UNDERSTORIES

A personal exploration of the human stories behind brands.

I’ve always been more interested in what a brand means to people than in what it says about itself.
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I believe the strongest creative thinking starts with the human truths behind a brand, the small, real moments that explain why people reach for it, trust it or keep coming back to it. In a world of fast reactions and short-term numbers those truths are easy to overlook, and they’re the part I most enjoy finding and turning into stories.

Understories is my playground for exploring that perspective without a brief, a commercial objective or a predetermined answer, using brands we all know and use as the way in.

I imagined, art directed, wrote and designed every one of these visual essays, and I want to be clear about what they are: essays, not finished campaigns. I used generative AI to visualise ideas I couldn’t have produced on my own, then selected, retouched, composed and designed the final pieces myself.

To become truly complete, they would need collaboration with photographers, filmmakers, artists and craftspeople – real people, with their own eye, instinct, experience and humanity.

More process films are coming as the project continues.

Follow Understories on Instagram →

Understories is a personal, self-initiated series. These projects are not commissioned by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the brands featured.

Popsa concept poster showing a close-up of a small child’s sandy hand resting on a parent’s shoulder. Text reads: “What we hold onto. Photographs are fragments of us.”Spotify concept poster showing a vintage California driver’s licence tucked inside a brown leather wallet, with wired earphones nearby in warm sunlight. Text reads: “One song away from who you were” and “The time machine is in your pocket.”Airbnb concept poster showing an older fisherman laughing in a Mediterranean harbour while holding a fishing net. Text reads: “What do you call a fish with no eye? Fsh.” and “The shortest distance between strangers is laughter.”LEGO concept poster showing a child sitting on the floor, absorbed in building with LEGO bricks scattered around them in warm afternoon light. Text reads: “Let them show you where they go” and “Worth the imprint on your foot.”Pinterest concept poster showing a joyful newlywed couple laughing together outdoors, the groom lifting the bride as she holds a blurred bouquet of flowers. Text reads: “The best parts were never on the board” and “Let life exceed your vision.”Duolingo concept poster showing sunlight filtering through flowering tree branches onto an empty park bench. Text defines the Japanese word “Komorebi (木漏れ日)” as “sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees,” alongside the line: “There are words waiting to find you.”Moleskine concept poster showing an artist sketching faces in a notebook while sitting in a softly lit museum gallery. Text reads: “What only you can see” and “Where your mind takes shape.”IKEA concept poster showing a child joyfully jumping on a bed in a sunlit bedroom. Text reads: “This is really happening” and “The beginning of almost everything.”Decathlon concept poster showing a young fencer from behind, dressed in fencing gear and facing their reflection in a mirror. Text reads: “You’re it.” and “Your time to shine.”Komoot concept poster showing a quiet forest path with tiny details to discover: wild strawberries on the forest floor, a woodpecker on a tree trunk and a small lizard. Text reads: “Wait…” and “What you’ll notice when you slow down.”Vinted concept poster showing a floral dress carefully laid out on a bed beside an open parcel box and a handwritten note reading, “Hope you love it as much as I did :)”. Text reads: “It was lovely to wear you.” and “Someone else will think so too.”Etsy concept poster showing a ceramic artist photographing a handmade striped vase in their studio. Text reads: “Will anyone care?” and “Where creative courage finds those who do.”

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