nîkihk was created in March 2020 to help combat the national shortage of sanitizing solutions for First Nations by formulating and distributing naturally-derived cleaning kits. They are a 100% First Nations-owned company, located in Saskatchewan, Canada.

I was hired to help solve the design problem of creating a public-facing consumer brand that appeals to a wide demographic while retaining First Nations ethics, traditions, and design aesthetics. In a collaborative effort, we incorporated the Cree language and traditional beadwork, as well as medicinal herbs and berries to create a product line that echoes the values at the core of the company.

Since its launch, nîkihk has sold over 75,000 cleaning kits, made headlines, and has experienced exponential growth, year after year.

“When the time came to begin designing our latest consumer brand, nikihk – I knew exactly who to call. Jonathan and I designed the ecologik brand together, the quality and creativity of the work stood out. Jonathan was as excited about the work as I was, and his robust process-oriented approach to design accelerated our progress. Fantastic design work was done, and we actually had a blast collaborating. Jonathan made highly complex and detailed work look easy, and it’s a testament to the depth of his experience as well as artistic passion. Ultimately, we did work on several brands together ranging from sustainable to industrial audiences. Highly recommend Jonathan for doing high-quality creative work! I learned a lot from him and look forward to our next project!”

— Raj Behari, Vice President, CBRG