KitchenAid Branded Environment

↑ Branded environment concept based on KitchenAid’s updated brand.

 

↓ Final design integrated into
branded environment

↑ Visual story details of the six KitchenAid brand stories. Click to enlarge photos.


← KitchenAid branded environment walkthrough video. Click to start video clip.

Client Project
October 2024

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KitchenAid Branded Environment
For the second consecutive year, I partnered with Whirlpool Corporation to assist in the development of their annual Board of Directors meeting showcasing their latest and most innovative products to investors. The 2023 event spotlighted KitchenAid, and I was tasked with translating their updated brand into environmental graphics that conveyed this new direction. The visualization were carefully crafted to reflect the brand's new direction, integrating the essence of family and innovation into every element of the showroom experience.

In close collaboration with KitchenAid’s product and CMF team, I developed five distinct narratives to bring the “Do It With Me” ethos to life. Each story focused on households preparing meals in their kitchens, showcasing KitchenAid countertop appliances, cookware, and utensils in action. These individual stories were then seamlessly integrated into a larger, cohesive narrative, illustrating how KitchenAid plays a central role in bringing people together in the kitchen, helping families prepare food and create meaningful experiences.

The final installation was a seamless blend of clean, minimalist line illustrations paired with physical KitchenAid products, effectively demonstrating how the brand serves as an ‘aid’ in everyday cooking routines. The result was a *visually captivating* environment that embodied KitchenAid’s brand principles and brought their message to life.

  • + Branded Environment Design

  • + Creative Direction
    + Research
    + Concept Development 
    + Narrative Storytelling
    + Sketching and Ideation
    + Graphic Design
    + Illustration
    + Print Management

  • This project was a collaborative effort, with the KitchenAid product and CMF teams.

    Concept illustrations provided by Jody Williams.

Carbon Cycle

Client Project
February 2023

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Carbon Cycle
Creating and illustrating a carbon cycle infographic for a major producer of sustainable lumber, pulp, and paper. Our task was to clearly communicate the client's approach to combating climate change while showcasing their strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

The goal was to streamline a complex sustainability concept, making it visually captivating and ensuring the audience was able to comprehend the initiative. The final infographic was simple and friendly, conveying the client’s message of responsible environmental stewardship and dedication to a greener, more sustainable future.

  • + Infographic

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

  • This project was a collaborative effort, with Peopledesign providing Art Direction.

KitchenAid – Packaging Design System

 

Client Project

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KitchenAid – Packaging Design System
We were hired by KitchenAid to collaborate with their team of designers, engineers, photographers, and food stylists to define, develop, and design innovative packaging concepts for their award winning appliance products.

When KitchenAid approached me, they weren’t just looking to refresh their packaging—they were looking to reimagine how their iconic products could better connect to consumers, stand out on store shelves alongside competing brands, and reflect the modern, design-forward brand they had become. At the same time, they wanted to ensure that any evolution stayed rooted in the heritage that made KitchenAid a household name—especially with their globally recognized stand mixer.

Building on research and consumer insights from the first phase, we developed a clear design strategy to guide multiple packaging concepts—showcasing KitchenAid’s products as innovative, high-quality, and reinforcing the brand’s position as a leader in kitchen appliances.

When we audited the existing packaging, it became evident that it no longer reflected the expectations of today’s consumers or the evolution of KitchenAid’s products. In a market moving toward bold simplicity, clean visual storytelling, and modern minimalism, the packaging appeared dark, cluttered, and outdated.

The design challenge was clear—reimagine the packaging in a way that honored KitchenAid’s heritage, spoke directly to today’s consumers, and embraced a modern visual language. To support this evolution, we also conceptualized a modern iconography language and illustrative system that could seamlessly integrate across the new packaging.

Working closely with the internal KitchenAid team, we began by diving into consumer insights, packaging trends, and design systems across related industries while also bringing our own creative perspective to the process. From this research, we developed a series of concepts built on a refined visual language that combined bespoke product illustrations with photography to drive storytelling, supported by iconography, color, and typography. All of this was organized within a thoughtful packaging system that could extend across product lines and packaging sizes, reinforcing the brand while prioritizing clarity and consumer engagement.

The final result was a flexible, strategic packaging system that scaled across all products—unmistakably KitchenAid, while reinforcing the brand and putting clarity and consumer engagement at the forefront.

↑ Original KitchenAid Packaging

 

  • KitchenAid
    Kitchen Appliance Manufacturing

  • Packaging Design System

  • + Branded Iconography
    + Communication Design
    + Concept Development
    + Consumer & Trend Research
    + Iconography System Design
    + Instructional Illustration
    + Photoshop & Physical Mock-ups
    + Product Research
    + Qualitative Research

Word Visualizations

Creative Musing
January 2019

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Word Visualizations
An exercise defining words visually. The custom typeface was designed specifically for this exercise.

 

Sleepy Cat

Creative Musing
January 2019

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Sleepy Cat
My goal for this small illustration and animation was to depict a simple sleeping cat while maintaining its circular shape. During the sketching and ideation phase, I created numerous variations to ensure the effectiveness of how the animation behaved.

 

Patagonia

Client Project
January 2019

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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.

  • Illustration

  • + Concept Development
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Illustration

Nutrilite

Client Project
August 2018

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Nutrilite
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.

  • + Illustration Concepts

  • + Creative Direction
    + Research
    + Concept Development
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Refined Concept Sketches

SpartanNash – Corporate Responsibility Report

Client Project

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SpartanNash – Corporate Responsibility Report
Hired by SpartanNash, I collaborated with their marketing team to direct, develop, and design a 36-page 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.

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.

 

  • SpartanNash
    Food Wholesale & Retail Grocer

  • Corporate Responsibility Report

  • + Communication Design
    + Concept Development
    + Illustrative Storytelling
    + Product Research
    + Pagination Desgin
    + Qualitative Research
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Visual Identity System

Religion & Liberty – Rebrand & Magazine System Design

Non-Profit 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.

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

 

  • Religion & Liberty (Acton Institute)
    Non-Profit Think Tank

  • Brand Identity & Magazine System Design

  • + Brand Advisor
    + Brand Indentity
    + Communication Design
    + Concept Development
    + Design Direction
    + Publication Design
    + Illustration & Photo Art Direction
    + Qualitative Research

Turnstone Brand Identity & Design System Collateral

Client Project (via Designvox)
2006 to 2009

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Turnstone Brand Identity & Design System Collateral
Following a series of internal shifts, Turnstone found their brand outdated and disconnected from their customer base. A relevant change was needed to resonate with the emerging demands of smaller businesses and startups. Equally important was to show that their products could grow with them and still have the quality and longevity as other furniture brands in the industry. I was a member of the design team responsible for creating a revitalized brand and integrating the new brand across various communication channels, including advertising, product catalogs, brochures, and website improvements.

  • + Brand Identity & Design Materials

  • + Research
    + Concept Development
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Brand Development
    + Packaging Design
    + Catalog Cover Design and Layout
    + Design and Ideation
    + Illustration

  • This brand project and design system collateral was completed while employed at Designvox.