap in the format we teach, plus the contradictions and unanswered questions. You still run the workshop. It just gets you off the blank page.

How does access work after I sign up?

As soon as you join, you’ll get access to your account. Inside, you’ll find: the course (when it unlocks on October 5), links to the live sessions, and the replays afterward. Everything lives in one place.

Do you offer refunds?

Because this includes immediate access to your account and community, we don’t offer refunds. That said, if something feels off, reach out. We’ll always do our best to make it right.

Is this beginner-friendly?

Yes. If you’re newer, this will give you a clear structure to follow. If you’ve been doing this for a while, this will help you refine, simplify, and improve how you run projects.

Will this help me get better clients?

Indirectly, it can. When you run a better process, clients feel it. You’ll communicate more clearly, lead with confidence, and create an experience people want to come back to. That’s what leads to better clients and better work.

How much time should I expect to commit?

The workshop is about 4–5 hours (with breaks). The course is self-paced, so you can move through it as quickly or slowly as you’d like within your access window. We just recommend watching it once through before the live workshop.

Is this only for branding specialists?

No. If you work with clients in any creative capacity, this will help. The principles apply whether you’re focused on branding, web, or broader creative work.

What happens after November 13?

Your access to the workshop and course ends. If you want to keep going, continue with your Maker Division membership.

Is this worth it if I’ve taken other courses?

If those courses focused on design, yes. This is about the part most creatives never learn: how to actually run the project from start to finish.

What if I’ve been “winging it” so far?

Perfect. That’s exactly who this is for.

I have a question that’s not answered here.

Send an email to support@makerdivision.com and we’ll be happy to help. All we ask is for patience getting back to you over the weekend.