TeePublic Brand Foundations
Having been a part of TeePublic since its humble beginnings, I’ve witnessed its transformative journey from a scrappy start-up driven by the pursuit of performance and proof of concept to a thriving platform dedicated to creative self-expression that has helped independent creators earn millions of dollars. On the surface (and perhaps due to its short-sighted name choice) TeePublic sells graphic tees. But my tenure has allowed me to deeply understand that it is so much more than that. In my seven years at the company, starting as a graphic designer and moving to Creative Director, I’ve played a pivotal role in shaping the brand architecture from the ground up, infusing it with authenticity and a touch of irreverence. The featured project below is just the start of a brand revamp that includes a new visual identity and page by page site redesign set to launch in Q3 of 2023.
My Role
ϟ Creative strategy
🗨 Creative direction
↗ Research & user interviews
☁ Discovery & brainstorm facilitation
⁂ Project Management
Brand Foundations
Manifesto
Imagine you’re at a party.
You don’t know a single person aside from the host. You stand by the food, slowly making a plate. You check your phone several times even though it hasn’t pinged once since you arrived. You scan the room looking for any familiar face. You see an old acquaintance holding court in a group of people. You wander over and stand on the outskirts, laughing at a joke you don’t get. Is it hot in here? It feels hot. You move outside to get some air. You take off your jacket and sigh. Why did I even bother coming?
Suddenly you hear, “Nice shirt. I love that show”. You realize this voice is referencing you and your shirt that has an image of your favorite character quoting your favorite line from your favorite show.
“Did you hear they’re working on a new season right now?
“Yeah, I did hear that! I can’t wait.”
“What did you think of the finale?”
“Well, I thought that it was going to be super predictable but then it blew my mind...”
And suddenly you’re in a conversation. You’ve made a connection. You’re not alone anymore.
This is why TeePublic exists.
We don’t sell t-shirts — we inspire confidence.
We don’t hawk art — we empower self-expression.
We are not a transaction — we make connections.
Together, we’ll build a world where finding confidence is as simple as being yourself; where it’s cool to care; where making a lifelong connection is possible with a simple, “Where you’d get that?”
We are TeePublic. A platform for the passionate. A marketplace for the enthusiastic. Connections for all.
The How, What, and Why
Purpose
TeePublic’s purpose is the why behind our very existence. It’s why we matter and why our brand is meaningful to people. It’s what we aspire to be and helps drive everyday decision making.
To empower¹ self-expression,² enabling authentic connections.³
1) We will only ever uplift others. Though we may poke fun at ourselves, we never make fun of others. 2) No matter how niche or mainstream an interest, we encourage customers and artists to share it. Let your freak flag fly, baby. 3) There is no better outcome to wearing your heart on your sleeve and a stranger asks, “Where’d you get that?!”
Vision
TeePublic’s vision is the world we hope to create when our business is done. It’s where we hope to be living in 5, 20, 50, 100 years down the road - however long it takes!
To create a world¹ where authentic self-expression is embraced by all.²
1) In our vision of the world, people not only feel good about expressing themselves, but feel safe to do so because everyone else is, too. 2) Pride in being yourself is no longer the exception to the rule: it is the rule.
Mission
Our mission is how we’re going to bring our vision to life. It’s a clear and attainable goal we strive for every day. Our mission is a distillation of what we do and how we make our vision a reality.
Build the most extensive marketplace¹ for wearable art² that enables self-expression and foster connections.³
1) A platform that is easy for customers to discover what they love, and a tool that artists prefer because of its ease and accessibility. 2) We believe art isn’t meant to be in a safe or hidden behind a curtain. It should be on display, even if that means your everyday t-shirt! 3) At the end of the day, we all just want to be appreciated and embraced for exactly who we are.
Reasons to Believe
Differentiators +
Reasons to Believe
Our reasons to believe are the differentiators that make our platform stand out amongst competitors. It’s the reasoning behind the powerful turning of our flywheel.
Differentiator 1:
The Marketplace
Breadth & Depth
Thousands of artists uploading new designs every 5 seconds means an endless library of art, styles, and interests.
Product Range
From t-shirts to phone cases to totes, if shoppers find a design they love, they aren’t limited to the product they can purchase it on.
Unique Finds
With so many artists around the world, no interest is too niche or subcultural. Customers are bound to find a design that fits their interests that they’d never find at the mall.
Differentiator 2:
Artists
Passion Into Profit
The marketplace is populated by independent designers, so every purchase is supporting indie art.
On the Cultural Pulse
The moment a viral event takes off, an artist is probably creating a design to upload to their store. TeePublic allows consumers to keep up with trends by the second.
Diverse Perspectives
With a global network of artists, the marketplace features art and interests from all walks of life.
Differentiator 3:
Fulfillment
Customer Service
If something isn’t right with a purchase, our TeePublic GuaranTEE promises we’ll fix it. For free. No questions asked.
Economies of Scale
Our operations enable people to buy wearable art at affordable prices year round.
On Demand
Every purchase is printed on demand – no warehouses filled with unsold products – allowing us to keep prices low and environmentally responsible.
Visual Guidelines
We partnered with Standards, a platform that allows us to design, publish, and share our brand guidelines online. Branding has changed, but tools to design guidelines are stuck in the past. Standards is purpose-built for the needs of designers and brands. It enables us to keep up with small, day to day changes to the guidelines with little lift.
Below is a snapshot of TeePublic’s guidelines on Standards. To view the live version, check out teepublic.design. At this time, our guidelines live behind a password but reach out if you’re curious!
