Banks Journal
Brand strategy, Visual Identity, Art Direction, Design systems and Workflows
Banks Journal was a Japanese–Australian surf and lifestyle brand founded in 2014, blending Byron Bay surf culture with Tokyo minimalism. With a global presence across USA, Japan, and Australia, Banks Journal positioned itself as a lifestyle brand for surfers, creatives, and modern coastal living.
As Global Art Director, I was responsible for leading all creative and brand communications, ensuring a consistent, design-led aesthetic across their markets.
By positioning the brand visually as a refined, minimal alternative to mass-market surfwear, we attracted a broader audience beyond core surf consumers, increasing engagement across digital platforms and strengthening retail partnerships.
Brand Strategy & Identity
Made for Everyday Journeys
The creative strategy was anchored in the brand’s mantra, “Made for Everyday Journeys”—a celebration of functional design, minimal aesthetics, and sustainable craftsmanship.
I shaped a visual identity system that unified all touchpoints through clean, modern typography & restrained color palettes inspired by nature, architecture, and culture.
The art direction focused on cinematic photography capturing texture, movement, and natural light with a touch of humour and playfulness.
Consistent storytelling of organic and recycled materials to reinforce sustainability credentials.
This strategy successfully positioned Banks Journal as a lifestyle brand, resonating with fashion-conscious consumers and creative communities.
Marketing Strategy & Creative
Minimal meets surf
I led the creative direction for global brand and product marketing, ensuring every campaign captured Banks Journal’s minimal, fashion-forward coastal aesthetic while remaining rooted in the brand story, “Made for Everyday Journeys”.
Key responsibilities included concepting and art directing seasonal campaigns across digital, print, and in-store channels.
These campaigns strengthened Banks Journal’s position as a design-led alternative to mainstream surfwear, expanding its audience and driving increased engagement across key markets.
Collaborations
Banks Journal Studio X Nadia Hernández
To build cultural relevance, we launched Banks Journal Studio, a platform for artist collaborations.
A key project was a capsule collection with Venezuelan-Australian artist Nadia Hernandez, featuring her vibrant artwork on shirts, shorts, and accessories.
I directed the global creative rollout, including campaign assets across all channels (digital, print, retail, PR) and a gallery-style launch event, bridging fashion and art communities.
The collaboration expanded Banks Journal’s reach into art and design culture, performing strongly in both northern and southern hemisphere markets.
Sales Catalogues
Supporting sales agents & accounts
I was responsible for the design and production of seasonal sales catalogues across our three key markets—USA, Japan, and Australia—as well as special capsule collection catalogues.
My role included Art Directing lookbook shoots, designing market-specific versions tailored to regional product assortments and seasonal timing.
Creating capsule collection catalogues, such as the Banks Journal Studio artist collaborations, to provide retailers with compelling storytelling and strong sell-in tools.
These catalogues became a key B2B sales asset, strengthening relationships with wholesale partners and ensuring consistent global presentation of the brand’s product story each season.
E-Commerce & Web Design
The e-com platform
I was responsible for the direction for e-commerce and website design, ensuring the online experience reflected the same minimal, cinematic brand world as offline touchpoints.
My work included designing the website’s UX/UI for cleaner navigation and stronger product storytelling.
Art directing e-commerce photography to align with seasonal campaigns while showcasing product details and designing digital assets for homepage takeovers, seasonal promotions, and product launches.
Retail Design
Banks Journal in its physical form
The retail environment played a crucial role in expressing the brand’s ethos.
Downtown LA Flagship Store was designed as a sculptural, minimal space, doubling as a creative hub for testing new brand activations.
Produced in-store activations, trade show booths, and festival installations, including the Greenroom Festival in Yokohama, Japan.
These immersive experiences deepened brand engagement, helping Banks Journal stand out in a competitive surfwear market and build community connection.
