United in Progress
Political apparel designed around unity and optimism
Final “United in Progress” T-shirt using simple symbolism to communicate hope, unity, and progress.
OVERVIEW
United in Progress was my first merchandise design created for TYT shortly after the 2020 U.S. election. The goal was to celebrate a new political chapter without centering the design on a specific politician, allowing the artwork to remain relevant beyond a single moment in time.
The design was sold through the ShopTYT store on T-shirts and tank tops, and became one of the network's featured merchandise launches.
Role: Concept development, illustration, and merchandise design
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Year: 2020
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THE CHALLENGE
The brief was intentionally broad: create a design that reflected hope, unity, and progress following the election while avoiding imagery or messaging that felt overly partisan or tied to one individual.
I explored multiple concepts, including a map of the United States rendered in a range of skin tones and several different slogans. The biggest challenge was finding a visual language that communicated political optimism without becoming confrontational or divisive.
THE SOLUTION
I developed a minimalist illustration of the White House silhouetted against a rising sun composed of horizontal bands representing a spectrum of skin tones. The sunrise symbolized a new beginning, while the diverse color palette reinforced the idea of unity.
Rather than using the suggested slogan, "We Did It!", I proposed "United in Progress." The phrase better reflected TYT's identity as a progressive news network while giving the design a more timeless message.
To reinforce the clean, optimistic aesthetic, I paired the illustration with bold sans serif typography and a restrained color palette that translated well to apparel printing.
REFLECTION
This project introduced me to TYT's merchandise design process from concept through production and marketing. Although it was my first apparel design for the company, it became a heavily promoted release and was even featured in a magazine.
Looking back, I might refine the relationship between the White House illustration and the graphic style of the rising sun, but I'm still proud of how effectively the design communicates a hopeful message using relatively simple visual elements.
The design was produced in multiple apparel colorways and styles for the ShopTYT merchandise store
THE CHALLENGE
Communicate political optimism and unity without relying on partisan imagery or a specific political figure.
Early concepts explored different visual approaches to communicating unity and progress.
THE SOLUTION
A rising sun, diverse color palette, and original slogan turned the broad brief into a simple, optimistic apparel design.
The selected concept was refined through adjustments to the illustration, messaging, and typography.
REFLECTION
My first TYT apparel design became a heavily promoted release and one of my earliest widely distributed merchandise projects.
The finished design appeared in ShopTYT marketing and was featured in In Touch Weekly.