Merrell Footwear – Product Illustrations

Client Project

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Merrell Footwear – Product Illustrations
I collaborated with Cush Design to create detailed illustrations of sixteen Merrell shoes, showcasing six distinct views for each: three-quarter, top, inside side, outside side, front, and back (a total of 96 illustration. The illustrations required precise detail, achieved through a combination of photographic references and direct observation of the physical shoes, ensuring accuracy in depicting each view.

So, I’m sure you’re asking why do footwear brands do this? It’s to visually document their unique footwear designs, allowing them to legally protect their creations, safeguarding their intellectual property and maintaining competitiveness in the market.

 

  • Merrell Footware via Cushdesign, Inc
    Outdoor & Adventure Gear

  • + Illustration

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Illustrator

    Cushdesign Stakeholder:
    + Matthew Cushman, CEO

Hamad Al Zemami – Portrait Illustration

Client Project

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Hamad Al Zemami – Portrait Illustration
I was commissioned to create a portrait of Hamad. The minimalist illustrative style began with simple lines and has since evolved with the addition of bold fills. These portraits are part of a continued series inspired by a self-promotional project I initiated in 2012, named Facebook Friends.

 

  • Hamad Al Zemami

  • + Portrait Illustration
    + Sketching & Ideation

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    Stakeholder:
    + Hamad Al Zemami

  • Looking for a custom illustrated portrait of yourself or a group? Reach out via email for further information and details

Sidewalk Serenade

Client Project

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Sidewalk Serenade
An invitation I designed for my neighbors, Barbara & George Gordon, who annually host a delightful tradition in our neighborhood. Every summer, they arrange for a small ensemble from the Grand Rapids Orchestra to serenade us in their front yard. The cards I created featured a touch of elegance with flashes of gold foil, adding a touch of bling, bling to the invitation.

 

  • Barbara Gordon

  • + Concept Development
    + Creative Assets
    + Design Direction
    + Print Management
    + Qualitative Research

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    Stakeholder:
    + Barbara Gorden

ITHAKA S+R – Brand Collateral Design System

Nonprofit Client Project

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ITHAKA S+R – Brand Collateral Design System
ITHAKA S+R, an organization that conducts research and provides strategic guidance to help the academic community navigate economic and technological change, needed a unified design system for all their communication materials. They hired us to modernize their system by creating an accessible, brand-compliant design that could be easily updated and maintained by their team.

A key requirement was enabling staff to create or update all redesigned materials. Our research identified Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, and Sheets) as the optimal platform for implementation. The resulting design system follows Ithaka’s brand guidelines, incorporates accessibility considerations—including color blindness and visual impairments—and provides clear, distinct visual cues for different document types such as case studies, issue briefs, research reports, and unpublished reports.

Through iterative design explorations, we delivered a unified system that gives Ithaka’s educational research materials and presentations a consistent, distinctive, and accessible visual identity.

 

  • ITHAKA S+R
    Research & Consulting Services

  • + Art Direction
    + Concept Development
    + Creative Assets
    + Illustration
    + Infographic Design
    + Qualitative Research
    + Visual Identity

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Art Director
    + Kate Folkert, Graphic Designer

    ITHAKA S+R Stakeholders:
    + Liza Pagano, Creative Director
    + Kimberly Lutz, Publications, Communications, Marketing Director
    +     Travis Shook, Microsoft 365 Specialist

KitchenAid Coffee Drip

Client Project

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KitchenAid Coffee Drip
Renowned as a leader in kitchen product design and innovation, KitchenAid stands as one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. Within their extensive product catalog, KitchenAid offers coffee makers that seamlessly blend innovative design with precision engineering, ensuring exceptional brewing experiences tailored to both casual coffee drinkers and connoisseurs. KitchenAid enlisted my expertise to visually illustrate their latest drip coffee maker, showcasing its innovative approach to evenly saturating coffee grounds.

Drawing from my comprehension of the innovative Spiral Head feature's functionality, I created a series of sketches to depict its role in ensuring consistent water saturation of coffee grounds for optimal flavor extraction.

The project progressed through various stages, from discovery to concept sketching and ideation. Incorporating diverse perspectives, we determined the most impactful approach to illustrate the idea. This resulted in a straightforward line drawing with nuanced coloring and a phantom-style technical illustration.

 

  • KitchenAid
    Kitchen Appliance Manufacturing

  • + Communication Design
    + Concept Development
    + Instructional Illustration
    + Product Research
    + Qualitative Research

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Illustrator

    KitchenAid  Stakeholder:
    + Brian Edlefson, Global Creative Manager

Ancestry DNA – Visual Design System

Client Project

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Ancestry DNA – Visual Design System
We helped Ancestry DNA, a leader in genealogy and genomics, define and develop a unified visual language system for their trait products using an iterative, user-driven framework.

The initiative focused on two primary objectives: to create a cohesive system of conceptual trait illustrations that helped users explore how their genes influence physical, nutritional, and sensory traits, and to ensure the visuals remained appropriately abstract, avoiding implications of scientific precision or universal accuracy for every individual.

The project followed our user-centered, iterative process—encompassing foundational research and discovery, qualitative research, and conceptual exploration informed by user feedback. This process guided the development of a visual language that brought consistency and clarity across Ancestry’s trait products, while layering illustrations over diverse, human-centered photography to deepen storytelling.

Additionally, the product’s visual system emphasized social engagement, education, and fun—combining scientific insight with approachable design, storytelling, and custom photography to deliver an engaging and memorable user experience. Informed by the completed live visual system and user analytics, the Traits product section achieved a 75% customer satisfaction rate and a 40% take rate among users, while weekly visits across all DNA products increased by 326%.

Note: The graphic above is a coalescence of artifacts—including research, design, illustration, iconography, and photography. Together this board shaped the overall visual language for Ancestry’s digital products.

 

  • Ancestry DNA
    Biotechnology & Information Services

  • + Concept Development
    + Illustrative Storytelling
    + Product Research
    + Qualitative Research
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Visual Identity System

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    KitchenAid Stakeholders:
    + John Wayne Hill, Senior UX Lead
    + Caroline Vejvoda, UX Designer

Patagonia

Client Project

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Patagonia
Patagonia, a renowned outdoor clothing and gear company, embodies a commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical business practices while offering high-quality products for outdoor enthusiasts. I was hired by Patagonia to create several sketches and illustrations based on their prompt, "Eat Local."

I created a range of concept sketches inspired by the "eat local" theme and collaborated with Patagonia, iterating until we achieved mutual satisfaction. From these skteched concepts, Patagonia chose a refined illustration titled "Eat Local, Watering Can," which was selected and printed on their tees.

 

  • Patagonia
    Outdoor Apparel & Gear

  • + Concept Development
    + Illustration
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Qualitative Research


  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Illustrator

    Patagonia Stakeholders:
    + Geoff Holstad, Senior Art Director
    + Chris Teig, Director of Graphics & Illustration

Nutrilite – Process Infographic

Client Project

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Nutrilite – Process Infographic
Recognized globally, Nutrilite offers a range of high-quality vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements designed to support optimal health and wellness. I was approached by Nutrilite to offer conceptual insights on visualizing their Traceability Process.

Upon understanding their Traceability Process, which extends from initial plant selection to the final Nutrilite product, I developed two concepts. One emphasizes the comprehensive nine-step procedure, depicting hands alongside specialized industry tools. The other focuses on individuals implementing the nine-step process in authentic settings.

 

  • Nutrilite
    Health & Wellness

  • + Concept Development
    + Design & Layout
    + Illustration
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Qualitative Research

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    Nutrilite Stakeholders:
    + Nichole (Wood) Kravat, Global Assistant Brand Manager Marketing
    + Justin Duimstra, Senior Art Director
    + Tom Forsberg, Senior Communication Manager
    + Jake Weibel, Lead Communications Specialist
    + Joel Van Kuiken, Lead Copywriter


The Highlands

Client Project

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The Highlands – Architectural Illustration
I illustrated a simple representation of the Highlands for owners Boon & Caro Sheridan. The architectural style of the church is a Victorian Gothic Revival, constructed in 1885, which now serves as their residence.

 

  • Boon & Caro Sheridan

  • + Architectural Illustration
    + Sketching & Ideation

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Illustrator

    Stakeholders:
    + Boon Sheridan
    + Caro Sheridan

Spectrum Health – UX & Illustration Storytelling

Client Project

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Spectrum Health – UX & Illustration Storytelling
A prominent healthcare provider dedicated to delivering exceptional medical services and improving community health, Spectrum Health (now Corwell Health) plays a vital role in enhancing the well-being of individuals across various West Michigan. Working alongside a team of engineers and developers, I helped design and develop functional prototype application named My Chart.

This endeavor required a strategic approach, including the use of personas, iterative wire-framing, and meticulous design iterations to craft a compelling and user-centric digital journey for patients.

The application catered to both new and returning patients of Spectrum Health facilities, offering features such as iPad-based check-in for hospital and doctor appointments, seamless access to medical records, and entertainment options.

 

  • Spectrum Health via Mutually Human
    Health Care Facilities & Services

  • + Concept Development
    + Design Direction
    + Illustration Storytelling
    + Qualitative Research
    + User Experience
    + Sketching & Ideation

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Visual Storytelling & UX/UI

    Mutually Human Stakeholders:
    + Ross Hunter, Software Craftsman
    + Mark Van Holstyn, Founder and CTO

Fultonwood Type Foundry Poster

Client Project + Product

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Fultonwood Type Foundry Poster
A small West Michigan type foundry, founded by Zac Freeland, a young enthusiastic graphic and type designer. He now is works for the Detroit Red Wings & Detroit Tigers as a graphic designer. Dream job!

I collaborated with Fultonwood Type Foundry to create an illustrative story highlighting their design process and homage to traditional typeface tools, echoing the stylistic elements of typefaces they craft.

 

  • Fultonwood Type Foundry
    Independent Typography Studio

  • + Graphic Design
    + Illustration

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    Peopledesign Stakeholder:
    + Zac Freeland, Founder & Type Designer

  • This poster is available for purchase in my shop.

St. Joseph City Hall

Client Project

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St. Joseph City Hall – Illustration
Thesis is a design agency nestled in St. Joseph, Michigan, their process is embodied in their name and distinctive approach. Collaborating with a diverse clientele spanning from startups to Fortune 100, they craft innovative solutions tailored to each client's needs. Among their clients was Old City Hall, the very building that housed their business. Thesis approached me to lend a hand with their branding endeavor.

I was asked to develop a minimalist illustration of the Old City Hall. The subsequent work was completed by Thesis and integrated into comprehensive branding system and wayfinding signage for the building.

 

  • Old City Hall via Thesis
    City of St. Joseph, Michigan

  • + Illustration
    + Sketching & Ideation

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Illustrator

    Thesis Stakeholders:
    + Brian Edlefson, Founding Principal & Creative Director
    + Mark Cook, Founding Principal