Mike Nicholls
CCO & Visual Artist 

Transforming ideas through storytelling into experiences and visuals that connect and inspire.

I’m Mike Nicholls, an Oakland-based creative director, visual artist, and content curator with over 20 years of experience in design, media, and storytelling. I founded Umber, a cultural media platform centering art, design, and music that brings ideas to life across print, digital, and live events. My work has been featured by AfroTech, PRINT Magazine, CreativeMornings, SF Design Week, and more.

I help brands, organizations, and creators turn vision into reality by delivering meaningful cultural experiences across print, digital, live formats, and original artwork. My work blends cultural insight, creative strategy, hands-on production, and a distinct visual art practice to make ideas not only beautiful, but impactful.

I am passionate about the work I do. My life’s purpose is to use design, storytelling, and visual art to connect people with the culture that inspires them.
 


Photo by: McKayla Chandler


What I Bring
Storytelling with narrative clarity. Shaping ideas and perspectives into stories that span the media landscape with a multi-channel approach.Strategic leadership in design. Integrating creative direction, strategic purpose, and flawless execution so the work holds strong from concept to delivery.
Cultural fluency, from community to the globe. Designing with a human-centered approach, crafting work that resonates deeply through culture and authentic experiences.Handcrafted visual dialogue. My artwork draws directly from my own creative practice, pencil to paper, brush to canvas, ranging from illustration to mixed-media and original design, elevating projects, brands, and initiatives.
Discuss your next media or design project with Mike.

 LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube





Collabs & Partnerships
  • Bandcamp
  • Bar Shiru / Gold Palm
  • Berrett & Kohler Publishers
  • The Betti Ono Foundation
  • Black Voice News
  • BrowneMusser
  • Community Works West
  • Decolonizing Wealth
  • de Young Museum
  • Design Bay Area
  • Designing Justice + Designing Spaces
  • Embodiment Project
  • Gameheads
  • Hearst Communications
  • Inneract Project
  • Kinfolx
  • Letterform Archive
  • Mama Dog Studios
  • Movement Stories
  • Museum of the African Diaspora
  • North Atlantic Books
  • The Oaklandside
  • Oprah Daily
  • Red Bay Coffee
  • Renegade Running
  • Reparations Club
  • Vocal Type Co.
  • Young Women’s Freedom Center
Features
Speaking
  • Umber Talk Show
  • AIGA Midwest Design Week
  • SF Design Week
  • Creative Mornings
  • Publishing Professionals Network Conference
  • Hue Design Summit
  • State of Black Design 
  • Where are the Black Designers?
Let’s Talk

Mike Nicholls, CCO & Visual Artist