About Me

The true measure of design lies in its ability to blend clarity and beauty with a distinct purpose — its worth proven only by the results it brings.Over the years, I’ve worked across all forms of media, honing my skills in design, marketing, and leadership. My deep understanding of what needs to be communicated — and why — allows me to shape experiences that truly connect with audiences.

With hands-on experience in graphic design and creative leadership, I’ve been the crucial bridge between stakeholders and developers. I understand both sides of the process intimately, leveraging my design expertise alongside my development insight to guide projects from concept to completion. Whether in hands-on design or leading creative teams, what motivates me most — and where I bring the most value — is in the act of creating. Accessibility is also a key priority for me, ensuring that every design is not only beautiful but also functional for all users.

In short, I firmly believe the true measure of design lies in its ability to blend clarity and beauty with a distinct purpose — its worth proven only by the results it brings. With a smile and a positive spirit, I transform bold ideas into impactful designs that simply get the job done.

Selected Projects

YouCruit Growth Hack Email

Created an email campaign that matched job applicants to a parsed database of employers, sending a targeted newsletter. I designed and crafted the content, resulting in a 13%+ conversion rate and a new customer sign-up approximately every 5 seconds for the first several months.

Lanefinder Job Application UX Flow

Adopting common practices for trucking job applications on Lanefinder resulted in very few responses. I revamped the UI/UX by introducing a pre-screening application that provided key details to employers and followed up with emails and notifications to gather more profile data. This led to a dramatic increase in applications, from just a few to thousands per month.

Lanefinder Component Library

Designed and developed a complete component library in Figma, then fully implemented it in TypeScript and Vue, significantly improving development speed, visual consistency, and overall department efficiency.

Work Experience

Connect Sports Group

Connect Sports Group is an agency connecting soccer players with clubs.

• Consulting in strategic use of brand and marketing communication.
• Created social media post artworks to extend reach, which has caused a direct result in signing several players.

YouCruit & Lanefinder

YouCruit is an Applicant Tracking System, and Lanefinder a job platform for truckers looking for truck driving jobs in the US.

• Created email campaigns with up to 13% conversion rate, far exceeding industry standards.
• Designed and developed a complete component library in Figma, then fully implemented it in TypeScript and Vue, significantly improving development speed, visual consistency, and overall department efficiency.
• Streamlined the UI/UX job application process, resulting in a surge of applications from minimal numbers to thousands monthly, greatly enhancing platform success.
• Created user-centric UI and UX for all platforms, receiving high praise in several target group surveys.
• Art Director in the Marketing department, overseeing the creation of advertisements, motion graphics, print designs, emails, and websites.
• Designed and developed websites that adhere to WCAG standards and are optimized for SEO, achieving high performance scores through Google Lighthouse.
• Developed and executed effective branding strategies for both Lanefinder and YouCruit, establishing them as trusted resources in the trucking industry, particularly through word-of-mouth within trucking schools.
• Produced, filmed, and edited multiple video projects that engaged target audiences and investors, leading to significant investments in collaboration with the CEO.
• Created video explainers and Lottie animations published on the website, within the app and on social media.
• Illustrated the character "Geophrey" to strengthen the YouCruit brand.

Trialbee

Trialbee utilized digital platforms to globally enlist volunteers for clinical trials.

• Art Director, maintaining brand consistency and crafting product logos.
• Produced motion graphics, print materials, and advertisements.
• Created and optimized success of social media advertisements to attract people to clinical trials.
• Enhanced Trialbee's brand reach through UI/UX design improvements for advertising landing pages and the Synargus EDC system.

WineFinder

Online retailer specializing in wines.

• Photographed, and created promotional material, with renowned chefs for ICA and Winefinder collaboration.
• Designed the website for Winefinder.se.

Freelance

• Designed brands and logos for companies including BetCreative, Brainteam, and others.
• Provided photography and creative services for individuals, music artists, companies, and magazines.

Sveriges Television

Swedish Public TV Broadcaster

• Created branding and motion graphics at SVT Design for productions including På spåret, Sportnytt, Bobster, Klorofyll, Sen kväll med Luuk, Vem vet mest, Julkalendern, Sommarlov, and many others.
• Notably, the show "På Spåret" continues to uphold my original concept, even through its updates.
• Served as Creative Director for a production in collaboration with the Interactive Institute of Eksjö for a children's show.
• Lectured in Digital Animation and Compositing at the Interactive Institute of Eksjö.
• Created graphics for the Swedish local news network.
• Designed games and illustrations for "Julkalendern".

Sveriges Television

• Graphic Artist for live productions.
• Designed the website and created illustrations for Spinn, SVT's pioneering effort to merge the internet with TV for an interactive experience.
• Created games and illustrations for Flash games within the "Spinn" framework.

Boss Media

Boss Media provides online gaming solutions in the casino industry.

• Designed websites for Casino.com, the world's largest casino website.
• Produced advertisements and print designs for Casino.com.
• Photography for the magazine "Casino.com Magazine".

Digital Future

Design Agency and CityGuide.se

• Web Designer for CityGuide.se.
• Web Designer for various clients, including Skandia.

Recommendations

This man knows his craft inside out, and makes what he does look easy. I assure you, it is not!

As luck would have it, Mikael is not just a very competent designer, but a great colleague as well. He always comes to the drawing board with a million ideas, always open-minded and never stubborn to adapt. He is a true team player, respecting others' opinions but, when necessary, offering powerful guidance that is rooted in a deep understanding of design principles.

Mikael is multi-talented, experienced, and a pro through and through. Any creative team would be lucky to have him as a contributor or leader.

Ivan Danilov

Copy Writer at Lanefinder

Mikael is an absolute pleasure to collaborate with, he's a fantastic mentor and I have learnt so much while working with him.

I highly recommend Mikael for any creative role as he truly excels as an art director and designer. Mikael's talent and creativity in the field of art direction are truly remarkable. With an impeccable eye for detail and a strong sense of aesthetics, Mikael consistently delivers visually stunning and innovative designs. His ability to translate ideas into captivating visuals is truly impressive. Furthermore, as a co-worker, Mikael is an absolute pleasure to collaborate with, he's a fantastic mentor and I have learnt so much while working with him.

Mikael's dedication, professionalism, and ability to lead a team make him an invaluable asset to any creative endeavour.

I wholeheartedly endorse Mikael for his outstanding skills and remarkable contributions. I'd love to work alongside him in the future if the opportunity presents itself.

Benjamin Rehmie

Graphic Designer at Lanefinder

As a Marketing Manager having the privilege to work alongside Mikael Cedergren at Youcruit for the Lanefinder brand was an enriching experience that highlighted the impact of a truly visionary Senior Graphic Designer & Art Director. Mikael's multifaceted role, encompassing the translation of our brand guidelines into compelling visual stories and leading our design team, has been pivotal in defining the visual identity of Lanefinder.

With over 15 years of diverse experience in marketing and technology, Mikael's deep knowledge within the Adobe Suite, Figma, and other design tools is unparalleled. His ability to breathe life into graphics, transforming them into interactive HTML for our website, showcases his unique blend of creativity and technical expertise. Mikael's leadership extends beyond project execution; he has been an inspiring mentor to junior team members, guiding them to excel in their roles with confidence and creativity.

Mikael's leadership extends beyond project execution; he has been an inspiring mentor to junior team members, guiding them to excel in their roles with confidence and creativity.

Mikael's contribution to Youcruit transcends traditional design boundaries. He seamlessly integrated with the product team, enhancing the graphic interface of our tools while maintaining a strong presence in communication design. His strategic approach to design, ability to understand and implement briefs independently, and knack for overcoming challenges are commendable.

On a personal note, Mikael's creativity is matched by his extraordinary spirit and resilience. His open-mindedness to feedback and ability to rebound with even more innovative ideas are traits that make him an invaluable team player. The office is brighter and more lively thanks to his unique stories and infectious enthusiasm.

I wholeheartedly recommend Mikael to any organization in need of a seasoned Graphic Designer/Art Director. Whether as a senior member of a larger team or as a versatile one-man army for smaller companies, Mikael's blend of creative vision, technical skill, and positive energy will make a significant impact. His forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence are rare finds, and I am confident he will continue to excel in his future endeavors.

Fredrik Ardmar

Chief Marketing Officer at Lanefinder

In my experience working with Mikael, he was always up to get the job done and with a smile. He always had a can-do attitude and positive disposition.

He would voice his concerns in a productive manner, but always willing to be a team player. He has a fun personality and always up for a good laugh. He's creative, skilled and always willing to learn and grow.

He'd be an asset to any organization.

Melissa Nackovski

Sales Manager at Trialbee

Mikael as a creator has an amazing eye for detail while also being able to retain the"big picture" needed for a campaign or brand. He can be an ideas guy and great at stimulating and steering brainstorming sessions in order to find new angles and approaches but he is also capable and confident in following an idea through to completion with the same enthusiasm and energy.

Mikael is a vibrant addition to any team. As a colleague, he is warm, encouraging and can provide guidance from years of deep experience to junior team members. He is also just great to chat to! Mikael is and will be a wonderful asset to any team he works with.

As a person he's fun, easy going and loyal!

Kelsey Danks

Community Manager at Lanefinder

Recognition

Interior Photography, 6 page spread in “Plaza Interiör” no 5.

Lecturer in Digital Animation and Compositing. 4 days, 2 college points. iaa.se

Artwork published as education material in the subject of symbolism in “Focus on Folio” aimed for Senior Creative Arts courses in Australia. Published 2005 and created by Harcourt Education i Melbourne, Australia. ISBN 174 081 462 2

Education

14 hours course in studio photography with Daniel K. Johansson.

Visual Communication, 40 hours. berghs.se

Chapman, Karlskrona - Nature Science Program with technological focus.

Other skills

• Project Management
• Communication
• Process Optimization
• Illustration
• Videography
• Photography
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe After Effects
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Acrobat
• ProCreate
• Visual Studio Code
• XCode
• iOS & Android
• Midjourney
• ChatGPT
• Perplexity
• Keynote
• Google Slides
• Lottie Animation
• Web Design
• Wordpress

References

070-719 38 42, matsholmback@gmail.com

073-517 91 32, fredrikardmar@gmail.com

0728-87 70 13, bkrehmie@gmail.com

073-484 56 14, musama3297@gmail.com

073-672 60 78, ivan@idcopywriting.com

0704-56 25 78, robin.wallberg@youcruit.com

0704-13 55 39, johan_wickstroem@hotmail.com

0708-77 33 79, gisela.soprani@svt.se