Jamais Vu (French, pronounced zhah-may voo, “never seen”). It is a psychological occurrence wherein a viewer experiences something they are familiar with, but it feels unfamiliar or new.

Speaking & Workshops

AIGA Mobile - How To Make Type & Look Good Doing It (Virtual - 2021)

United Design Guild - Talks in Type (Parsippany, NJ - 2019)

Ramapo College of New Jersey - Illustrator Basics & Shortcuts Workshop, with Kevin Greene (Ramapo, NJ - 2019)

Montclair State University - Gestalt Typography Workshop (Montclair, NJ - 2018)

MLC Connect 17, with Fanbrandz (Houston, TX - 2017)

Jamais Vu is the graphic design & typography of Mike Sulick.

Let’s break it down. Mike Sulick is a graphic designer, type designer, book collector, podcast host, and horror movie enthusiast from New Jersey.

Jamais Vu is a body of work built around the personal design philosophy of Mike Sulick. The name comes from a French phrase often described as the opposite of déjà vu (which translates to “already seen”). Jamais vu translates to “never seen” and describes a psychological occurrence wherein a viewer experiences something they are familiar with (in the field of design: this could be type, a logo, or a poster) but it feels unfamiliar, almost as if it is a completely new and unique experience.

Good design should elicit a sense of jamais vu – since we are all surrounded by design everywhere we go, we are all familiar with it on some level. However, good design should feel new: something that surfaces new feelings and visual experiences. Expectations can be subverted and the familiar becomes unfamiliar and strange. Jamais Vu is a design philosophy that allows for new perspectives and a better appreciation for design and visual culture as a whole.

Using this philosophy, Jamais Vu develops elegant and expressive design created with respect for being timeless and insightful. This work includes identity systems, websites, print materials, and motion graphics, all with an emphasis on strong typography and thought-provoking ideas. This usually includes creating custom bespoke typefaces for every project, no matter the size. This perspective on design has led to collaborations with creatives from all walks of life, including photographers, architects, product designers, industrial designers, filmmakers, twitch streamers, and musicians to name a few.

Jamais Vu is also a digital type foundry, making all sorts of beautiful and bizarre typefaces with a gentle mix of quirkiness and usability. You can buy a number of these typefaces right here from the source.

When not fussing around with type, Mike Sulick is the Senior Designer at Fanbrandz developing team identities and special event style guides for Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. You can also find him co-hosting the Fireside Podcast with Kevin Greene.