Tees

HalflifeUSA  has a goal to remove the stigma associated with the homeless. They give a percentage of profits to homeless organizations and used recycled cotton clothing to manufacture their tees. Halflife also employes homeless people to help make their products to make a direct impact! They asked me to design a small line for the brand and I was only too happy to help. I designed three tees; the first is a typography doodle piece that has a message hidden amongst the mass of doodles “Let’s end homelessness”, the second is a positive character based tee that depicts scenes of a positive vibe when people come together to help others. Finally I designed a skull design that holds the total number of homeless people recorded in 2013 within the pattern, a statement about the growing number of homeless people who die each year. A good project and great cause. As a bonus the tees were showcased in a video and photo-shoot featuring BMX Pro Flatland rider Tyler Gilliard. You can see the video here.

Design By Humans opened it’s doors in 2007 and I was just getting started in the t-shirt design world. I was Human number 76 and was pretty much impressed from day one. I submitted a design and got involved in the community. In August of 2008 I got my first win and the print looked amazing, better than any other tee contest site I had seen at the time. By this point I was winning at quite a few tee a day sites but DBH’s quality made me pay attention. That same year I got my second print.

In 2009 I got another two prints and 2010 I bagged two surprise wins. Coincidentally that year I moved to the USA from the UK after falling in love with a rather cute American girl. This sparked an invitation to hang out with the Design By Humans team, I did so a few times. In late 2010 I was interviewed and offered the Art Director job. DBH had had several A.Ds but for one reason or another none had quite gelled with the position. I wanted the challenge and I obviously agreed.

From that time to this day much has changed. Design By Humans changed ownership and that sparked rejuvenation and I was promoted to the Creative Director position. Overseeing production and driving the creative aspect of DBH are my main jobs and having been a submitting artist I know how this should all work. Along with this I have had some cool opportunities. Warner Bros invited me to their HQ for The Dark Knight Rises contest and I got to see a preview of the movie with some of the cast! I was featured at Ditlo, have been photographed in L.A and have attended some other cool events. I have spent time at the Blizzard HQ and rubbed shoulders with some very cool artists. All in a days work.

I have been printed many more times and that’s tough when you are in a position at the company because people may perceive my wins as cheating. Well I am productive, too productive and that means I am constantly submitting art. I am exclusive to DBH too meaning 99.9% of my tee design ends up there now. I also earn less than regular winners with my payment being based on sales. Only makes sense. Three of my seventeen wins became top 50 best sellers.  So with 17 wins and a Collective store I think I have found a good place for my tee design to call home and a day job too!

It’s been an interesting journey and one I had never expected. Remember work hard and people will notice, that’s how I got here today. Now excuse me I have to go the T-shirt world needs me.

***UPDATE : I stepped down from my position as Creative Director at Design By Humans and am no longer an employee. *1st January 2015