Brand & Web Design

St. Louis Design Week 2025

Group of six smiling young adults posing under warm string lights, with one man holding a 'Creative Misfit' t-shirt.

Client: St. Louis Design Week
Project Type: Brand Campaign & Event Design
Timeline: February - October 2025
Role: Creative Director

A comprehensive brand campaign for St. Louis Design Week's 15th anniversary, featuring creative direction, strategic partnerships, web design, environmental graphics, and swag unified under a theatrical "Creative Misfits" vision.

Bringing everyone to the show.

Design Week has always celebrated what makes St. Louis's creative community special - its diversity. And while graphic design has always been at the heart of Design Week, we all know that the creative scene here in STL is so much bigger than that. Among many other professions, STL is proud to know architects, filmmakers, UX designers, photographers, fashion designers, printmakers, and so many more. We're all passionate about seeing St. Louis creatives thrive, and we wanted this year's Design Week to make it clear: all creative problem solvers belong in the same space.
Stacks of pamphlets titled 'The Acrobat Alphabet' and blue tote bags arranged on a wooden table near a window.

Creative misfits, unite.

As Creative Director, I helped establish the "Creative Misfits" theme. It’s what we were calling a theatrical night-circus aesthetic inspired by Design Week's original circus theme from 15 years ago. Our goal with the theme and the dark, moody visuals with ornate frames and dramatic details was to create a big-tent feeling: we're all different, and that's exactly the point.

This process started back in early 2025 when Anna, Kaley and I began developing a brand foundation. We focused on things like color palette, typography, and visual language to help give everyone a clear north star while allowing room for interpretation. From there, we executed across every touchpoint: a website with theatrical animations that generated excitement, daily wayfinding posters, a fold-out poster that surprised people by expanding from pocket-sized to 18x24 inches, and a huge variety of swag. With an October deadline, the challenge was bringing all these pieces forward simultaneously. By coordinating partnerships, production timelines, and design iterations I was able to ensure everything was ready when Design Week launched.

Strategic partnerships with Advertisers Printing, The Done Department, Swan Meadow, Brick City Printing, STL Style House, and Alchemy Merch made it possible to deliver premium swag like stickers, enamel pins, PVC keychains, tote bags, bandanas, posters, and shirts.
STL Design Week 2025 swag including navy tote bag, t-shirts, sticker sheets, keychain, playing cards, and a card deck on brown floor.

Show time.

Design Week 2025 delivered growth across the board. With over 80 programs throughout the week, 500+ registered participants, and more than 2,000 attendees across all events.

The theatrical "Creative Misfits" brand worked across every touchpoint, creating a cohesive experience that welcomed all types of creatives. Strategic partnerships proved you can deliver premium quality with smart thinking, allowing us to stretch resources to create swag and materials that reflected the sophistication of the event.

While we're waiting on the full impact report for 2025, the growth in both programming and attendance shows the brand resonated with the creative community. From the website to the printed materials, every design choice worked together to support the goal of bringing people together.

Check out the Design Week website.
Modern lounge area with two gray sofas, black and patterned pillows, a round black coffee table with a small potted plant, and colorful schedule posters on a wooden slatted wall.Modern lounge area with two gray sofas, black and patterned pillows, a round black coffee table with a small potted plant, and colorful schedule posters on a wooden slatted wall.Modern lounge area with two gray sofas, black and patterned pillows, a round black coffee table with a small potted plant, and colorful schedule posters on a wooden slatted wall.Glass window of a building with reflections of street and cars, showing multiple 'Design Week Venue' signs and the text 'work & leisure'.
Enamel pin with gold lettering that reads 'The Greatest Design Week in STL' and a black pin backing.Table displaying stacks of booklets titled 'The Acrobat Alphabet', navy tote bags, and various small round pins and stickers.Olive green backpack featuring a gold enamel pin reading 'The Greatest Design Week in STL' and a blue round keychain with a clown face and the words 'Creative Misfit'.Blue circular keychain with a clown face and the words 'Creative Misfit' attached to a black and gray backpack.A green snake plant in a white ceramic pot and a shiny black swan figurine on a wooden shelf with colorful posters on a lavender wall.Group of six young adults smiling and posing together under a ceiling decorated with warm string lights at a nighttime Design Week event.Man wearing a backwards cap smiling and holding a black cloth with colorful designs and the words 'Design Week' at night with blurred string lights in the background.Person holding a pin that reads 'The Greatest DESIGN WEEK in STL' against a background of blurred warm lights.