Howling Bread:

Howling Bread began as a small weekend project and quickly became a neighborhood staple in Williamsburg. I built the brand from scratch—recipe, identity, tone, packaging, and market presence—creating something grounded, tactile, and rooted in community. People lined up every Sunday, and the bakery became a familiar name across the local food scene.

The Concept:

I wanted the brand to feel warm, alive, and a little feral (inspired by my Siberian husky). The identity leans into texture, imperfection, and physicality—reflecting the process of bread itself. Every element was intentionally human: hand-drawn marks, earthy visuals, and a direct, unfussy tone.

What I Did:

Built the brand story and visual foundation

Designed the full identity system

Created packaging and ingredient-forward photography

Developed a cohesive look across social, print, and the market stand

Developed simple, repeatable content that performed like an SMB brand—clear value, strong product focus, community-driven

Helped cement the brand culturally with a callout in The New Yorker

Why It Matters:

But the real value for me was the making. Creative directors rarely get to own every layer of a brand—from product to storytelling to operations—and doing that again sharpened my instincts in a way big roles don’t always allow. It reminded me that good creative isn’t theoretical; it lives in how people experience it in real life.

And in many ways, the process mirrored what works in SMB and performance creative: clarity, fast communication, and storytelling you understand in a second. Building Howling Bread sharpened my instincts across product, identity, operations, and community—proof that strong creative can be simple, human, and deeply connected to how people actually live.

Three green line drawings of a howling wolf, each with different text. The first says 'HOWLING BREAD', the second 'HOWLING BREAD' in an arc, and the third 'H' and 'B' with the wolf in between.
A layout design demonstrating different typography styles such as Arial and Georgia, and heading sizes from H1 to H2. The design includes a passage of body text about a mythical land with wolves and a description of colors with their hex codes, showc
Four different types of sourdough bread on a website, labeled as Fig. Hazelnut & Caraway Seed Rye Sourdough, Classic Loaf With Everything Bagel Crust, Caramelized Onion & Miso Sourdough, and Dark Chocolate, Dark Cherry & Beet Root Swirl Sourdough, wi
A beige canvas tote bag with green embroidery of a dog and letters H and B, and text "Howling Bread Brooklyn, NY" on the front
Green howling bread hoodie with a hood, front pouch pocket, and embroidered dog logo with the letters H, B, and a bone on the chest.
Green baseball cap with white embroidered dog and initials, placed on a tree branch outdoors with blurred green foliage background.
A toasted slice of sourdough made with chocolate and cherry on a wooden cutting board, showing burnt areas and a red stain.
Close-up of a cross-section of a rustic bread loaf with a cheese filling in the center.
Dried herbs and small pieces of chopped sun-dried tomatoes on a textured surface.