GVSU Branding Sprint – Lecture & Workshop

Article

—
GVSU Branding Sprint – Lecture & Workshop
I was invited to lead a lecture and workshop for the Department of Visual and Media Arts at Grand Valley State University, hosted by Lindsey Peterson, Vinicius Lima, and Shalom Yabilsu. The session engaged approximately 30 students, including a mix of graphic design juniors and seniors, along with an additional class of non–graphic design majors. It was structured as a combined lecture and hands-on sprint, designed to bridge professional practice with academic learning. The intention was to offer a transparent view into real-world branding processes, followed by immediate application through a focused identity workshop.

The first section briefly introduced my background, creative path, and professional experience, highlighting the multi- disciplinary nature of branding and the importance of clarity, collaboration, and strategic thinking. I also shared key perspectives on how design evolves from understanding problems rather than jumping directly to visual solutions, emphasizing that strong outcomes begin with asking the right questions. This portion set the context for how professional designers balance research, strategy, and execution in practice.

Coldbreak Case Study
The second section provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Coldbreak branding process, walking students through a structured, three-phase approach: discovery and research, strategy and identity development, and production and rollout. I outlined how stakeholder alignment, competitive analysis, brand positioning, and visual identity systems come together to form a cohesive brand. This deep dive demonstrated how strategic foundations—such as purpose, vision, values, audience, and messaging—inform visual decisions and ensure consistency across applications.

Brand Sprint Workshop
The final section transitioned into a live Brand Identity Workshop Sprint. I created a fictitious brand name and creative brief to guide students through the logo development process. Working in pairs, students reviewed
the brief for “Drift Co.,” a freshwater outdoor lifestyle brand, and moved quickly through a condensed strategy and concepting exercise. They established guiding brand words, explored tagline directions, gathered visual inspiration, and developed initial logo concepts within a limited timeframe. The sprint concluded with students reviewing and judging their peers’ progressed logo work, followed by the awarding of first, second, and third place mini trophies to the pairs that received the most votes.

I designed this workshop to prioritize critical and conceptual thinking alongside iterative development rather than premature refinement, reinforcing systems thinking, collaboration, and design under real-world constraints.

Overall, the session combined lecture, process transparency, and hands-on practice to give students a practical understanding of how branding moves from strategy to execution. The collaborative environment, engagement from faculty, and thoughtful participation from students created a productive learning experience focused on both professional insight and applied design thinking.

 

  • Grand Valley State University
    Department of Visual and Media Arts

  • + Branding Lecture
    + Brand Sprint Workshop

  • Photography by Lindsey Peterson and Vinicius Lima.

  • → Coldbreak – Brand Strategy & Brand Identity

Foundations of My Design Practice

Article

—
Foundations of My Design Practice
I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to become a graphic designer, or what some might call a design generalist or T-shaped designer. My path started much earlier as a kid who loved to draw and express ideas through color. That early curiosity eventually led me to study fine art, illustration, and user experience—five years of focused learning, exploration, and hands-on practice. Though these studies were instrumental in shaping how I work, I do not practice just one of these disciplines. Over time, they’ve blended into a focused approach that has taught me to observe closely, think conceptually, and design with sensitivity to the human experience.

It was from these foundational beginnings that I naturally flowed into practicing graphic design, but with a unique, visually driven, illustrative approach woven into my design work. Over time, this developed into my style and has helped me shape brands and build design materials grounded in thoughtfulness, meaning, clarity, and how people relate to and engage with them.

Not only have these foundations shaped my work, but they’ve also led to a set of guiding principles, approaches that continue to influence how I collaborate, problem-solve, and design with purpose.

These are the guiding principles I work by (in no particular order):

• Design Happens Together
• Approached with Thoughtfulness
• Design with Intention
• Acumen Equals Impact
• Crafted to Compel

 

  • This article expands on an later piece I wrote where I reflect on my process and why principles matter.

    → 5 Principles Behind the Process

  • The reel above is a mix of client collaborations and personal creative explorations I’ve pursued between projects. They express the breadth of my skills, my evolving style, and the passion I bring to every piece of work—whether driven by client goals or personal curiosity.

January Series – Brand Strategy Messaging

Nonprofit Client Work

—
January Series – Brand Strategy Messaging
For nearly 40 years, the January Series has inspired and informed audiences from diverse backgrounds. This free, 10-day event features a lineup of brilliant speakers, captivating topics, and thought-provoking discussions. Prominent academics, educators, artists, activists, and other experts deliver engaging lectures on a range of timely issues. Attendees can participate in person at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, or access the series online from anywhere in the world, both live and on-demand throughout the year.

Together with freelance copywriter Adam Barr, I guided the January Series in aligning their vision with cohesive brand messaging. Through in-depth stakeholder interviews, we distilled key insights to establish a solid foundation, shaping the brand’s tone and defining its voice. As we progressed, we posed additional thoughtful questions and refined messaging through an iterative approach, resulting in comprehensive guidelines. These guidelines will support the brand in navigating, cultivating, and communicating a unified voice across all touchpoints, fostering a coherent connection with audiences, communities, and potential attendees.

 

  • The January Series

  • + Brand Advisor
    + Brand Messaging
    + Copywriting
    + Design Direction
    + Qualitative Research
    + User Interviews

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director
    + Adam Barr, Copywriter

    January Series Stakeholders:
    + Michael Wwildschut, Director
    + Emily Dock, Assistant Director

Sustainable Research Group – Brand Identity

Client Work

—
Sustainable Research Group – Brand Identity
Following a decade of expansion, SRG’s logo no longer aligned with the organization’s aspirations. Collaborating closely with the leadership I gathered key insights informing what the brand could be. Based on these insights, a fresh trajectory emerged—one aimed at broadening expertise, enlarging the customer base, and refining market focus. The bold new approach reflects an innovative impression of sustainability and boasts confidence, strength, and leadership. The rebrand extended to stationery brand standard guidelines.

 

  • Sustainable Research Group
    Sustainability and Environmental Consulting

  • + Brand Advisor
    + Concept Development
    + Creative Assets
    + Design Direction
    + Qualitative Research
    + Visual Identity

  • MKN Design Team:
    + Michael Nÿkamp, Design Director

    SRG Stakeholders:
    + William Stough, CEO