My work on Star Trek: Discovery was done at FBFX in London in 2016, where I joined as a concept artist for the series pilot. The team was approached by Costume Designer Gersha Phillips to design and create Michael Burnham’s spacesuits and armour, including versions for both short and long hauls.
For this portfolio, I revisited some of the ideas I generated at the time and updated the drawings to better present the design thinking behind them.
MICHAEL BURNHAM | SPACESUIT
Michael Burnham short-haul armour — original thumbnail.
This small colour thumbnail was the starting point for one of my favourite directions. After reading the brief and looking through the NASA references we were given, I liked the idea of the suit giving Burnham an almost soft, alien-creature silhouette.
Michael Burnham short-haul armour — concept sketch.
At this stage, the suit felt closer to designing a product than simply drawing a costume. Every piece needed a reason to exist: how Burnham could move, where the armour would sit, what needed to be hard, what needed to stay soft, and how all the layers would work together.
The helmet shape came first, inspired by the idea of a fish-like or deep-sea creature silhouette. From there, I explored a short-haul armour system built from separate parts rather than one fixed shell — hard enough to protect her, but broken up enough to move with the body.
The sharp colour on the shoulders was also a practical idea: a way for officers to be spotted quickly in different environments.
Helmet explorations.
Further development of the helmet shape, keeping the idea of a clear, protective shell around the head. I wanted it to feel functional and space-ready, but also slightly creature-like — not aggressive, more like a deep-sea form adapted for flight.flight. The transparent sections helped keep the helmet feeling open and readable, while still connecting visually with the armour plates below.
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