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About Big Pitcher » Multidisciplinary Creative / eCommerce / Designer
Designing the future: 25 years of creative evolution.
Creating digital experiences for eCommerce • Web • Branding • Marketing
Multidisciplinary Digital Creative / Designer
Mickel van Kouwen
As a Freelance Multidisciplinary Digital Creative / Designer, I bring 25 years of experience in the creative industry, combining strategic insight with unconventional thinking, seamlessly moving from strategy and concept to design. My strength lies in my 360-degree perspective: from establishing a successful agency to hands-on design, from strategic brand positioning to practical implementation. This broad experience enables me to transform brands by connecting creative excellence to measurable business impact. I translate brand strategies into distinctive visual concepts that are both aesthetically strong and deliver commercial results. For leading brands and creative agencies, I have realized numerous visionary projects, often under NDA, that resonate with target audiences and make a difference in competitive markets. Beyond my professional life, I'm an enthusiastic athlete - from kitesurfing and crossfit to baseball and mountain biking. At 47, living with my loyal companion Zoë, I continue to refine my creative process to elevate brands to the next level.
ROUGHLY WORKED HOURS
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ROUGHLY PROJECTS DONE
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Joint venture to award-winning success.
Red Dot Award
SpinAwards gold 2x
SpinAwards silver 4x
SpinAwards Nomination
ADCN Golden Lamp
ADCN Bronze Lamp 2x
FWA Site of the day 6x
Lovie Awards 2x
The Lovie Award Shortlisted
Eurobest Bronze
Webby Honoree
Dutch VR Awards Gold
DIA Silver
SAN Nomination
AWWWARDS Honeree 2x
W3 Awards Silver
W3 Awards Gold
Audi Communication Award
Customer Media Awards 3x
What clients say about me
Creative Director at Code d'azur.
Working with Mickel is a treat. Next to being a super talented designer and a leader to the rest of the design team he’s also just a very sympathetic person to work with. He is fast, always speaks his mind and always work is favor of delivering great quality, which is in the end the most important factor in any design project. He is very experienced, quick on the ball and a true allround digital designer. Highly recommended.
Brands and agencies I've worked with.
From Born05 to Miele. My career background unveiled.
Big Pitcher
- 2010 – today I specialize in e-commerce, brand and innovative design, translating strategies into visionary solutions for leading brands. I integrate AI and new technologies into creative processes while preserving human creativity that makes design impactful. My brand transformation methodology ranges from thorough briefing to implementation across channels. I lead with an open style that enables individual strengths to excel and translates strategic insight into practical decisions. Key Projects: 𝗠𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗲 / 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱+ Led vision development for Miele's new digital e-commerce identity, translating premium brand values into a future-proof design ecosystem: • Digital brand identity with premium positioning • UX/UI design for new e-commerce platform • 3D product visualizations using Blender • Video-based UI and interactive elements • Inspiration for Miele X Department 𝗞𝗣𝗡 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 UX/UI Designer for this campaign winning 19 international awards including Lovie Gold & Silver, SpinAward Gold & Silver, ADCN Gold & Bronze, Webby Nominee & Honoree, Eurobest Bronze, and FWA Site of the Day. 𝗚𝗟𝗨 - 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝘆𝗰𝗲𝘂𝗺 𝗨𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘁 UX/UI Lead Designer directing the design team at TODAY, resulting in two Red Dot Awards 2023. 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗤 / 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 • Strategic positioning and brand manifesto • Visual identity and naming • AI-generated content (Midjourney) and video (MINIMAX) • Responsive website and presentation templates 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: • Dr. Oetker / Bakken.nl - Identity development • De Bijenkorf Magazine - Interactive mobile magazine • Philips - Redesign eCommerce platform • BMW Mountains campaign • Polestar concept designs Throughout my 25-year career, I've delivered award-winning work combining strategic thinking with creative excellence, helping brands stand out while driving measurable business results.
Miele / Interim
- 2022 – 2023 I played a pivotal role in reshaping Miele's digital identity, crafting cohesive designs that embodied the brand essence and ensuring consistency across digital platforms. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Redesigned Miele's website by proposing a comprehensive design overhaul. This included not only visual elements but also conceptualizing the site's structure, user interface, and overall user experience. My strategic approach influenced content placement, navigation, and interaction design. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 Generated imaginative 3D visual representations of Miele's products, showcasing them innovatively to highlight features, benefits, and unique selling points. 𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗨𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 Innovatively crafted a video-based user interface (UI) for the proposed website. Designed animations, transitions, and interactive elements to illustrate the website's functionality. The showreel provided a preview of the website's overall look, key features, and design elements. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗲 𝗫 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Extended creative vision beyond projects, influencing the Miele X department focused on innovation. Ideas, concepts, and forward-thinking designs served as inspiration, guiding new directions and approaches within the department. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 As a multidisciplinary digital designer, my role extends beyond translating ideas into visuals. It involves shaping experiences, influencing strategic decisions, and inspiring innovation. Diverse skills and contributions have left a lasting impact on Miele's digital landscape, enhancing its online presence and fostering creativity organization-wide.
Founder EÅRSSON
- 2019 – 2020 Founder of an earphone brand focused on the BMX flatland community During the emergence of Bluetooth technology, I founded a successful earphone brand called EÅRSSON. This venture involved establishing a thriving community within the BMX flatland (action) sport and sponsoring two top European BMX riders. In addition to overseeing product development, I created and managed a profitable online webshop, executed strategic social advertising campaigns, and handled extensive product management duties. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 • Development of brand identity and product design • Building a community and sponsoring top European BMX riders • Management of e-commerce platform with focus on conversion • Strategic social advertising campaigns for targeted audience communication
Tele2 / Interim
- 2013 - 2014 In 2013, I played a pivotal role in transforming Tele2's identity following the retirement of 'Frank the sheep'. I led the internal digital design team in the Netherlands, providing art direction and guiding the translation of the new identity into user-friendly and engaging designs for the online webshop. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 • Direction of the internal design team in the Netherlands • Development of art direction for the new brand identity • Translation of brand strategy to digital touchpoints, focusing on webshop • Creation of content and product visualizations for various channels
Co-founder Born05
- 2005 - 2010 Co-founder of Born05 (together with Rogier IJzermans and Sjors van Hoof), an innovative interactive agency with 30 professionals, specializing in online customer loyalty products. As Creative Director, I oversaw all phases of developing unique online solutions, including research, concept & strategy, creative direction, and production. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 • KLM iFly Digital Magazine - Groundbreaking digital travel magazine • KLM Internet Onboard - Vision for the digital future of flight experiences • Bol.com BOMVOL Digital Magazine - Interactive content platform • Vodafone Smart Business Digital Magazine - B2B communication platform 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 • Mentoring talent such as Robbin Cenijn, who later won FWA Site of the Year and Golden Cyber Lion • Initiating Creative Labs in 2009 for innovative concept development and future vision • Development of creative teams that won multiple prestigious awards • Served as an essential source of inspiration for the creative team in pursuing their online ambitions 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 • Led the transformation of Born05 from startup to established interactive agency • Responsible for attracting and retaining leading clients • Creation of distinctive digital concepts that outperformed competition • Development of effective pitch proposals and future-oriented products for clients like KLM and Bol.com
Digital designer at VBAT
- 2003 - 2006 Under the guidance of Creative Director Marnix Tellings, I developed into a versatile digital designer at this leading Dutch design agency: 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Design of corporate websites and digital experiences for national and international brands • Development of online brand identities that translated offline brand essences to the digital domain • Flash construction for Atos Origin during the Olympic Games, which ignited my passion for integrating online presence into major brands 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: • Evolution from intern to full-fledged digital designer by refining essential design skills • Active contribution to pitches and new business development • Instrumental role in securing two important accounts: BNR Nieuwsradio and Het Financieel Dagblad (The Financial Times of the Netherlands) • Development of concepts and design that strengthened VBAT's online position
Graphic designer at Touw Vormgeving
- 1999 - 2002 FMy professional career began immediately after graduating from NIMETO Utrecht at this small but dynamic design agency: Broad responsibility: • As the sole employee responsible for all graphic designs and project execution • Direct collaboration with the owner and clients, leading to rapid professional growth • Development of both print and early digital projects, which laid the foundation for my multidisciplinary approach 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 • Capgemini - Corporate communication materials • Pepsi and Vrumona (Sourcy and Royal Club) - Marketing materials and promotional designs • Amsterdam Admirals - Sports merchandising and communication This first professional experience was crucial for developing my design skills, client focus, and independence that later formed the foundations for my career as a creative director.