The Turning Point

A few months in, the CEO and Chief Online Officer decided that if I was going to keep pushing the brand forward, I might as well be the one in charge of it. So I became Head of Art Direction — which meant the redesign suddenly grew from “make things look nicer” to “reimagine everything”: online, in-store, corporate culture, external communication… basically everywhere the brand showed its face.

My Role

I went from being “the guy with taste” to running what felt like a full-service agency inside Calumet. Along the way, I built and mentored a design team, set up systems that actually worked, and kept the whole thing moving — with just enough humor to keep it fun.

The Approach

• Create a visual identity that respected Calumet’s heritage while dragging it firmly into the present.
• Build a design system that worked across all channels (and even came with folder structures that made sense — a rare thing in corporate life).
• Work with in-house designers and freelancers like we were running our own little in-house agency.
• Convince people that design isn’t decoration — it’s strategy in disguise.

The Results

• A brand that finally looked as professional as the company itself.
• One consistent design language across web, social, retail, print, and even the new HQ.
• Workflows that saved time, stress, and at least three collective headaches per week.
• Stakeholders who now talk about “brand” with something close to enthusiasm.