Housemouse

housemouse didn’t start with much, materially speaking… a Mac, a desk, 2 chairs and $30 in the bank. Passion, determination, skill and a high capacity for risk are factors that have driven housemouse through each phase of the business, and to this day continue to play an integral role in housemouse’s rise to the top of the industry.

Founders Nancy Bugeja and Miguel Valenzuela, both graphic designers, knew they wanted to take the chance and start their own business. After completing their graphic design and small business management studies, they formed housemouse.

housemouse started in Nancy’s family home in July 1996. Aware of the high casualty rate of small businesses in their first 12 months and that they had started housemouse during a recession, Nancy and Miguel took nothing for granted.

Within a few months housemouse moved to a small office in Fitzroy. The move provided Nancy and Miguel with their very own space and room to expand. It also meant working after-hours on jobs to pay the rent.

As housemouse’s client base grew, they needed more space to grow. They relocated to a warehouse in nearby Collingwood and soon after making the move took on their first employee.

Awareness of their work moved from barely nothing; to the housemouse brand and quality of work becoming a talking point in the design industry. They were making themselves known. After almost four years in the Collingwood space, and a much greater demand for housemouse there was another move. Many of their clients were based in Melbourne’s CBD so that’s where Nancy and Miguel set their eyes. In a space, just off Collins Street, housemouse developed a reputation as one of Melbourne’s most sought after design studios.

In February 2006, it was time to pack again. This time it was a move to a much larger studio within a converted textile building in the art hub of Melbourne’s CBD. Here housemouse’s team grew substantially and their expertise stretched across many platforms.

housemouse was being recognised on a global level for their creativity, forward-thinking concepts and high-quality design.

Under the guidance of managing director Nancy Bugeja and creative director Miguel Valenzuela, the core team, which consist of passionate and talented designers, administrators and marketing personnel, continue to grow housemouse.

From $30 in the bank and an idea, housemouse has grown to set considerable benchmarks within the global design industry. Far from jaded, their passion for design, hard work and successful outcomes is as powerful as ever.