A designer by training, Michael founded Cog Design, straight from college, in 1991 and has managed the development of the company ever since.

Michael takes the lead on large-scale branding or complex communications projects and provides a creative overview of all of the studio’s output.

Beyond the studio, Michael is an occasional lecturer in branding and design, and a regular contributor to design journals.

Ocky studied typographic design and gained an MA from Edinburgh before joining the international branding consultancy, Navyblue. He worked there for several years before joining us in early 2006.

Since joining the Cog team, Ocky has led high-profile projects such as the rebranding of The Marlowe Theatre, publicity design for Evolving English at British Library and Antony Gormley’s . Fourth Plinth project, One & Other.

Ocky’s passion for typography extends to an obsession for abandoned signs and faded advertising.

Mike has worked in design for arts organisations since the early 90s. After a decade of working at theatre specialists Scarlet and AKA (Adam Kenwright Associates) followed by years of freelance work we persuaded him to join us in 2007.

He is the lead designer for our rebranding and ongoing work with the Incorporated Society of Musicians (awarded a Design Effectiveness Award in 2011), and the branding for The Beaney in Canterbury. His editorial work includes many magazines, journals and annual reports (including the Commonwealth Foundation). His web projects include the hugely successful Norfolk & Norwich Festival site.

Outside the studio, Mike shuns digital formats, preferring the analogue pursuits of his shelves of books and vinyl records.

After a non-design course through higher education, John discovered a passion for typography, abandoned his path and jumped into design.

Since joining us in 2008, he has taken the lead on high-profile event campaigns, including Reveal (with Create KX) and Going Global (with The Hawth) and has become our lead designer for the Museum of London, working on a wide range of ongoing projects and exhibition promotions, including Pirates the Captain Kidd Story.

Web projects include festival sites and company sites for large-scale event specialists, Artichoke and the intriguing art commissioners, Arts Catalyst.

Under the moniker, John B, he experiments, online with photography and illustration.

It's Nicola that you'll talk to first if you visit or phone us; she provides us with the perfect creative environment to thrive in.

With a degree in photography, from Manchester Metropolitan, Nicola has a keen aesthetic eye. She has a background in managing creative people and joined us, in March 2012, from the excellent, bespoke furniture designers Hendzel + Hunt.

George studied design at DeMontfort University and was all set for a career as a graphic designer. But he took a year out to travel and stumbled into a five-year gap as a scuba-diving instructor.

Returning to the UK in 2005 he taught himself web coding, HTML and CSS. He's now an expert in building responsive and adaptive sites, with a specialism in Wordpress.

When he's not ankle deep in code, he's usually in training for his next triathlon. Yes, he's a triathlete.

Recent projects have included the responsive websites for Winning Words and The Charles Dickens Museum.

Affectionately known throughout the design world as Geordie Dave.

Dave cut his teeth at the renowned creative agency, Blast, where he worked on major projects for Arts Council England and the BBC. Subsequently, as a freelance designer he’s dropped-in to some of the highest profile studios in the UK.

Having been impressed by his stint at Cog Design, we asked him to join our creative team as an Associate Creative Director. He spends stints in the Cog studio, leading on major projects and providing a creative steer when we need him.

He has taken the design lead on many projects including the alignment of five museum identities for Canterbury City Council, and the branding work for the Commonwealth People’s Forum.

Elke stuied in her native Düsseldorf before moving to the UK in 2000. She worked for the music industry specialists, Small Japanese Soldier, and at Stylorouge before coming to work at Cog in 2005.

After two and a half very successful years, managing some of our high profile projects for Arts Council England and others, Elke left us to travel, work freelance and start a family.

We've kept in touch ever since and in early 2012 we were delighted to welcome Elke back as an Associate Designer, popping in to the studio for weeks at a time, when we need her to bring her special magic.