Jordan Darby DesignBrute
Most athletes are drinking preworkouts full of junk.
Brute is a brand I created from scratch — premise, positioning, name, and design — to explore a real category problem. A self-initiated concept, not a client engagement.
The Premise
Brute is a brand I invented — a preworkout for health-conscious athletes built around brain health and natural ingredients, aimed at the 18–24-year-old men currently drinking whatever is loudest on the shelf. The question I set myself: how do you make “natural” look like an upgrade instead of a sacrifice?
The Challenge
The category is crowded and dominated by established players with real trust. A new entrant has to convey quality and credibility while looking unmistakably different — two goals that usually pull against each other.
The Approach
To stand out I had to do things differently; to be trusted I still had to fit in. So I embraced some fitness-industry design conventions, rejected others, and borrowed from a category the audience actually cares about: streetwear. That informed a logotype mixing sans-serif and old-style type, plus secondary assets like stars and stripes. And where most natural brands reach for lush illustration and earthy palettes, I used tiger stripes — still drawn from nature, but far more aggressive.
“The extreme look and feel captures the concept “nature is metal” and rejects the traditional cues of the natural foods space.”
The Result
The identity captures the idea that “nature is metal.” It reads as a performance brand first and a natural one second, which is the whole strategic point — positioning Brute as the ultimate preworkout for mind and body rather than another natural alternative that asks you to give something up.
He is excellent in the way he collaborates with clients to help bring their vision to life. Jordan is upbeat, extremely positive, a hard worker, and a fantastic teammate that I have relied on multiple times in critical situations.
Ryan Toomer
Head of Sales, Dare Devil Display WorksWant this kind of thinking on your brand?
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