See more of my work and more about me at _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ I'm Mike Hesketh, a freelance designer and digital environment artist based in Northern Ireland with 15+ years in the design industry. I've steered award-winning studios, We Are Duo and Studio Mindset, across branding, digital design, and immersive environments, from concept to delivery, building diverse teams and shaping creative direction for clients worldwide. My work is driven by creativity, a commitment to excellence and a restless pursuit of innovation. I love collaborating with clients across cultures, mentoring students and pushing the boundaries of design. I like to stay at the front of what technology can do to enhance what I can do creatively. Not only am I fully proficient in Adobe Creative apps and Figma but I have also sought to expand what creative brand thinking can do with tools like Unreal Engine, Blender, AI and Webflow to create authentic, visually compelling brand stories and customer engagements.…

Mike Hesketh

PRO

See more of my work and more about me at _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_ I'm Mike Hesketh, a freelance designer and digital environment artist based in Northern Ireland with 15+ years in the design industry. I've steered award-winning studios, We Are Duo and Studio Mindset, across branding, digital design, and immersive environments, from concept to delivery, building diverse teams and shaping creative direction for clients worldwide. My work is driven by creativity, a commitment to excellence and a restless pursuit of innovation. I love collaborating with clients across cultures, mentoring students and pushing the boundaries of design. I like to stay at the front of what technology can do to enhance what I can do creatively. Not only am I fully proficient in Adobe Creative apps and Figma but I have also sought to expand what creative brand thinking can do with tools like Unreal Engine, Blender, AI and Webflow to create authentic, visually compelling brand stories and customer engagements.…

Available to hire

See more of my work and more about me at Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup

I’m Mike Hesketh, a freelance designer and digital environment artist based in Northern Ireland with 15+ years in the design industry. I’ve steered award-winning studios, We Are Duo and Studio Mindset, across branding, digital design, and immersive environments, from concept to delivery, building diverse teams and shaping creative direction for clients worldwide.

My work is driven by creativity, a commitment to excellence and a restless pursuit of innovation. I love collaborating with clients across cultures, mentoring students and pushing the boundaries of design.

I like to stay at the front of what technology can do to enhance what I can do creatively. Not only am I fully proficient in Adobe Creative apps and Figma but I have also sought to expand what creative brand thinking can do with tools like Unreal Engine, Blender, AI and Webflow to create authentic, visually compelling brand stories and customer engagements.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Co-Founder at The Creationists
January 1, 2025 - October 28, 2025
Co-founded a product-based design studio delivering branding, digital design and storytelling services for a diverse client base; led design direction and operations across projects.
Co-Founder / Director at Rebel Lemon
January 1, 2024 - October 28, 2025
Co-founded a design-focused venture delivering branding and visual storytelling for beverage and consumer brands; led design strategy and client relationships.
Director of Design & Storytelling at Ecko
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2023
Led the creative direction and storytelling for brand projects; built and mentored cross-disciplinary teams.
Director / Lead Designer at Studio Mindset
January 1, 2023 - January 1, 2023
Company Director / Lead Designer; steered branding, visual identity and product design; built a diverse creative team and led operations.
Co-Founder at We Are Duo
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2017
Co-founded and led a design studio focused on branding and digital design; collaborated with clients globally across multiple sectors.
Junior Designer at Tandem Design
August 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008
Early career role supporting branding and graphic design projects; contributed to client deliverables and design development.

Education

Bachelor of Design for Visual Communication (Hons) at Ulster University
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2008
Diploma in Foundation Studies of Art & Design at Ulster University
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2004
A-Levels (Art, IT, RE) at Belfast Royal Academy
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2003

Qualifications

2.1 Bachelor of Design Honors Degree
September 1, 2004 - October 28, 2025
Diploma in Foundation Art & Design
September 1, 2003 - September 1, 2004
Epic Games: Unreal Animator
August 22, 2023 - September 22, 2023

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Consumer Goods, Professional Services, Software & Internet, Education, Retail, Other
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    uniE621 Ha'penny Gin (Label Closeup)
    Ha'penny Gin takes its name from the iconic Ha'penny bridge that crosses the river Liffy in Dublin. The gin itself is made using authentic victorian botanicals from a victorian garden located in Dublin. I was asked to create a label for a unique, small-batch, high-quality gin that would capture the essence of its namesake and the origin of its ingredients. I created the logo wordmark from scratch and set it at a curve to represent the bridge across the river. The label shape itself comes from the iron arches that are on the bridge and the bottom matches the top to represent the reflections of the bridge in the river. Some of the symbol elements on the label are taken from the ironwork on the bridge – things like the lock with a heart symbol in the middle of it to represent the people who write their names on locks and attach them to the ironwork of the bridge. logo graphicdesigner branding designer…
    uniE621 Ha'penny Gin (Label Closeup)
    Ha'penny Gin takes its name from the iconic Ha'penny bridge that crosses the river Liffy in Dublin. The gin itself is made using authentic victorian botanicals from a victorian garden located in Dublin. I was asked to create a label for a unique, small-batch, high-quality gin that would capture the essence of its namesake and the origin of its ingredients. I created the logo wordmark from scratch and set it at a curve to represent the bridge across the river. The label shape itself comes from the iron arches that are on the bridge and the bottom matches the top to represent the reflections of the bridge in the river. Some of the symbol elements on the label are taken from the ironwork on the bridge – things like the lock with a heart symbol in the middle of it to represent the people who write their names on locks and attach them to the ironwork of the bridge. logo graphicdesigner branding designer…
    uniE621 Ha'penny Gin (Full Bottle)
    Ha'penny Gin takes its name from the iconic Ha'penny bridge that crosses the river Liffy in Dublin. The gin itself is made using authentic victorian botanicals from a victorian garden located in Dublin. I was asked to create a label for a unique, small-batch, high-quality gin that would capture the essence of its namesake and the origin of its ingredients. I created the logo wordmark from scratch and set it at a curve to represent the bridge across the river. The label shape itself comes from the iron arches that are on the bridge and the bottom matches the top to represent the reflections of the bridge in the river. Some of the symbol elements on the label are taken from the ironwork on the bridge – things like the lock with a heart symbol in the middle of it to represent the people who write their names on locks and attach them to the ironwork of the bridge. logo graphicdesigner branding designer…
    uniE621 Manislav Pilsner (Bottle Design)
    Manisilav is a Czech style Pilsner that wanted a design that is authentically Czech style. To achieve this I wanted to use authenic typography styles as well as diving into Czech symbology to create something that would strongly represent the origins of the brand. This is captured with the typestyle, eagle and crown symbology and the red and white colour palette. logo graphicdesigner designer branding productdesign…
    uniE621 Manislav Pilsner (Can design)
    Manisilav is a Czech style Pilsner that wanted a design that is authentically Czech style. To achieve this I wanted to use authenic typography styles as well as diving into Czech symbology to create something that would strongly represent the origins of the brand. This is captured with the typestyle, eagle and crown symbology and the red and white colour palette. logo graphicdesigner designer branding productdesign…
    uniE621 Manislav Pilsner (Six Pack Packaging Design)
    Manisilav is a Czech style Pilsner that wanted a design that is authentically Czech style. To achieve this I wanted to use authenic typography styles as well as diving into Czech symbology to create something that would strongly represent the origins of the brand. This is captured with the typestyle, eagle and crown symbology and the red and white colour palette. logo graphicdesigner designer branding productdesign…
    uniE621 Manislav Pilsner (Label design lockup)
    Manisilav is a Czech style Pilsner that wanted a design that is authentically Czech style. To achieve this I wanted to use authenic typography styles as well as diving into Czech symbology to create something that would strongly represent the origins of the brand. This is captured with the typestyle, eagle and crown symbology and the red and white colour palette. logo graphicdesigner designer branding productdesign…