Expanding a brand's product line and exploring new merchandise categories is more than just a growth tactic, it's a way to deepen customer loyalty and reduce the risk of relying on a single hit to support your sales. By widening the range of offerings, you give existing fans more ways to show up for your brand, attract new audiences with adjacent interests, and create fresh opportunities for storytelling. Most importantly, each new category becomes a chance to discover what resonates, build momentum, and shapes your brand into a distinct destination instead of just a stop off.
Experiments in
Product Development
The designs created here started off with a factory standard frame style. I designed custom enamel enhancements which enabled quick turnaround on production and kept the style within budget while expanding into a new product sector.
Working alongside the brand founders, I helped develop and expand their product assortment strategy. The goal was to design and curate an elevated range of exclusive and customizable goods that reinforced brand identity while increasing the average purchase value. I conceptualized the designs and when necessary worked with contract designers convert designs to proper formats for factory production.
Wildflower + Co.
Material Goods | Graphic Design | Illustration | Hand Lettering
Expanding Product Lines
Emily, Etsy
“Would definitely give this review 10 stars if I could because this mug is SO freaking cute!! I bought this for my best friend's birthday and I can't wait to give it to her, she's going to absolutely love it!! The pic doesn't really do it justice but I have to say I especially love the iridescent finish, it's a nice touch to the magic/unicorn theme. All in all this mug is a definite must buy!!”
To create this sculptural ceramic unicorn mug, I sketched out the design and created the vector outline, then passed my work off to another designer who helped create the 3D design layout.
Custom(er) Creations
Wildflower + Co.
Developing Custom Embroidery Process
I conducted an extensive research, sourcing and sampling process to determine machinery, software, and materials needed to facilitate in-studio production of embroidered berets for B2C and wholesale purchases with a made-to-order model.
In doing so I built the foundation for a custom embroidery program with opportunity to expand while also establishing best practices that I would later train to other studio members.
Material Goods | Product Deveopment | Project Management
The finalized offering included an array of beret and thread color options as well as the customer's choice of message and several fonts to choose from.
Each custom order was filled in-house by the team that I trained.
The system I designed also held opportunities for future growth in offerings, which I also explored –
bandanas, straw beach hats, baseball caps, etc.
Made to Order
The sampling process was beneficial in guiding decision making for the specific material choices used for embroidery. I was able to identify the ideal combination of materials to produce a clean application.
Additionally, I was able to test out the various messaging and designs that the target customers were drawn to by producing small runs of the berets that were then featured at the makers' markets that the brand rented retail space from. By measuring reactions to each style, I was able to identify which designs were the top performers. This information was valuable for marketing to wholesale accounts.