Hello. My name is Michael Burmesch. I am a Graphic Designer & Art Director, as well as a traveling exhibiting Wisconsin Photographer based in Milwaukee, WI.
Rooted in purpose and intention with unwavering attention to detail, there is an evident process of how I design. I do not merely decorate. I research, draft and execute a visual language. Using my experience in several venues, both professionally and personally, I continuously collaborate, create and develop stunning, award-winning graphic (communication) design.
Specialties include:
• Advertising
• Art Direction
• Brand/Identity Graphics
• Environmental/Exhibit Graphics
• Event Graphics/Promotion
• Illustration
• Marketing/Positioning
• Packaging Design
• Photography (Mb Squared Photography)
• Project Coordination/Management
• Publication Layout/Design
• Social Media
• Typographic Expertise
• Video Production/Film Editing
• Web Design
• Art Direction
• Brand/Identity Graphics
• Environmental/Exhibit Graphics
• Event Graphics/Promotion
• Illustration
• Marketing/Positioning
• Packaging Design
• Photography (Mb Squared Photography)
• Project Coordination/Management
• Publication Layout/Design
• Social Media
• Typographic Expertise
• Video Production/Film Editing
• Web Design
Biography:
Raised in Wheatland, WI, I moved from the country to the city to attend the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 2004. In 2008, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Communication (Graphic) Design.
I soon launched Mb Designs, designing brands/graphics for clients throughout the MKE/Southeast WI area and greater Wisconsin at large, while also designing in-house for a local lab-created diamond jewelry e-commerce corporation. Following that, for ten years I was the Graphic Communications Manager for Vivent Health, formerly AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW), where I championed graphics for their national network of HIV care, treatment, prevention services and development/special events. Then I was a Graphic Designer for WaterStreet Creative where I was the lead designer on the Milwaukee-based magazine, The Shepherd Express. Currently, I am the Senior Graphic Designer for CKC Graphics, located in Grafton, WI.
I've been very fortunate, as my design work has been awarded recognition and published nationally in Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) and in the American Design Annual. In 2018, I was recognized by GDUSA as a "Socially Responsible Designer to Watch".
In my spare time I enjoy antiquing, camping/hiking, vegetarian cooking, reading, painting/printing and hitting the road with my camera, an iPhone 11, and Moment 58 mm optical zoom and 18 mm wide-angle lens attachment.
I currently reside in Bay View, Milwaukee, WI.
Photography:
In 2013, I started taking an interest in photography, mainly with the use of my camera phone. Rather quickly my shots were getting noticed. Later in the year Mb Squared Photography was born out of my passion for traveling the state of Wisconsin and capturing all that this Midwestern gem has to offer in photo.
In 2015/2016, two of my photos were selected and installed in the Appleton Houdini Plaza "One Great Place" show, showcasing photography of Appleton. Annually, my photography hangs at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) and the Walker's Point Center for the Arts (WPCA) as part of their members' shows. Recently, my photographic artwork has shown as part of Gallery Night & Day and Bay View Gallery Night (BVGN) throughout Milwaukee, and hangs annually in various galleries throughout Wisconsin.
My subjects include architecture, florals, local points of interest, landmarks, abstracts, and landscapes. I sell easy-to-frame 12.5”x12.5” hand-titled/signed prints, 8”x8” signed prints, drink coasters/magnets, and stickers of my colorful work, available for purchase at maker’s markets, in galleries, and at local businesses throughout Wisconsin.