Vanagon Gear

Overview

The client needed a site that felt personal but had pro-level polish, and could handle rapid product expansion down the road.

Goals

• Launch a brand-new store from scratch
• Improve SEO and brand storytelling
• Make it easy to add and manage new merch
• Optimize for mobile buyers

What We Did

• Designed a clean, modern single-page homepage with featured collections
• Custom Shopify theme based on the Dawn framework, with hand-rolled code for layout and styling
• Tag-based navigation for filtering sticker and apparel collections
• Integrated Printful for on-demand fulfillment
• Added product metafields and tags for flexible merch types

Tech Stack

Behind the Build

When designing the collection structure for apparel, we needed flexibility for different product types and colors without creating a chaotic UI. We solved this by using a combination of product tags and metafields to drive dynamic filtering, making it simple to expand the catalog later without redesigning anything.

From the Client

"Paul took my scattered merch ideas and turned them into a real brand. I didn't know what I was doing with Shopify, but now I've got a site that feels legit."

Quick Stats

What We Learned

Even simple stores need thoughtful content structure. Designing around future merch drops helped us avoid bottlenecks and build a system that the client could actually grow into, without needing to call us every time.

Results Recap

• Clean, fast-loading Shopify store
• Simple merch system that scales
• SEO-ready and easy to manage in-house

Branding & Visual Identity

We crafted a bold, cohesive brand system for Vanagon Gear that extends far beyond the logo. From merch illustrations to platform-specific social graphics, every touchpoint was built to feel authentic, adventurous, and distinctly personal. This included:

• Original shirt and product designs
• YouTube branding (banner, profile image, watermark)
• Facebook and Instagram profile and banner graphics
• Consistent iconography and typography across all channels

The result is a unified visual presence that works just as well on a sticker as it does on a screen—rooted in the DIY spirit of vanlife and the storytelling behind Roaming With Rohmer.