Illustration Case Study: Mercedes-Benz Employee Manual — A Milestone in Visual Communication
As an illustrator and concept designer with over 30 years of international experience, I’ve had the privilege of working on many high-level and creatively rewarding assignments. Among the most meaningful: the illustrated Mercedes-Benz Employee Conduct Manual, known internally as the “Mitarbeiterknigge.”
Commissioned by the respected communications agency Sieber & Wolf, and developed in close collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, this project brought together high standards of brand integrity, creativity, and storytelling.
(“Knigge,” named after the 18th-century German philosopher Adolph Freiherr von Knigge, has become shorthand in German-speaking countries for etiquette, courtesy, and professional conduct.)
In between recent creative projects, I finally gave some much-needed attention to a corner of my digital presence that I’d neglected for years—my LinkedIn profile.
I’ve had it for over two decades, but it remained almost willfully minimalistic. Sparse. Mysterious, perhaps. It certainly didn’t reflect the breadth of my work, or the clients and collaborators I’ve been fortunate to partner with over the years. I’m happy to share that it’s now fully updated—with a professional new header, an accurate timeline, and over 40 detailed project entries complete with media and visuals.
What You’ll See There Now
The header alone already gives you a strong sense of what I do:
“Illustrator & Creative Director | Cartoons, Mascots, Business Comics & Character Design | Branding, UX/UI, Storytelling & Motion | Available Worldwide”
Below that, you’ll find a growing library of case studies, media files, and a concise look into the work that clients trust me with—from Switzerland to Germany to France, and beyond.
Based in France – Working Globally
My name is Ian David Marsden, and I’m a Swiss illustrator, character designer, and creative director. I’m currently based in Claret, near Montpellier, in the beautiful Pic Saint Loup region of southern France. This is where my fully equipped studio is located, and where most of my visual and storytelling work is conceptualized and produced.
While my location is France, my clients are international. I’m perfectly bilingual in English and German, and I also work with a full business-level proficiency in French. Whether it’s a wine label for a domaine in the Languedoc, a mascot for a startup in Berlin, or an editorial illustration for a Swiss publisher, I bring cross-cultural awareness, professional fluency, and artistic clarity to each project.
