GABARSHOP
A creator merch store I built, ran, and never fully left. Four years inside the team — from packing boxes to redesigning the full product experience. The store still calls me back when something genuinely new needs to be made.
Why
I joined Gabar's team in 2020 doing whatever needed doing — including physically assembling orders. That proximity to the product was the education. I saw what people ordered, what they returned, what they asked about, what made them proud to own. When the storefront needed a redesign, I was the obvious choice — not because I was the only designer available, but because I had more product knowledge than anyone who could have been briefed.
What
I rebuilt the store's UX and UI from scratch. The original site was a flat product catalog — no structure, no story, no reason to stay. I introduced information architecture that gave the store personality: blocks about the team, production process, behind-the-scenes content. Merch that felt like it came from a factory became merch that felt like it came from people. I also ran the store's Telegram channel — building it to 10,000 subscribers through a content mix of factory footage, material polls, design votes, and audience-driven giveaways. One recurring format: subscribers submitted t-shirt designs by hand or digitally, we ran a community vote, the winner got produced. The audience wasn't just buying the product — they were co-authoring it. When another designer approached with a UI refresh proposal, I acted as product lead: we worked together to validate and adjust his direction, then shipped the update. No ego, better product.
How
The channel was the research layer. Every poll about materials, every reaction to a prototype photo, every question in the comments was signal. I used that signal to make product decisions — what to add to the catalog, what to retire, what format the next giveaway should take. The store's depth (40+ SKUs, styled packaging, gift certificates, seasonal drops) wasn't a strategy document — it grew from constant feedback between the product and its audience. After leaving the team full-time in 2024, I continued as an on-call collaborator for new product lines — specifically when the brief requires more than a new colorway.
What it looks like
What we delivered
Full catalog ownership — 80% designed by me
Telegram community built around co-creation, not just announcements
Across four years of continuous operation
Ongoing commissions post-employment — called back for new product types, not repeats
Need a product that connects with its audience?
Tell me who they are — I'll tell you what they need to see.
Get in touch