My Favorite Murder: Merchandise Design & Pattern Development

Identified audience demand & developed merchandise designs aligned with the podcast’s brand voice.

Goal
Translate fan interest into official merchandise while maintaining brand alignment

My Role
Illustration, pattern design, print-ready file preparation

Constraints
Brand voice, print production requirements, tight turnaround

Pattern with cartoon girls, cats, dogs, cookies, books, and milk on a pink background.
Illustration of two women with dark hair holding red phones, with a pink background. Red cursive text says, 'you're in a cult to call your dad,' and smaller text reads, 'My Favorite Murder.'

What I Did

  • Created illustrations and a repeating pattern inspired by the podcast’s aesthetic for t-shirts and pajamas

  • Delivered polished, production-ready files suitable for licensed merchandise

  • Communicated with the brand team to ensure designs met creative standards and audience expectations

The original pattern design done in Procreate.

The follow-up artwork.

A girl with black hair and a dark outfit is sitting on a bed, reading a book, with a girl lying on her stomach and two cats nearby. The room has posters on the wall, a white fluffy cat on the floor, and various items scattered around.
Pattern with cartoon illustrations of women, dogs, cats, black birds, pumpkins, cookie, book, magnifying glass, knife, canned food, keys, and bindles on pink background.

Results

  • Successfully turned personal fan art into officially licensed merchandise

  • Demonstrated initiative, persistence, and ability to advocate for design solutions in a professional context

  • The T-shirt design launched October 2020 and sold out in days.

Two women's t-shirts, one white and one pink, featuring a cartoon girl with black hair, red lipstick, and a red phone. The shirts have a red cursive text that reads 'You're in a Cult, Call your Dad' with a signature below.
Set of pink pajamas with cartoon dog, cat, girl, and food print, includes button-up short-sleeve shirt, long pants, and shorts with drawstring

Posts about the merch on the MFM instagram

Why This Matters

A young woman with glasses and a nose ring making a peace sign with her hand, wearing pink pajamas with cartoon faces and objects. Behind her is a wall with string lights and black polka dots, and there are books on a table.

This project showcases strategic thinking, design execution across multiple product formats, and aligning creative work with audience and brand needs

I myself ordered the short set of the pajamas.

More Case Studies