Quick Summary (TL;DR)
➡️ Problem: As a startup fashion brand in a saturated market, Water&Gold needed a strong, memorable identity to stand out.
➡️ Problem: As a startup fashion brand in a saturated market, Water&Gold needed a strong, memorable identity to stand out.
➡️ Role: I developed creative strategy, logotype, brand guidelines, and photography direction to define and elevate their brand.
➡️ Solution: Designed a bold logotype featuring an ampersand with a water-drop motif, plus foundational brand and photography guidelines, and a waitlist landing page.
➡️ Impact: The new identity earned positive feedback and established a solid creative foundation —positioning Water&Gold for launch and long-term brand recognition.
This summary highlights the key outcomes. The sections below walk through the design process step by step.
Intro/Background
Water&Gold, a startup urban clothing and footwear brand, was entering a saturated streetwear market without a defined identity. The founder needed a creative partner to translate his passion into a strong, recognizable, and scalable brand foundation. Having worked with him previously on a different project, I brought both familiarity and trust to the collaboration. This gave me the freedom to take the creative lead and move the vision forward out of the gate. For many entrepreneurs, handing over creative control isn’t easy. However, that trust made working on Water&Gold especially fun and collaborative.
This design case study examines a key question: Can thoughtful brand identity design be the difference between blending into the crowd or carving out a lasting presence in the market?
The Problem
Breaking into the clothing and footwear industry is notoriously difficult. Without a clear identity, Water&Gold risked blending into a market dominated by established players. Several challenges emerged:
Breaking into the clothing and footwear industry is notoriously difficult. Without a clear identity, Water&Gold risked blending into a market dominated by established players. Several challenges emerged:
❌ No brand identity: The company lacked a logo, brand system, or creative direction to distinguish itself.
❌ Crowded market: Competing against iconic, established streetwear brands required sharper storytelling and positioning.
❌ Scaling risk: Without brand guidelines, early growth could lead to inconsistent messaging and diluted identity.
❌ Photography gap: Visual storytelling is a critical factor in retail clothing, and had not yet been defined.
My Role
➡ Defined brand tone, positioning, creative strategy, and visual direction
➡ Designed primary and alternate logotypes for flexible use
➡ Created brand guidelines covering typography, color, and usage
➡ Directed photography style and mood for lifestyle imagery
➡ Designed supporting digital assets (waitlist landing page and email capture system)
➡ Tools used: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, WordPress, MailChimp
➡ Defined brand tone, positioning, creative strategy, and visual direction
➡ Designed primary and alternate logotypes for flexible use
➡ Created brand guidelines covering typography, color, and usage
➡ Directed photography style and mood for lifestyle imagery
➡ Designed supporting digital assets (waitlist landing page and email capture system)
➡ Tools used: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, WordPress, MailChimp
Challenges + Learnings
One of the first challenges was translating the founder’s passion and resilience into a design system that felt authentic and scalable. Having worked with him before, I understood his drive and trusted me to shape his vision into something tangible. That trust allowed me to take bold creative steps and build a brand identity that would hold up under real-world conditions.
Designing a logo system that could flex across packaging, retail tags, and digital channels required careful thought. We created both horizontal and square versions, ensuring consistency whether used in a storefront, on social media, or on apparel.
Another important learning was the role of photography in defining brand culture. For Water&Gold, visuals needed to capture the urban lifestyle authentically — shot on the streets, on real models, and with lighting that conveyed strength and mood. Setting this direction early prevented inconsistent imagery from creeping into future campaigns.
Finally, I learned that in startup brand projects, the goal isn’t to over-design every detail at the start. Instead, it’s about providing simple, scalable tools — like a lean but solid brand guidelines book — that can grow with the company as it evolves.
Impact/Results
✅ Delivered a flexible logo system that works seamlessly across digital and print, as well as orientation
✅ Delivered a flexible logo system that works seamlessly across digital and print, as well as orientation
✅ Established brand guidelines that ensure consistent storytelling and scalable growth
✅ Defined a photography direction aligned with streetwear culture and retail expectations
✅ Strengthened founder confidence, credibility, and ability to pitch to partners and early customers
✅ Early feedback from the client and stakeholders was highly positive, validating the design direction
✅ Benchmark-based projected value:
➡ Consistent branding across channels can increase revenue by 23% on average (Lucidpress benchmark)
➡ 82% of investors say brand strength is a key factor in funding decisions (Entrepreneur.com)
➡ A distinct visual identity increases brand recognition by up to 80%, critical in crowded markets (Reboot survey)
➡ 82% of investors say brand strength is a key factor in funding decisions (Entrepreneur.com)
➡ A distinct visual identity increases brand recognition by up to 80%, critical in crowded markets (Reboot survey)
✅ Positioned Water&Gold with a solid phase one foundation, giving it a realistic path to compete in the saturated streetwear market
Click here to read more in-depth about my process behind creating Water&Gold’s logotype.
