Marvin Shaouni

In addition to the design biz, Bill Bowen works the drums for The Meltdowns. View larger photo

In the mid-’90s, while working as assistant art directors at Creative Perceptions, Bill Bowen and Tom DeMay bonded over their music and their editor’s distaste in their music.

Since purchasing the Royal Oak-based firm, renamed Octane Design, in 2000, the two men now bond over their work. They create branding initiatives, custom print and interactive materials, Web sites, user interfaces, motion graphics — and they play Nirvana as loud as they want.

“We had always talked about starting our own business,” says Bowen, co-owner and creative director of Octane. “When the opportunity came, we took it.”

Bowen worked at Creative Perceptions for two years and saw a lot of growth during that time.

“I knew it was already a stable company and it would be easier to buy a company that already had established clients,” he explains.

His partner, DeMay, worked at there on a freelance basis for about six months, following a stint at a Chicago design studio.

“We changed the name right when we bought it,” says Bowen, 42. “Creative Perceptions didn’t say anything about what we were doing — it didn’t have enough of an edge.”

Plenty of other changes followed.

The company went from being mainly a print studio to offering Flash technology and animation, Web design and brand development.

“We understand the technology behind Web development,” says Bowen, who attended, but didn’t earn degrees from the College for Creative Studies, The Art Institute of Chicago and Wayne State University. “We have been trying to get a lot of the people we work with to use dynamic content for a long time.”

Outside of the office, Bowen coaches his 12-year-old daughter’s soccer team and plays drums as “Billy Bones” in the 3-D Invisibles, a Detroit-based band born in 1989. Over the years, the group has morphed into several other bands including, The Meltdowns.

What do you do when you're not feeling creative?

I go in a corner and whine and cry and then come out. No, really, I have been doing this for a while, so I know that not every day is going to be a super-creative one. I try to ride that day out, keep doodling things, and eventually something happens and you get whatever you can out of that day.

How did you decide on the name Octane Design?

We just started to throw names out there and then we made a list. After that we used the process of elimination. Octane kept coming back as a name we all liked. It also represents high-energy, like us. We are very high-energy here. Everyone here gets scared when I have a cup of coffee. They know I am going to be crazy for the day.

What project are you most proud of?

I would say The Henry Ford Web site. It's huge, and we took a current brand and sort of rebranded it through a site. We also did a lot of cool interactive pieces. We are working on it in phases, and we are about to go into phase two.

What is the best and worst part of your job?

The best part is the flexibility I have. I can help coach soccer, be in my band, and I really enjoy coming to work and getting to be creative. Worst part? The paperwork.

What is the most important thing for a small startup to have in terms of marketing?

They need to have a real strong vision of who they are and what they want to do. What makes them different from their competitors? You can look bigger than you are if you have the right brand behind your name. Even a small site, if it is done well, looks professional and can leave a lasting impression on people.

What music are you currently listening to?

I listen to a lot of ’60s garage band-type stuff. I also listen to a lot of local Detroit bands. We are always playing music here. Always.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

We frequent thefwa.com. This site is loaded with great Flash sites and firms that push the envelope.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

In college I wanted to be an artist, like Jasper Johns. When I was younger I wanted to be a hockey player. I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old.

What time of day are you most creative?

The morning. I like to get in and start working before the phone starts ringing.

What companies are most challenging to work with?

Every client is challenging in different ways. It is always a challenge to get people to agree on different things. That can get intense.

What would you like to do more of?

I like the direction we are heading. More Flash, more video. We've also started to dabble in widgets.