Clueless Co.
An affordable streetwear brand that strives for inclusivity and goes beyond industry standards. If you are a creative person who wants to do good, Clueless Co. is for you.
Overview
MY ROLE
UX/UI, Product & Brand Design, Videographer, Motion Graphics, 3D Design, Video Editing, Photography, Marketing
MY TEAM
Myself and Kate O’Gorman
TIMELINE
Feb 2021 — April 2021
PLATFORM
Responsive Website, Youtube Ad
Clueless Co. is my best definition of a personal passion project. I've always been immersed in fashion, clothes, and shaping my personal style. I liked what I liked regardless of what was trending. Growing up, I thrifted most of my clothes, and with that, you never know what you're going to find, and you get to go through so many eras of fashion.
I always had the itch to tap into the fashion industry and got that chance as a senior Capstone at RIT. My partner Kate and I had the opportunity to take everything we've learned from New Media Design and combine that into a lifestyle brand. From UX/UI Design to motion graphics to 3d design, and video editing, all of these facets were explored to create our products, brand, website, and ads.
Immediately Kate and I were aligned in our brand visions, which were inclusivity and redefining e-commerce standards. From creating genderless and unisex clothing to marketing for broad demographics, we wanted to create something anyone could feel comfortable and represented in.
The best part is I got my friends and family to model and help shape this brand. Their dedication to helping me grow is what makes this project unforgettable for me. I put as much of myself as possible into this project, from each hand-made clothing item to my friends' photography and the mission of accessibility and representation.
Big thank you to my Ye (grandma) for participating <3
Research
Identifying success and what's missing
Draw inspiration from things around you
Observing and drawing inspiration from one's surroundings is a valuable way to gather new and diverse ideas. This process can provide insights into human behavior, needs, and preferences. During my research, I didn't limit myself to competitors' sites; unintentionally, I found myself finding brand inspiration from social media ads, feeds, and media I was interested in.
Brands setting their lifestyle demographic
Understanding how each brand identifies and caters to its demographic was essential. From language, photography, tone, and even interaction, these were first tells to who each company wanted to approach. Luxury brands felt exclusive and minimal, while more inclusive brands were fun, vibrant, and used friendly imagery.
Who was taking a unique approach?
Most e-commerce sites and brands followed standard design practices with a marketplace, filters, and item selection. However, a few out of the bunch gave a new take on shopping; some include BE@RBRICK, Odd Future, and Rip n' Dip. From unique interactions to inclusive interfaces, these brands left a mark and knew the crowd they wanted to attract.
Plan
What will make us distinct?
1. Unique characters that personify our brand values
Many brands in the streetwear industry have a mascot or character that represents them. So at Clueless, we wanted to build our universe. Thus came, Thinker and Blinker. Inspired by vintage cartoons, we wanted to create mascots that had distinct personalities. Blinker, the light bulb, is the optimist, while Thinker is a doubtful pessimist. While opposites, they depend on each other and represent the duality of how we go through life and embrace society.
We would sell collectible figurines of Blinker and Thinker, ranging in exclusivity. To promote brand loyalty and gamify our brand and special characters.
2. Representation for customers who aren't typically considered in streetwear
It was easy to find demographic correlations when looking through streetwear brands. Like Supreme, BAPE, and Off-White seem to be primarily focused on: late teens to young adults, people with disposable money, and lean body types.
At Clueless Co. we wanted to do something different, mainly marketing towards all ages, from youth to the elderly; we want customers to feel comfortable in Clueless regardless of age. While making products that transcend age, we wanted the prices to be inclusive and as affordable as possible, so we tried to keep most products between $15-20.
3. Giving customers the power to make change and inspire hope
Many of these companies are so focused on profit. Still, we found that having an e-commerce site could also be an excellent opportunity to encourage customers and ourselves to make a difference.
This gave us the idea to add a donation selector with each purchase that would be funded by 15% of the customer purchase, so they didn't have to add any extra funds. They can also pick from a rotation of catered campaigns and fundraisers suggested by the community. This allows all customers to make a difference; while it may seem like a small amount, each purchase will add up.
Plan
Our Values
In a world where everything is happening at once, it can often feel overwhelming to keep up. Sometimes you could even feel clueless. But that's okay. You aren't alone. Everyone is taking life at their own pace and feels that uncertainty at some point. But even if you don't understand everything that's going on around you, you don't need to invalidate yourself, you can still make a difference. At Clueless Co. we want you to know that even if you are clueless you still are...
clueless but kind.
clueless but creative.
clueless but powerful.
Plan
Defining Our Brand Vision
We had our motives, initiatives, and ideas; now, we had to bring them to life in a cohesive manner that would best represent our values. It was time to pull in and mockup assets that would guide the direction and culture of our brand.
Character Concepts
My Concept Sketches
Kate's Concept Sketches
Personas
Visualizing Our Demographic
Design
Time to bring everything to life...
Design
Character Design
Using our sketches as a starting point, Kate developed the final designs for Blinker and Thinker, creating detailed vector illustrations that served as a reference for future character designs.
My role was to transform these 2D images into 3D models using Cinema 4D, which was a lot of fun! Kate and I worked closely to bring each character's unique personality to life by giving them poses that perfectly matched their individual traits. It was important to make sure these models were not only cool but also practical, so they could stand up properly without any issues.
These figures were the heart of our customer offerings, and we planned to release special limited-edition versions to get collectors excited. To make things easy, we kept the design simple and versatile, allowing them to fit perfectly into any environment or style.
Final Thinker and Blinker Mocks
Limited Edition
Figure Variants
Design
Product Designs
We embarked on a creative journey, leveraging the variety of assets at our disposal, including our Clueless Co. logo, mascot emblems, character illustrations, defined mottos, and values. With such a rich library, we had ample opportunities to explore exciting t-shirt designs.
However, we recognized the importance of finding a timeless, versatile design that could be effortlessly adapted to different themes and color schemes for future releases. The solution we arrived at was a three-layered wordmark, accentuated with an ombre fill.
This design not only provided a reliable template for future collections but also allowed us to incorporate themes like pride flag palettes, which helped with promoting inclusivity and diversity while giving our customers a platform for self-expression.
Testing
Creating the products
The creation of our clothing line hinged on the successful execution of print tests, a critical step in our design process. Before proceeding with the printing of our designs on transfer paper, we recognized the importance of crafting a test document with letter paper to verify critical factors such as color, scale, and legibility.
Additionally, we gained invaluable insights into the intricacies of setting up print documents and the nuanced differences between light and dark material transfer paper. For example, we learned that light transfer paper doesn't print white, but rather recognizes it as clear. It also required image flipping. Conversely, dark transfer paper itself was made of white paint so creating trim outlines was essential, and it required no flipping. To minimize the risk of printing errors, we meticulously reviewed these instructions to ensure that each unique requirement was met.
Design Print Templates
Print Transfers
Media
Photography & Videography
Preparing for this shoot was a challenging but rewarding experience that taught me many valuable lessons. I learned the importance of being meticulous in my planning, from shooting everything to tracking weather forecasts and keeping a keen eye on the clock.
Additionally, I had to navigate the delicate balance between directing the models and giving them space to feel comfortable and confident, particularly since many of them had never done a photoshoot before. I discovered that effective direction is key to getting the shoot started, but creating a safe and supportive space is what ultimately brings out the models' confidence and natural beauty. To achieve the raw, pure, and happy shots that I envisioned, I focused on allowing my friends to model in ways that felt authentic to them.
In order to facilitate the models' creative expression and ensure they were comfortable, I provided them with accessible resources, such as Pinterest and inspiration boards, that aligned with the desired aesthetic and poses for the shoot. This approach empowered them to explore their own unique interpretations and ultimately resulted in photographs that authentically reflected the essence of my friends and family.
Design
Website Design
Now all the foundations were in place to launch Clueless Co. To expand our reach and make shopping easier for our customers, creating a responsive e-commerce site was essential. This helped streamline the buying process and promote our brand to a broader audience. I focused on the desktop experience, while Kate worked on the mobile translations. We were thrilled to create a space where all our assets could live cohesively. We could now bring our vision to reality, offering creative, socially-conscious people the opportunity to do good through fashion and a safe space.
Website Features
Tools of Success
Inclusive navigation
For the customer experience, we wanted to keep terminology agnostic and gender-neutral. That is why we do not separate our items based on gender, since anyone should feel entitled to wear whatever clothing they want. It was also essential to offer a wide range of sizes when selecting different items to cater to as many body types as possible.
Choose your charity
At Clueless Co, we make it easy to make a difference. With our new module, 15% of your purchase goes directly to a charity of your choice during checkout. Based on your suggestions and thorough research, we're constantly rotating charities each season to ensure we support the causes you care about most effectively and as inclusively as possible. We want you to feel heard and empowered to make a positive impact with every purchase.
Playful imagery and language
By incorporating playful elements into our brand, we can create a unique and memorable image that sets us apart from competitors and attracts loyal customers. This can help build brand loyalty and attract customers who are looking for something fresh, fun, and inclusive. Moreover, playful imagery and language can help us break down barriers and make our brand more accessible to people of all backgrounds and identities.
You made it this far!
Thank you
Even if you're clueless, you can still be kind.