Brand Identity & My Role
Working as a graphic and motion design intern for WEBUYGOLDBRAND provided a direct look into the fast-paced streetwear industry. My primary objective was to build a cohesive visual presence ahead of the Chicago Streetwear Convention. I was responsible for translating the brand’s raw urban energy into a disciplined, strict visual system across both physical and digital mediums, taking concepts from initial sketches to production-ready assets.
What I Delivered
Translating a digital aesthetic into physical spaces demands precise execution. During my time with the brand, I developed a comprehensive suite of touchpoints to maximize impact on the convention floor and online:
- Apparel Graphics: Designed heavy cotton t-shirt graphics utilizing oversized typography and structural layouts, emphasizing a brutalist aesthetic.
- Physical Signage: Created bold, high-contrast layouts for Signicade A-Frame boards, designed to capture attention and establish physical brand territory.
- E-Commerce UI: Contributed to the Shopify storefront redesign, applying our strict monochrome palette and typographic hierarchy to create a premium, fluid user journey.
- Motion Promos: Adapted the static typographic system into kinetic video advertisements to drive engagement ahead of the event.
Motion Promos
▶ Click the image to view the live motion promo.
Industry Insights
Operating inside the streetwear space taught me that visual identity here works differently than in traditional corporate design. In a hyper-competitive environment like a convention floor, subtle details get lost. Branding must be instantly legible, aggressive, and unapologetic. I learned that standing out doesn’t mean adding visual noise; instead, it means using high-contrast, tightly kerned typography and rigid Swiss grids to cut through the chaos.
Key Takeaways
The most valuable lesson from this experience was bridging the gap between digital design, web interfaces, and physical manufacturing. Seeing my layouts printed on actual garments and integrated into a live web store taught me how material texture, scale, and environmental context completely alter how a design is perceived. It reinforced my core design philosophy: a strict, minimalist foundation can support and elevate even the most aggressive streetwear aesthetic.
