Visual storytelling
for identity and place.
I help communities express who they are. As a designer, storyteller, and public-facing artist focused on placemaking and cultural identity, I create narrative-driven visual experiences that translate identity into shared spaces—shaping environments and visual systems that connect people to place through story, scale, and intention.
MORE PLACEMAKING
Axel Row Mural – Dobbins Group
The Star Uptown – Corporate Realty
City Walk Skate – BJCC
City Walk Barkery – BJCC
City Walk – Alabama Department of Transportation
The Magic City Mural Series – Coca-Cola Amphitheater + Live Nation
The Switch – REV Birmingham
Moretti – Mammoth Murals
City Walk Social – BJCC
Experience & Approach
For over thirty years, my practice has grown from roots in graphic design into environmental and cultural work that brings research, place, and history into the visual fabric of shared spaces. I approach design as storytelling—uncovering cultural threads, shaping them into meaningful narratives, and activating spaces that feel authentic, resonant, and community‑centered.
My capabilities include brand identity, environmental graphics, wayfinding and content systems, typographic systems, motion, digital platforms, and print—building visual systems that connect people to place with clarity, resonance, and meaning.
A Birmingham native and Auburn University School of Industrial and Graphic Design graduate, I’ve worked in San Francisco and Atlanta design communities and now practice from The Magic City, where cultural energy and urban momentum fuel my work. I’ve partnered with organizations including JVC America, Coca‑Cola, Bank of America, UPS, Adobe, HP, and Bayer, as well as Alabama Tourism, Alabama Power, Little Debbie, and Brasfield & Gorrie. These projects have sharpened my ability to build visual systems with depth and strategic intent.
Environmental & Cultural Design
Shaping shared environments with visual systems that deepen connection to place, reveal narrative, and reflect cultural identity.
Brand Identity & Visual Systems
Developing cohesive, flexible identities that carry meaning across touchpoints and experiences — from concept through context.
Wayfinding & Content Systems
Designing intuitive visual logic that guides movement and understanding throughout spaces, enhancing clarity and engagement.
Motion & Digital Experiences
Animating narrative and identity through time‑based media and responsive environments that enrich experience and invite participation.
Print & Collateral Design
Translating story and identity into tactile and visual formats that support continuity and reinforce meaning wherever design appears.
Projects
I partner with organizations, communities, and creative teams to shape visual experiences that connect people to place, identity, and culture. If you’re interested in design that clarifies who you are and how you’re seen, let’s talk about your project and explore possibilities.
Apprenticeships
I welcome curious, motivated students and emerging designers eager to learn through hands-on experience. If you’re passionate about design, storytelling, and shaping meaningful spaces, share your portfolio and goals — and let’s explore what we can create and learn together.
Let’s start a conversation.
Michael Vizzina Studio