is a visual storyteller and artist calling Chicago home. Going beyond work, she sees art as a chance to experience life. She creates vivid, story first, works inspired by history, classical art, and cinema. With a skillset that extends to video production, fashion, design and animation.
WorkLife WellBeing Merchandising
My approach to merchandising begins with a deep analysis of the brand—what it stands for, its core message, and the visual cues that best convey its essence. The goal is to elevate the brand, positioning it as both aspirational and exclusive—something akin to the allure of luxury fitness gear like Ola or Early Equinox. The merchandise isn't just about creating products; it's about crafting items that resonate with the identity of those who engage with the brand, making a statement about the people who own them.
With WorkLife WellBeing's branding guidelines and vision in hand, I explore a wide range of potential merchandise ideas. From apparel like shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, and pants to accessories like hats, water bottles, and even golf balls, each item is designed to embody the brand's blend of luxury and wellness. The aim is to create products that not only promote the brand but also become coveted items that customers take pride in owning.
01
Identifying Branding
The unique challenge of launching a new brand is the duality of complete creative control paired with the reality of limited brand recognition. Without an established presence, the task becomes a strategic fight to stand out in a crowded market. One of our priorities was to design a selection of high-quality merchandise items that would not only elevate the brand but also extend its reach. Each piece was crafted to convey the mission of WorkLife WellBeing—creating a luxury product that resonates with the brand's core values of wellness and exclusivity, making it an aspirational item for our target audience.
02
Mocking Up Options
When it comes to designing merchandise, more is more. The wide variety of fashion trends, products, and ways a brand can interact with them means that creativity is unlimited. My approach involves creating as many product mockups as possible and exploring every potential avenue for how the brand can be represented. From there, I refine the concepts and curate the top 25 designs to present to key stakeholders, ensuring that the final selections align with the brand's vision and resonate with its audience. This process allows for a wide exploration of ideas while ensuring only impactful designs move forward.
03
Selection
carefully selected and compiled my top 30 strongest designs, each showcasing creativity, innovation, and market relevance. Along with the design concepts, I included price comparisons from a preferred printing company to provide a clear financial perspective on potential production costs. This comprehensive PowerPoint presentation was created for key decision-makers to evaluate and guide the selection of 3-5 standout products to move forward with. By combining design excellence with cost considerations, this review stage allowed us to make informed, strategic decisions that aligned with both our creative vision and budgetary goals.
04
Production
Once the final items were selected and the budget determined, I conducted an inventory check of the Pro Shop and purchased any missing sizes, ensuring all products were fully restocked. I prepared all the necessary digital files for the print shop and collaborated closely with their creative teams to ensure that the prints were executed exactly as envisioned. I only signed off when the final product met our expectations. Most of the products were made available for sale in the Pro Shop, while some were set aside as special marketing gifts for new members joining the gym.