About

Mike Carsten is an environmental graphic designer in New York City whose passion for architecture, history, and signage has led to the execution of projects built on planning, skill, and expertise. Mike graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a BFA in Communications and Graphic Design. Today he is a senior designer spearheading design, implementation and project management of architectural graphics and signage programs for a variety of clients.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, designing signage, he has committed himself to documenting and preserving the signs, structures, and curiosities of his native New York, and other cities through fascinating images. Mike travels and seeks out his urban interests such as neon signs, diners, old skybridges, historic or quirky buildings, small or interesting architectural details, any and all commercial archeology with a story, or the obscure and weird things around us. This started with a fascination with documenting the old things left in New York City, as the city is changing, and these older remnants are removed and replaced with new. He realized it’s extremely important to preserve these sights anywhere the best we can, even if by a photograph or memory.

Nostalgia is his middle name.