^{Photography: Bethanie Hines}

“My purpose is to use storytelling and design to create moments of positive inspiration.”

Mike Nicholls is an Oakland-based award-winning creative director, brand strategist, editorial designer and visual artist using design as a tool for discovery, inspiration and community building. He has translated ideas into visionary creative solutions with over 20 years of design experience and natural talent. Mike founded Umber, a media and editorial platform highlighting creative perspectives that matter, which has been recognized by AfroTech (Blavity), PRINT Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, KQED and Communication Arts.

At Umber, Mike wore multiple hats as creative director, founder, and publisher. In the role of creative director, he shaped the platform's artistic vision, blending immersive design elements with captivating narratives. In the capacity of publisher and editor-in-chief, he carefully curated content, encompassing thought-provoking articles, visually striking art features, and insightful interviews.

Mike also partnered with such places like Red Bay Coffee, AIGA SF, de Young Museum, Heath Ceramics, Inneract Project and Bandcamp. Mike has been fortunate to speak about his publishing work at SF Design Week, Hue Design Summit, Dropbox Design, Where are the Black Designers?, State of Black Design and AIGA Midwest Design Week.

To honor and celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Mike created an editorial project called A Life In Hip-Hop.

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Focus: Creative direction, brand strategy, editorial design, visual storytelling & design leadership.

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Schedule some time with Mike to discuss your next project.