I’m Squid (or, as my mother prefers, Michael). A Chicago-based designer and leader with nearly 15 years clocked building products, brands, and ideas that, at best, make the world better and, at worst, just look cool.

As an artist, I've walked the stage at Carnegie Hall; as a product designer, I've been to the White House by invitation; and as a creative leader I've rung the bell at Nasdaq.

Creative Leadership & Execution

Colab
Branding
Messaging
Web Design
Web Development
UI/UX Design
Digital strategy
As cofounder and Chief Creative Officer of Colab, I've served as the creative leader for over 120 early-stage companies since 2013. Colab has been featured as a top 10 venture studio globally in several online publications since 2019. I founded Colab with long time friend and business partner Jon Bradford.
Less Than Local
Branding
Apparel Design
Skateboard Design
Site Design
Site Development
Less Than Local is a skateboard company and the brainchild of myself and best bud / fellow creative, Andrew Meredith. Since 2015, Less Than Local has been repeatedly featured in major publications such as Thrasher Magazine, Transworld Skateboarding, The Berrics, etc. and has been fashioned and promoted by the likes of Lil' Wayne and Fred Durst (we didn't pay them, they just bought our stuff).
SongBank (Beta)
Branding
Messaging
Site Design
My team and I founded SoundBank alongside grammy-nominated musician Cisco Adler, SongBank is an AI-powered music licensing platform that aims to radically streamline the business of sync licensing.
HIghfive
Branding
Messaging
Site Design
Web Development
UI/UX Design
Marketing Execution
I've spent the last two years as the fractional Chief Creative Officer at Highfive, during which we transformed the company's entire creative approach from the name and logo to the interface and experience of their digital products.
DataJoint
Branding
Messaging
Site Design
Site Development
DataJoint is a cutting edge biotech startup ran by some super smart guys. I helped them craft a visual identity and clearly communicate their mission, vision, and pitch deck for their fundraising and growth  efforts.
The Chronic Co
Branding
Messaging
Site Design
Web Development
Won an Awwward for this one. The business has since died, but the design lives on!
Payaway
Branding
Messaging
Site Design
Site Development
UI/UX Design
Led the creative top-to-bottom for this innovative fintech venture.
Tattoos.com
Branding
Messaging
UI/UX Design
I designed, concepted, launched, helped managed the team that built tattoos.com

Product Design

Payaway

Consumer, lender, and merchant app flows
Creative Direction
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
The Payaway product was designed to ensure a seamless, intuitive experience for both consumers and lenders, while addressing the unique needs of modern shoppers and their preferences for transparent and competitive financing solutions. Payaway is revolutionizing Buy Now, Pay Later technology by creating a marketplace where lenders compete to offer point-of-sale consumer loans, giving shoppers access to better rates and more flexible financing options.
Sweetn

Consumer mobile and web app
Iterative Branding
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
Sweetn is a mental wellness app designed to guide singles through the complexities of modern dating while fostering emotional resilience and self-awareness. Built in partnership with mental health experts and shaped by deep insights from user research, Sweetn provides tools and resources that help individuals approach dating with confidence, form genuine connections, and maintain a focus on their overall well-being.
CTLG
‍‍

Arist and music supervisor web and mobile apps
Creative Direction
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
My team and I designed and developed in collaboration with legendary industry professionals. Positioned to supercharge the sync licensing business, CTLG empowers musicians, songwriters, and producers to effortlessly upload, tag, and organize their catalogs while providing music supervisors and content creators with an intuitive search and discovery experience, all powered by AI.
Dadabase

Artist manager web dashboard
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
Developed in collaboration with industry experts and informed by extensive feedback from clients, the Dadabase team and I designed a tool that simplifies complex workflows, future-proofs media libraries, and provides actionable insights through advanced analytics. Dadabase is a disruptive platform designed to transform how video content is organized, managed, and monetized. Built as an all-in-one solution, it empowers users to seamlessly ingest, edit, catalog, and publish video assets, unlocking untapped value in longform content.
Highfive


Teacher mobile and desktop app + school administrator web app
Creative Direction
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Interaction Design
Designed in collaboration with a dedicated team of educators and informed by extensive qualitative and quantitative research, the Highfive team and I crafted a valuable resource designed to support teachers and enhance classroom dynamics. The Highfive Classroom app is a powerful behavior management and tracking tool that helps teachers implement effective social-emotional discipline strategies in the classroom.

Logo Design

Consumer Goods

I was the creative lead for all of these projects--this included developing the naming, branding, and packaging design, as well as pitching the creative vision to prospective partners and investors.. Created in partnership with VO/D, a talent-focused venture studio that connects disruptive CPG brands with iconic talent such as Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley, Adam Waheed, and more.

squidbuchanan@gmail.com