Veteran art director, designer, and usability expert
San Francisco Bay Area
- Current
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- Owner at Mark Bult Design
- Past
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- Art Director at CNET Networks (Webshots.com)
- Senior Designer at CNET Networks (Download.com)
- Communications Director at Acterra
- Board Member at Acterra
- Partner, Art Director at Flux51
- Board Member at Bay Area Action
- Principal, Art Director at Western Front Graphics
- Design Guy at City of Palo Alto
- Design Guy at City of Palo Alto
- Recommended
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30 people have recommended Mark - Connections
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- Industry
- Online Media
- Websites
Mark Bult’s Summary
• Designer of elegantly simple user experiences.
• Detail-oriented creative problem solver.
• Won't wear a tie, but plays well with the other kids.
21-year design veteran with a 13-year track record of successful solutions for online properties including some of the world's biggest media properties in their categories, Download.com and Webshots.com. Specializing in web application UX, product development, immersive online marketing, and brand management.
Experienced team player who pursues a holistic development process where all stakeholders are heard from -- especially the customer.
Experienced manager who balances clear creative direction with a nurturing environment where team members are encouraged to take project ownership and enhance their skillset with ongoing professional development.
• 21 years as a design professional and entrepreneur.
• 13 years concentrating on online media, employing the principles of user-centered design.
Mark Bult’s Specialties:
• Design of compelling and beautiful user experiences
• User research (surveys, persona development, user testing, etc.)
• Information architecture
• Rapid prototyping
• Complex modern "web 2.0" UIs
• Working closely with developers (also experienced in: XHTML, CSS, AJAX, JS, etc.)
• Identity design, brand management
• Editorial design (print & online)
• Print and collateral design
• Green design — employing the principles of sustainability
Mark Bult’s Experience
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Owner
Mark Bult Design
(Design industry)
April 1988 — Present (21 years 8 months)
Consulting for small, medium, and large companies and nonprofits. Specializing in identity/logo/branding, website redesign, and intuitive user experience.
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Art Director
CNET Networks (Webshots.com)
(Public Company; CNET; Online Media industry)
March 2006 — January 2008 (1 year 11 months)
• Responsible for the 2006 redesign of the world's then-biggest photo sharing community, including art directing the complete re-branding of the property.
• Developed innovative immersive advertising opportunities for marketers seeking to associate their brands (Sony, Best Buy, Ford, Canon, Intel, Apple, etc.) with photography in the eyes of Webshots' 20+ million worldwide users.
• Managed and nurtured a team of designers whose creative helped bring in millions of dollars in ad revenue each year.
• Worked to develop a more closely integrated Product Development group in which the design, front-end, and engineering teams would work more collaboratively and productively.
• Introduced Agile Development techniques to the Product Development team.
• Innovated best-of-breed product features that set the gold standard for Web 2.0 online photo communities, including UX for Flash-based slideshows, photo contests, group features, innovative tagging interfaces, crop and rotate photo controls, streaming video players, embedable video player, etc.
• Drank a lot of coffee.
Webshots was selected by the Webby Awards judges for special recognition the year after the redesign. Webshots was sold to American Greetings Interactive in 2007 for $45 million.
As AD of CNET Networks' Community & Lifestyle division, I also worked on UrbanBaby.com, Consumating.com, AllYouCanUpload.com, and Chow.com. -
Senior Designer
CNET Networks (Download.com)
(Public Company; CNET; Online Media industry)
October 2004 — March 2006 (1 year 6 months)
• Responsible for the 2005 redesign of the world's largest archive of downloadable software, games, and free MP3s, updating the site's thousands of pages to a more navigable user-centric design, re-tooling the brand identity, and bringing the site more in line with Web Standards.
• Worked closely with executive management, product managers, engineering, front-end developers, and sales team to integrate new products such as blogs and user personalization, improve usability, and develop new revenue streams.
• Served on a small Agile Development team charged with boosting conversion on key user-engagement touchpoints.
• Participated in the redesign of Download.com Music, including UI for a hybrid Flash and XHTML streaming music player that accessed over 150,000 MP3s.
• Participated in the launch of Download.com Video, including design of a streaming player that played Flash and WMV videos.
Download.com won three Webby Awards after the launch of my redesign, including the People's Voice Award in both 2005 and 2006.
While at Download.com I also occasionally worked on some of the company's other online properties, such as CNET.com and Upload.com. -
Communications Director
Acterra
(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
May 2001 — September 2004 (3 years 5 months)
As Communications Director:
• Established methods to merge divergent media and marketing streams for more cost-effective and productive outcomes.
• Developed creative direction for articulating the organization's mission to its members.
• Worked with on- and off-site staff to produce content for various media channels, including print, email newsletters, and several websites.
• Established the organization's first email newsletter and grew its subscribers into the thousands entirely through outreach.
• Produced online and print annual reports, special publications such as fact sheets, and established methods for quickly and easily producing content online.
As Art Director & Internet Manager:
• Responsible for re-branding a new nonprofit formed from the merger of two of the region's most respected environmental groups.
• Developed a new identity system, including redesign of all collateral materials and design and deployment of a new website.
• Developed several micro websites for fundraising, special events, and campaigns.
• Developed, designed, and produced campaign and identity materials for Earth Day 2002, including region-wide transit ads, print ads, support collateral, and an information-rich website that garnered 700,000 visitors in the two-month period around Earth Day.
• Managed engineers for several websites, and domain registrations and service provider accounts for over 20 domains.
Due in part to its strong online presence, Acterra was one of the first 200 nonprofits to be awarded a Google Grant in 2003. Acterra’s Earth Day website garnered major sponsorships from companies such as Oracle and SBC. -
Board Member
Acterra
(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
2000 — 2004 (4 years )
Volunteer board member for a regional environmental organization (SF Bay Area). Chaired the fundraising committee and established the marketing committee. Participated in program management and strategic planning. Assisted in member services, event planning, and volunteer coordination.
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Partner, Art Director
Flux51
(Graphic Design industry)
1998 — 2000 (2 years )
• Specialized in branding and web design for Silicon Valley's booming tech sector and the nonprofit niche.
• Handled client liaison, production, contractor outsourcing, type and paper specification, illustration and photography, digital imaging, hardware and software specification.
• Served as web producer, project manager, information architect, UI specialist, writer, and editor.
• Managed multiple accounts and projects concurrently.
• Outsourced and supervised contract workers including writers, research staff, designers, production artists, illustrators, photographers, web producers, and IT staff.
• Wrote design briefs, marketing briefs, and technical briefs for various projects including corporate redesigns, portals, and early B2C and B2B websites.
• Established internal processes for new media design and development projects.
• Brought in 85% of new clients. Produced 90% of work in company’s portfolio. -
Board Member
Bay Area Action
(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
1997 — 2000 (3 years )
Volunteer board member for a regional environmental organization. Active in fundraising, marketing, communications, strategic planning, and program management. Assisted in member services, event planning, and volunteer coordination.
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Principal, Art Director
Western Front Graphics
(Graphic Design industry)
1988 — 1998 (10 years )
Founded small design studio in 1988. For 10 years, produced print advertising, logos, and various collateral for companies in the music industry, media, high tech, and nonprofit sectors.
Got feet wet in the early days of the Web and Netscape 0.2 (1996), designing some of the first online presences for nonprofits and businesses in Silicon Valley. -
Design Guy
City of Palo Alto
(Online Media industry)
1986 — 1994 (8 years )
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Design Guy
City of Palo Alto
(Online Media industry)
1986 — 1994 (8 years )
Additional Information
Mark Bult’s Websites:
Mark Bult’s Interests:
Web Standards, typography, graphic designer's legal rights, photography, music, modern art, architecture, anti-censorship activism, politics, environmental advocacy, writing, mountain biking, hiking, New York-style pizza
Mark Bult’s Groups:
Design for Change
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CNET Networks Alumni -
Catalyze Community -
Interaction Design Association -
Boxes and Arrows -
UX Professionals -
Apple Professionals -
Webshots Alumni -
Web Standards Design + Development -
AIGA | the professional association for design -
AIGA San Francisco -
GREEN DESIGN PROS -
WordPress -
GreenBiz.com -- Green Business Professionals -
Acterra -
Bay Area Action (BAA) Alumni -
The Designers Accord
Mark Bult’s Honors:
Webby Award, 2007, Official Honoree — Best Visual Design/Function, for Webshots.com.
W3 Gold Award, 2007, for Webshots.com's Spider-Man 3 photo contest (integrated branding design for Sony Pictures).
Webby Award, 2006, People’s Voice Award, for Download.com.
BusinessWeek, Best of the Web 2006, for Webshots.com.
Webby Award, 2005, People's Voice Award, for Download.com.
Webby Award, 2005, for Download.com.
Google Grant, 2003 — Due in part to its strong online presence, Acterra was one of the first 200 nonprofits to be awarded a Google Grant in 2003.
Featured on dozens of CSS and design galleries on the web.
Various design, photography, and journalism awards, and numerous published pieces (in books, newspapers, web galleries, etc.)
Mark Bult’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
