October 1, 2025
Special Studio Flavor: The Collected Works x Creative Juice
Content
A Party with Tasty Swag, Y2K Inspiration Meets VR World Building, 50 Years of the Parka and more.
Table of contents
This week is a very tasty and special flavor of Creative Juice. I want to welcome you to the very first Creative Juice Studio Flavor featuring one of my favorite design studios and friends, The Collected Works. For this edition, I asked TCW co-founder, Justin Colt, to share some design inspiration from the TCW HQ. And he didn't disappoint. Enjoy!
PS: If you have any favorite design studios or agencies that you would like to hear from, please let me know here.
Creative Juice is a weekly newsletter published every Monday morning so you can start your week feeling creatively inspired to make cool stuff and get paid for it. Every Monday I share something gorgeous, a portfolio of the week, three creative finds, one amazing post from social media, and one lesson I learned recently.
If you have ideas on how to improve Creative Juice, feel free to submit your feedback here.
TL;DR
SOMETHING GORGEOUS: A Lesson in Finality
PORTFOLIO OF THE WEEK: An Inspired Portfolio
CREATIVE FIND 01: Y2K Inspiration Meets VR World Building
CREATIVE FIND 02: A Special Celebration: 50 Years of the Parka
CREATIVE FIND 03: We Threw Ourselves a Party with Tasty Swag
One Gram: A Hit of Nostalgic Inspiration
ONE LESSON: Don't Run Out Of Money
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Something Gorgeous
A Lesson in Finality
Dirty Furniture #6 Bed
We were recently introduced to "Dirty Furniture" by Stack Magazines. This was exciting but also heartbreaking, as this was their last issue.
Originally conceived as a Kickstarter project in 2013, Dirty Furniture explored objects that hide in plain sight. Each of their six issues focused on a different piece of furniture, culminating with the bed.
In a world where design is commodified and social media distracts us, it was refreshing to read about how everyday objects can spark larger conversations about our relationships with them, ourselves, and societies globally.
This last issue is beautifully designed and printed, showing that screens can’t replicate the feeling of a physical magazine.
PS: You can still get issues 4, 5, and 6 on their website.
Portfolio of the Week
An Inspired Portfolio
Rabiya Gupta
Rabiya is a former intern of ours. Her portfolio demonstrates the breadth of her work with vibrant colors and her approach to design systems.
Her brand identity for the Museum of Asian Culture shows clear thematic inspiration: "culture flows like a river," using a meandering logo mark for MOAC that works in environmental signage. Typography and color balance a playful but grounded aesthetic.
Other highlights include her psychedelic take on Poodle Caboodle and a reinterpretation of Goldfrapp albums with custom type and hand lettering.
Score: Rad
Built with: Wix
Creative Finds
Y2K Inspiration Meets VR World Building
In-game Assets for Virtual Reality Game Nock
We collaborated with Normal VR for their VR game Nock—think soccer meets archery in VR. The game’s futuristic Y2K aesthetic, decals, stickers, and item textures gave the world a branded, playful feel.
A Special Celebration: 50 Years of the Parka
Limited Edition Zine and Motion Package for The North Face
We helped celebrate 50 years of The North Face’s iconic parka, designing a system for motion and print materials, including photography and interviews with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Quannah Chasinghorse, and Danie Sierra. Highlight: the limited edition zine printed on 100% recycled paper.
We Threw Ourselves a Party with Tasty Swag
Ten Years of TCW
To celebrate TCW’s 10th anniversary, we created a custom beer can with Five Boroughs Brewing Company, released at the party. We also designed wristbands, tees, stickers, and more.
One Gram
A Hit of Nostalgic Inspiration
@cultkits
Cult Kits curates vintage soccer kits with nostalgia, rarities, and fresh takes—from Fiorentina to Barcelona to Venezia FC. A great source of unexpected inspiration.
One Lesson
Don't Run Out Of Money
It sounds obvious, but looking back at 10 years of our studio, financial planning is crucial. As creatives, it’s easy to overlook money while pursuing passion projects.
The first years will be hard, but the goal is simple: don’t run out of money. Track overhead, charge fairly, and remember taxes.
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meet the design guy
Jon Sorrentino
I'm a product designer partnering with founders worldwide. I've led design at PepsiCo, Barstool Sports and high-growth startups. I believe the best design happens when you keep your hands in the work.
Threads
X
Don’t let design be your bottleneck.