Michael Ater

Design director building brand and digital systems.

Michael is a Design Director rooted in brand. He builds systems that hold together—encompassing identity, digital experience and art direction. He's built that fluency over years of agency work, on brands that needed to scale, evolve, or introduce themselves for the first time.

The work spans established brands and passionate founders building something new, often on projects where brand and product need to move as one system, not two. He leads with a drive to protect craft, pushing the work and guiding the people behind it forward. He builds trust with clients along the way, staying close to the ask, the business need, and the moment it's living in.

Experience
Instrument
Design Director
Associate Design Director
Senior Designer
Character
Designer
Play
Designer
DesignStudio
Designer
MM
Designer
Chen Design Associates
Designer
Clients

Apple

Crocs

Epic Games

Intuitive

Marriott

Microsoft

Netflix

Nike

One Medical

Rothy's

Salesforce

Sonos

Spotify

Education
BA Graphic Design and Arts Technology,
Illinois State University