Creative Musing
April 2017
Bluejay & Cardinal
Lion Book Publishing Co.
Creative Musing
March 2017
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Lion Book Publishing Co.
Dedicated to independent authors and their stories. The typeface utilized around the mark is ATF Franklin Gothic by American Type Founders Collection.
Uneasy Eye
Creative Musing
March 2017
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Uneasy Eye
Simple little illustration and animated gif to give it life.
King Lear
Creative Musing
March 2017
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King Lear
Simple lines to create this portrait of King Lear for a book jacket. The typeface used on this book jacket is ITC Franklin Gothic designed by Morris Fuller Benton from Monotype.
Panel Discussion & Portfolio Review
Article
February 2017
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Panel Discussion & Portfolio Review
Over the weekend, I dedicated my morning to attending "WIP it into Shape," a panel discussion and portfolio review tailored for design students in West Michigan. The event provided an invaluable platform for emerging talents in the design field. Panelists included: Emily Boyd, Sarah Brockett, and Carlos Estrada. This day was organized by AIGA West Michigan, curated by Studio_Us and graciously hosted and sponsored by Atomic Object.
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Program design and photography by two kind and talented humans, Bree and Ross Tanner from Studio_Us.
Camp Pine
Creative Musing
February 2017
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Camp Pine
A square, retro mid-century logo with repetitive modern aesthetics. The typeface was custom designed to fit a campy feel.
House Books
Client Project
February 2017
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House Books
I collaborated with AP&B (American Print & Bindery) on numerous projects, including the production of a diverse range of notebooks tailored for different audiences, such as Enré and Nelos Sketch Books. Notably, one of their flagship products is Vela, a specialized lab notebook designed for researchers within the scientific industry, marketed under the brand name Vela Sciences®.
House Books was an endevor focused on notebooks tailored for writers. My involvement included the development of its logo. Leveraging its literal name, I employed simple line resembling a roof to aptly symbolize House Books. I paired the mark with the typeface URW Bodoni designed by Giambattista Bodoni from URW Type Foundry. To amplify its impact, the selected typeface letters where adjusted to align and suit the upper and lower words of House Books to augment its visibility and presence.
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Brand Identity
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+ Creative Direction
+ Qualitative Research
+ Concept Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration
Nook Real Estate
Client Project
January 2017
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Nook Real Estate
Nook Real Estate, nestled in the heart of Newport Beach, California, epitomizes modernity in the realm of real estate. With a team of astute industry leaders, they specialize in handpicking lifestyle properties that captivate discerning buyers. I've was hired by Nook to craft simple illustrations showcasing the diverse architectural styles of California, enriching their marketing arsenal with visual allure.
Employing my minimalist illustrative approach, I visually captured 20 distinct architectural styles. These illustrations were subsequently compiled into a poster, presenting a comprehensive showcase of the diverse spectrum of architectural designs found in Newport Beach, California.
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+ Illustration & Graphic Design
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+ Creative Direction
+ Research
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Graphic Design
+ Iconography -
This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Skate, Surf, & Art
Article + Product
January 2017
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Skate, Surf, & Art
Monsa Publications requested permission to feature my illustrated skateboard deck graphic, "Urban Totem," in their book titled "Skate, Surf, and Art." This graphic, originally created for a fundraiser aimed at constructing a new skatepark.
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Skate, Surf, & Art is available for purchase on Monsa Publications website.
America's National Parks
Creative Musing
January 2017
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America's National Parks
Utilizing the emblem shape of the National Park Service and drawing inspiration from the natural elements of our parks—land, water, and sky. Above are two illustrative styles, left badge features gradient colors and right badge feature flat colors. The emblem typeface is Rockwell Nova designed by Monotype.
Canada Goose
Creative Musing
January 2017
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Canada Goose
Bold fills with negative space accents and a Canadian maple leaf.
Modern x Dwell
Creative Musing + Article
December 2016
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Modern x Dwell
The simple line and halftone pattern illustration is a reflection of the contemporary esthetics created for the Modern x Dwell collection. This collaboration between Dwell and Target has produced a thoughtful collection of well-designed modern pieces. Most pieces represented in my illustration are the outdoor patio collection.
Fish King
Creative Musing
December 2016
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Fish King
A simple line illustration mark paired with my own custom typeface.
Michigan Wheel Marine
Article + Client Project
December 2016
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Michigan Wheel Marine
Navigating client relationships can be complex, much like an experience I had with Michigan Wheel Marine (now named Michigan Wheel), a former client based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Established in 1906, they have a rich history and maintain a strong reputation for handcrafting propellers celebrated for their unparalleled performance.
Project Background:
When Michigan Wheel Marine sought my services to develop a new brand identity for their company, I was initially unaware of the internal conflict and power dynamics at play within the organization. So like any beginning of a project, I dove in and began to work closely with the internal team and their global partners. It soon became evident that there was internal and partner conflict regarding how they defined their brand and how customers perceived them. Unfortunately, their ongoing disagreements only complicated my efforts to provide them with sound advice and develop a meaningful brand identity.
Instead of wanting to gain an understanding of their market and customers, they created internal alignments that swayed what they felt was their brand. Never considering my advice for thoughtful research and interviewing to understand their business, market, and customer perceptions.
Reflecting back on this situation, I wish I had been more direct with them, though I'm uncertain if that would have helped. It's unfortunate that they relied on internal alignments to assert what they believed was right, overlooking the importance of thorough qualitative and quantitative research. Missing this important step, they overlooked valuable insights that would have helped me shape their brand more effectively. Research should always play a crucial role in uncovering customer needs, preferences, and perceptions, ultimately guiding an effective brand strategy.
The result of neglecting this essential step, Michigan Wheel Marine missed out on opportunities to differentiate themselves and resonate with their target markets and consumers. Unfortunately, this led to the termination of our working relationship, as they sought a design studio that would simply comply with their instructions without prioritizing strategic research and insights.
Logo Direction:
The logo direction was shaped by restricted research, as the client was unwilling to invest in what they perceived as unnecessary expenses. I hate to say, “I told you so.” Some companies do not like spending money on important research. Since this was the reality of this project, I spent time on preparing a basic questionnaire to understand the company, its market segments and competitor analysis. This limited research revealed a desire to differentiate from competitors and avoid the common propeller motif. I felt my approach was unique, drawing from their company's rich history, engineering expertise, and providing precision handcrafted propellors.
During my exploration phase, I focused on incorporating marine motifs. I used a boat bow with the addition of two flowing lines (acting as a flag), these two combined elements created a badge. I chose a bold typeface, Acumin Variable designed by Robert Slimbach from Adobe Originals to commitment the logomark. With the additional of color, reflecting a nautical theme I added depth to the mark to give it presence. Also, by angling the logo I created a sense of movement, making it feel more modern and energetic. The final execution integrates the logomark (badge) and logotype (company name) to reflect the company's experience, excellence and superior products.
Even though the stakeholders didn't see this as the right direction, it was just one of my approaches that I believed aligned with their needs based on the research conducted.
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+ Brand Identity
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+ Creative Direction
+ Project Management
+ Qualitative Research
+ Concept Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration
Mitten State
Client Project
December 2016
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Mitten State
A few of MI (my) favorite things. A mark with custom hand type created by my wife and I for a our children’s school auction—auctioning authentic Michigan paraphernalia. The letterforms in this mark have been custom-designed to fit snugly into the mitten.
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+ Brand Identity
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+ Creative Direction
+ Project Management
+ Qualitative Research
+ Concept Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration
SpartanNash – Corporate Responsibility Report
Client Project
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SpartanNash – Corporate Responsibility Report
Headquartered in Michigan, SpartanNash is the largest food distributor in the U.S., serving independent grocers, military commissaries, and corporate-owned retail stores across 44 states. With a responsibility to communicate their impact at scale, we partnered with their marketing team to direct, develop, and design a 36-page corporate responsibility brochure.
Serving as design director, I led the process to the development and design of the report, highlighting SpartanNash’s core values, diverse capabilities, community engagement, and commitment to environmental responsibility through a strategic combination of copy, visuals, design, and infographics.
Following a guided design process, I reviewed and analyzed SpartanNash’s areas of social and environmental responsibility, shaping each section to tell the story of their sustainable journey. By integrating storytelling with design, we connected their core values, capabilities, and community efforts into a cohesive narrative.
The final brochure brought SpartanNash’s story to life, combining compelling visuals, informative infographics, and clear, engaging design to communicate their achievements and initiatives. Serving as both a visually engaging and practical reference, it reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainability, community, and corporate responsibility, resulting in a comprehensive and impactful sustainability report.
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SpartanNash
Food Wholesale & Retail Grocer -
+ Communication Design
+ Concept Development
+ Illustrative Storytelling
+ Product Research
+ Pagination Desgin
+ Qualitative Research
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Visual Identity System -
MKN Design Team
+ Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director
SpartanNash Stakeholders:
+ Meredith Gremel, VP, Corporate Affairs & Communications
+ Alison Sutter, Manager, Corporate Responsibility
+ Jena Nooney, Manager, Organizational Communications
+ Lauren DeVol, Corporate Affairs Writer
Dwell Feature
Article + Product
December 2016
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Dwell Feature
Thank you Dwell for promoting my work in this month’s issue of Dwell Magazine and on dwell.com It’s nice to be noticed ☺️
What the Dwell blurb reads, “Design With an Eye for Fine Lines. Michigan-based graphic designer and illustrator Michael Nykamp takes minimalist approach to creating portraits and logos for a variety of clients, including AIGA West Michigan, Herman Miller, and musician Truman Cage. We also love his crisp drawings of midcentury classics, such as Jens Risom’s A-Frame house. Follow his collaborations, posters and personal explorations like this geometric lion at dwell.”
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View my work on my Dwell profile page.
Religion & Liberty – Rebrand & Magazine System Design
Nonprofit Client Project
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Religion & Liberty – Rebrand & Magazine System Design
We helped Religion & Liberty magazine rebrand and develop a comprehensive system design for the Acton Institute’s quarterly publication. This six-month initiative focused on modernizing the magazine while establishing a flexible and cohesive framework to guide future issues.
This project began with a full evaluation of the magazine’s existing structure, visual language, and editorial needs. Through extensive planning, research, and collaboration with Acton’s editorial team, we identified opportunities to improve clarity, storytelling, and brand alignment while creating a system flexible enough to support a wide range of content.
The redesign process included an audit of past issues, editorial content analysis, typographic and grid exploration, and the development of a refreshed visual tone—spanning layout structure, photography and illustration direction, color refinement, and cover design. The result was a comprehensive editorial system built around forty distinct layout templates.
To support long-term consistency, a detailed design and layout toolkit was created, equipping the internal team with clear guidelines for typography, spacing, imagery, recurring features, and decision-making. The outcome delivered a magazine that feels contemporary, readable, and distinctly aligned with the Religion & Liberty vision—while significantly improving workflow efficiency for their editorial staff.
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View the Design System Templates, created to streamline layouts and ensure a consistent visual narrative for future issues.
“It’s rare to come across someone as talented and easy to work with as Michael. We hired Michael to redesign one of our most important publications, Religion & Liberty. The project was incredibly difficult from the start as we didn’t have a clear picture of what we were looking for. Michael was extremely patient and methodical, working closely with us, so we could come up with a concrete plan of execution together. He took special care to understand the needs of the organization as well as the readers, so the final product would be ideal for all audiences. He created a polished publication that holds its own against mainstream magazines.”
Sarah Stanley
Managing Editor, Acton Institute
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Religion & Liberty (Acton Institute)
Nonprofit Think Tank -
+ Brand Advisor
+ Brand Identity
+ Communication Design
+ Concept Development
+ Design Direction
+ Editorial Publication Design
+ Illustration & Photo Art Direction
+ Qualitative Research -
MKN Design Team:
+ Michael Nÿkamp, Design DirectorActon Institue Stakeholders:
+ John Couretas, Director of Communications
+ Sarah Stanley, Managing Editor
Saint Tikhon
Creative Musing
November 2016
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Saint Tikhon
Simple line and dots illustration of an Orthodox Priest in his vestments and staff.
The Careful Gardener
Creative Musing
October 2016