This week’s Presentation Design Inspiration is Mikey Burton. He calls himself a “part time designer and a part time illustrator – which adds up to a full time Designy Illustrator.” Burton’s work includes magazine covers, t-shirts, bottle caps and beer bottle labels.
His work includes clients like Converse, ESPN, Target, The New York Times, Time Magazine and Esquire. He most recently designed political graphics for NYT in a series of articles. He also has won awards for his designs from organizations like the Art Directors Club and Communicating Arts.
On top of designing his own work, Burton is a judge for gallery shows and does speaking engagements. You can see his tour schedule here. Burton also has a video series that teaches anyone how to draw. This can be helpful to any presenter who needs help with presentation design.
Burton says beginning at a young age he liked to draw, and his parents were supportive. “In high school, I really liked art class and wanted to do something creative, but didn’t know what that meant.” Burton said in an interview with The Great Discontent. “I wanted to be an artist, but not a starving artist—I wanted to make a career out of my work.” Burton went on to get a master’s degree in graphic design at Kent State University in Ohio.
Most of Burton’s work is from freelance projects. “When I became a freelancer, I wasn’t sure where projects would come from, “Burton said. “I was also frustrated with people not paying, or asking for projects and not wanting to pay what they were worth. I did a self-initiated project called Freelance Ain’t Free and made t-shirts and posters and things, which helped me keep the lights on. Projects like that have been guiding in a way.”
Burton’s work is lively and original. Take note of his creative approach when it comes to your presentation design. Whether you are designing a PowerPoint or a t-shirt, presentation design is key to making your work stand out. Burton lives in Brooklyn, New York where he “pays too much for coffee.”
More on Design from Ethos3:
Presentation Design Inspiration: Jessica Hische
The 5 Presentation Design Steps All Presenters Should Know
Illustration Insights From Comic Artists
