THE CHALLENGE
Eighty-Seven West had the look and the product. What they needed was a brand system built to last—one that could evolve without losing its edge.
The challenge? Create a flexible foundation that could grow with them.
87W wasn’t after a quick hit. They were building long-term creative infrastructure.
THE SOLUTION
I worked with the 87W team to create a campaign and a cohesive visual system all tied to a clear, confident brand voice.
To make sure the brand felt right (not just looked good), I pulled in a few key ideas from brand psychology, think of it like the science of how people emotionally connect to visuals:
Contrast: We used soft portraits next to sharper product shots to create a sense of balance. It keeps the brand from feeling flat.
Simplicity + Repetition: Clean, repeated elements (like logos, color pairings, and type choices) help people recognize the brand faster.
Emotional cues: Every design choice was made to spark a feeling, whether that’s calm, confidence, or curiosity. When a brand makes you feel something, you remember it.
MY PART
As the Creative Director, my contributions included:
✔ Helped name the brand—87W—a nod to Chicago’s longitude and its role as both origin point and cultural influence
✔ Created a complete art direction strategy that positioned 87W as a future-focused lifestyle brand with emotional depth
✔ Styled and color-graded assets to feel cohesive across diverse lighting conditions and subjects
✔ Designed product and portrait shots that serve multiple functions such as hero images, web banners, and social-ready assets
✔ Built a visual narrative rooted in balance, where editorial photography met structured product visuals to reflect the brand’s duality
✔ Applied principles of branding psychology to ensure consistency in perception across every touchpoint
✔ Helped elevate 87W from a logo and some merch to a living, breathing creative system with values and vision
The result? A system that’s smart and intentional, but still feels effortless. Exclusive, but never out of reach.
