Chronicles is a repository of articles, client projects, creative musings and products.

 

All content is copyrighted by MKN Design. Reproduction without express written consent is prohibited. To license a specific illustration or design, please contact me via email.

Riot Games Iconography System

Michael played a key role in developing a strategic and refined iconography library for Riot Games. His leadership and guidance across both Monotype and Riot Games ensured seamless collaboration, aligning visual identity with brand goals through a thoughtful and systematic approach. His ability to solve complex design challenges while maintaining a keen attention to detail made a significant impact on the project’s success. Reliable, communicative, and always exceeding expectations.

Robert Ignasiak
Product & Interaction Lead, Riot Games

Client Project
February 2025

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Riot Games Iconography System
I recently completed this 6 month iconography system project for Riot Games in collaboration with Monotype, who brought me on as a co-lead and specialist in visual icon systems. My role centered on guiding, developing, and establishing standards that shaped a comprehensive toolkit of pixel-perfect icons, capturing the bold and playful spirit of Riot Games while supporting their expanding product ecosystem.

Our goal was to create an iconography system of 350+ icons that seamlessly scaled across three sizes—16, 24, and 32 pixels—while staying true to Riot Games' brand identity. With “Player Experience First” as Riot’s core message, it was crucial to create a custom, scalable, and unified iconography system that not only enhanced the user experience and strengthened their brand’s visual language but also ensured consistency across all Riot products.

This iconography system serves as a sustainable and sound foundation for developing future icons that align with Riot’s brand.

  • + Iconography Design System

  • + Co-leadership
    + Creative Direction
    + Iconography System Rules
    + Research
    + Sketching & Ideation
    + Illustration

  • This project was a collaborative effort, bringing together expert partners from Monotype, Riot Games, and MKN Design to lead the creative direction and co-develop the iconography design alongside Monotype.

    Core Team:
    Robert Ignasiak – Riot Games
    Sascha Leifer King – Riot Games
    Junho Kim – Riot Games
    Terrance Weinzierl – Monotype
    Jorden Bell – Monotype
    Michael Nÿkamp - MKN Design
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    Thank you to the entire team for their dedication and effort in bringing this extensive set to life and helping create a remarkable icon system.
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    Note: All images used in this post are licensed through Riot Games.

Chronicles is a repository of articles, client projects, creative musings and products.

 

All content is copyrighted by MKN Design. Reproduction without express written consent is prohibited. To license a specific illustration or design, please contact me via email.

Action Surge!

Creative Musing + Product
December 2024

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Action Surge!
I’m not done yet! Not familiar with this term? Well, let me enlighten you. It’s a D&D reference where a fighter pushes themselves beyond their limits to do twice as much in one turn… because clearly, we needed even more ways to drag out combat ; )

Action Surge typeface is Kaneda Gothic designed by Ryoichi Tsunekawa from Dharma Type.

  • Action Surge graphic tee is available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note: All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.Description text goes here

Googly Eyed Philosophers

Creative Musing + Product
December 2024

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Googly Eyed Philosophers
Some design fun with old lithographs, goggly eyes, and 3 philosophers.


Quotes from Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates.
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle
“When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.” – Plato
“All I Know Is That I Know Nothing.” – Socrates

  • Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates graphic tees are available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.

Holmes Sardines

Creative Musing
November 2024

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Holmes Sardines
This internal project reflects my appreciation for vintage packaging and its rich history. I’m inspired by the hand craftsmanship of early packaging design, which beautifully captures the essence of its era. Through recreation, my aim is to preserve and honor its historical significance.

Sardine fisheries and their canning factories were prominent along the U.S. East and West Coasts from the 1870s until their decline in the mid-20th century, serving as vital industries for coastal communities. These operations not only supported local economies but also played a significant role in shaping the cultural and industrial landscape of the time. The Stinson Sardine Cannery in Prospect Harbor, Maine, was the last operating sardine cannery in the United States, closing its doors in April 2010, marking the end of an era for a once-thriving industry.

Tank of Hearts

Creative Musing
November 2024

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Tank of Hearts
Trade missiles for hearts.

 

Yes She Can!

Creative Musing
September 2024

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Yes She Can!
For Freedom.

 

Chronicles is a repository of articles, client projects, creative musings and products.

 

All content is copyrighted by MKN Design. Reproduction without express written consent is prohibited. To license a specific illustration or design, please contact me via email.

Pixel Playoffs

Article
September 2024

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Pixel Playoffs
I had a fantastic time at Atomic Object for Tech Week GR last night! Comfort & Adam (comfortandadam.com) and I took part in a live head-to-head art competition, based on word prompts from the audience. The prompt we were given was: “The future is a tentacled optimistic Cheez-it.” From there we each created separate illustrations, working independently without seeing the other team’s artwork, all within three half-hour rounds.

Huge thanks to Kimberly Crawford and Brittany Hunter from Atomic Object for organizing such an awesome event for the community!

 

The King

Creative Musing
September 2024

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The King
Earthly power, at last, doth yield to death.

 

Multiplayer Tetris & Game Over

Creative Musing + Product
August 2024

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Multiplayer Tetris & Game Over
Created these for the love of 1980’s arcade graphics. Tetris was created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984 and was released in the United States by Atari Games in 1988.

  • Multiplayer Tetris & Game Over graphic tees are available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.

Strategy Requires Creativity

Article + Client Projects
July 2024

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Strategy Requires Creativity
I remember when all creative concepts were hand-drawn. I honed this skill during my college years studying illustration and design, and continue to use it to this day. Nowadays, most clients don't see my sketches, as presenting 'polished' work has become the norm. Nevertheless, my sketches are what made the project.

For me, sketching is essential for visual problem solving and connecting ideas. It continues to help me to create strong visual concepts not only requiring a skilled hand and a good eye, but also empathetic, critical, and conceptual thinking.

If you're seeking human insight, creativity, and thoughtfulness, I can help your brand craft strategic, compelling and unique solutions based on your business objectives, your brand, and your consumers.

 

Orb

Creative Musing + Product
June 2024

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Orb
Creating a celestial feeling through experimentation with shapes, blurs, and textures.

  • Orb graphic tee is available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.

Anatomy of Twitter

Creative Musing + Product
June 2024

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Anatomy of Twitter
I pulled this illustration from my archives (originally created in 2010). When Twitter existed before becoming 'X', the internet dubbed my illustration "The Anatomy of a Tweet." My original aim was to depict the thinking (brain) and feeling (heart) of users, highlighting the struggle to balance logic and emotion tweets.

  • Anatomy of Twitter graphic tee is available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.

Zero/One & Ninety-Nine

Creative Musing + Product
April 2024

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Zero/One & Ninety-Nine
These numbers were my favorites growing up. Zero/One (or 10) is from the Dodge Charger that Bo and Luke drove on, Dukes of Hazzard. Ninety-nine of course came from my favorite hockey player, Wayne Gretzky who played for the Edmonton Oilers from 1979–1988.

  • Zero/One & Ninety-Nine graphic tees shown in this post are available for purchase on Cotton Bureau. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.

  • The numbers featured on these tee graphics come from a display typeface I designed. It’s available for purchase, view Sum here.

Super Phat

Creative Musing + Product
April 2024

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Super Phat
A design exploration to find a typeface that embodies “Super Phat”. I believe I choose right. The typeface I used is Sutturah designed by Octavio Pardo from Rosetta Type Foundry.

Hen & Egg

Creative Musing
March 2024

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Hen & Egg
Plutarch posed the question as a philosophical matter in his essay "The Symposiacs", written in the 1st century, "Which came first: the hen (chicken) or the egg?"

 

Mellow Yellow

Creative Musing + Product
March 2024

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Mellow Yellow
Inspiration for this type treatment from the song Mellow Yellow by Donovan. The typeface is Lust Script designed by Neil Summerour from Positype.

Earth Killer

Creative Musing + Product
March 2024

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Earth Killer
The oil and manufacturing industries are significant contributors to environmental pollution, earning them the label "Earth Killer." These industries release vast amounts of greenhouse gases, toxic chemicals, and particulate matter into the atmosphere, leading to severe air and water pollution.

Out of Order

Creative Musing + Product
March 2024

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Out of Order
This country, known to the world as a shining light of democracy, is quickly becoming very polarized in every aspect of our lives, from divisions in politics, policies and greed.

  • Out of Order graphic tee is available for purchase. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.

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    Note:     All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.