Mike Henden

Mike trained in Graphic Design at Auckland Technical Institute (now known as AUT) and began his career in Graphic Design in 1985. He worked as a graphic designer and finished artist in advertising agencies and printing and publishing companies in Auckland and Sydney, before mastering the Macintosh operating system and graphics software packages (anybody remember PageMaker?) in 1989.

In 1992 he was recruited as an on-site Graphic Designer for a Wellington-based company. In this position he was responsible for the production of high-quality marketing materials for international markets. This position also furthered his experience in print production processes. He also gained first-hand experience in pre-press and imaging skills before establishing Mike Henden Design (mhdesign.co.nz) with Julie in 1995.

Since then he has worked on a variey of projects covering corporate and advertising work for a wide range of clients. This includes work in a freelance capacity for a number of Wellington-based agencies and design studios. He has used this experience to keep abreast of the latest industry trends and technology.

In 2000 Mike extended his skills to include the designing and building of websites. This makes him one of the earlier adaptors to this technology, and has led to the creation of many websites for a wide range of clients over the years. In 2009 he extended these skills to include the development of Content Managed Websites, working on platforms like Silverstripe and Wordpress, and he is currently embracing the dark arts of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and Social Media Marketing.

When not at his desk Mike enjoys music, photography, books and good company. He also has an interest in performance and classic cars (with a particular passion for classic Minis).