Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Forrest.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Michael Steven Forrest, and I have been designing for a little over 18 years now. My career sort of started by accident. I was taking a freshman-level computer science class where the final project was to design a simple web page. While working on the site in my free time outside of class, someone looking over my shoulder saw me designing and asked if I made logos. Being 19—and believing I could do anything—I said, “Yeah, I make logos.” Looking back, I’m not sure I even really knew what a logo was or the job it had to do.
That moment connected a lot of things I hadn’t fully realized. Almost every day growing up, I played in Microsoft Paint— drawing buildings, designing golf courses (I had a Tiger Woods obsession for a minute), and designing a lot of geometric patterns. In middle school, I tried so hard to be cool—paying attention to trends and making sure I was wearing the brands the cool kids wore. What a loser. In high school, I picked up a Transworld Skateboarding magazine and was entranced. That magazine pulled me in. I wasn’t even really conscious of the design of the magazine, but its ability to grab me and convince me of the thrill of the sport did its job.
I didn’t know it yet, but all of these seasons and experiences (playing, paying attention, trying too hard) were preparing and training me for a career in branding.
Fast forward to today. My career has led me to work with some of the biggest brands in the world, as well as some of the greatest small businesses in the United States. I have designed and directed several brand identities, magazines, and packaging design systems — primarily through Counter Brand & Type, the brand-focused design studio I founded and co-run with my business partner, Mike Edwards.
At Counter, work feels like play. And for us, the only rule is work. If you work, it will lead to something. We work hard with and for our clients, knowing that our work has work to do. We aim to build brands that move people to feel, know, and act. And its a lot of good, fun, hard work.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This is not the easiest industry to be in. It has largely been one that thrives on hustle culture. For better or worse, I’ve fallen victim to the idea that putting in long hours, working late nights, and taking on more than I can handle would help me get ahead. And to an extent, that has been true. But I’ve also experienced the consequences of it firsthand.
I think this is changing with the next generation of designers. They’re pushing back against this in a meaningful way. They value rest more than previous generations did, and I agree that there has to be a healthy balance. Rest is a necessary ingredient for success and ideation. What I am working on today is finding ways of being the most efficient with the time I have at work. When I started Counter, I made it a priority that we try get everything done within a 40-hour week. And honestly, we’ve held to that pretty well. There have been a few late nights, but not many.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The work I do is now the work “we” do at Counter. Counter is an extension of me…
We’d love to learn more about your work —
I really believe that every mark that I/ we make at Counter should be considerate and done with intention. Every logo, every texture, every typeface (font) we make or curate should be an extension of who our clients are and most importantly, who they are becoming.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc —
We decided a few years to specialize – to focus on what it is we truly love and to be completely honest, what we’re better suited for making. That looks like designing brand identities and visual design systems that support them. We help companies realize what actually makes them unique and give them a visual and verbal tone of voice that’s right for them.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the fact that we continue to operate from a place of principle and conviction. We’re interested in letting our client’s values lead our visual outcomes. That means we’re less interested in trend and style and anchor our work in strategy and connection.
What sets you apart from others?
I don’t think our approach is entirely unique, but I do believe it sets us apart locally. We take inspiration from designers and studios that came before us—those who have created work that stands the test of time. Studios like Unimark, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, Collins, and Cina Associates are very inspiring to us.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We love our city and we love the budding design community here in Orlando. We’re interested and invested in making deeper connections within each and making connections between the two.
Contact Info:
- Website: thisiscounter.com
- Instagram: @thisiscounter
- Twitter: Threads* @thisiscounter
Image Credits
Photos: Greg Perkins Website: https://www.thegregperkins.com/ Instagram: @thegregperkins
