Firebrand Collective
UX Design, Research, Graphic Design, Branding, Project Management, Web Development, Art Direction - 2021
Firebrand Collective is an e-commerce site and lifestyle brand for folks of all different identities who are passionate about social change. This brand celebrates all different genders, sexualities, races, backgrounds, and identities and keeps inclusion at the front of everything it does. Every item in the store is tied to a related charity, so each purchase of that item results in a designated percentage (between 10 - 20%, specified in each product description) being donated to the associated cause. As folks shop for different items in the store, they are simultaneously raising money for various relevant charities that align with their lifestyle and advocate for marginalized groups, like Brave Space Alliance, The Greater Chicago Food Depository, and QTPoC Mental Health, to name a few.
Below are examples of some of the different socially- and politically-charged apparel.
The Process
I was originally brought in as a UX Designer to tighten up an existing product, but both the user and market pointed to the fact that the audience was not quite receptive to the initial idea. I presented the client with an alternative that the research did show an opportunity for, and the branding pivoted and I was brought on permanently as UX Manager to lead the project.
Below is the original Worse Than You site from before I came in as well as the current Firebrand Collective site, which illuminates the shift in the brand.
I was responsible for managing 5 different designers, working toward developing the brand further and generating content for the merchandise. I held weekly design studios and conducted a series of short sprints, where designers would implement changes from their critiques and iterate on different design concepts. I also generated content for the store, but my efforts were focused more around the general experience and establishing company culture, values, and equity framework that would establish a foundation of trust, transparency, and belonging.
The bulk of this project lived in the research. Finding the pivot opportunity was huge, and all the pieces fell into place after that. This role inherently came with a lot of educating, whether that was sensitivity training within the team or coaching design interns to become more confident and thorough problem-solvers.
Next Steps
As Firebrand Collective looks toward building a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its plans for expansion, there is a lot of work to be done! There are a lot of marketing pieces that will be falling into place in the near future, but in the meantime, a formal style guide will be created and the art direction and refining of the brand will continue. The company is in the process of licensing its content before it launches officially.