Something Real Out of Nothing
Brand and Product Launch for an Electric BMX.
Company
Chimera Electric Vehicles
Role
Founding Brand Designer
Sole brand and creative lead, freelance, alongside a full-time role at AccuWeather. Contract brand and creative lead, working directly with the founder. Built the identity system, photography, campaign, app interface, and press kit, and developed the campaign copy with him.
Brand Identity
UX/UI
Campaign Direction
Community Building
Visual System
Chimera needed the world to take it seriously. On a near-zero budget, I built the entire brand: identity, photography, campaign, app, and press kit. The Indiegogo campaign hit its goal in 72 hours and the community grew from there. No agency, no paid partnerships.
Blueprint Print System
Using the CAD drawings as a graphic language, I created a blueprint system: blue field, white linework, bold spec typography. It communicated in-house engineering expertise, set Chimera apart from every other ebike aesthetic, and gave the campaign a ready-made visual identity at no added cost.
Photography Direction
I shot all product photography with a focus on dark backgrounds and dramatic lighting. Lifestyle images had grain and grit, with the feel of a DIY zine. The hero images established the brand register immediately: the bike backlit against a warehouse window, specs overlaid in clean type. Technical callout diagrams were minimal, echoing the ethos of the bike. They gave press and community something easy to read and share.
Brand Identity
The founder had strong instincts about the mark, so we developed the logo together. I built the identity system around it: tight, geometric, and technical.
Indiegogo Campaign
I created all campaign visuals: photography, edits, illustrations, GIFs, and graphic elements. The founder and I developed the copy together. His instinct was highly technical. The work was translating that specificity into language that converted. The campaign raised $111,065 against a $92,400 goal. Fully funded in 72 hours.
Controller App
I directed the UX/UI design of the Chimera companion app and keeping the visual direction simple and clean. One-click Bluetooth pairing, fine-grained motor control, battery profile management, range and temperature monitoring. The UI matched the brand: direct, functional, nothing decorative.
Press & Community
InsideEVs, New Atlas, AutoEvolution, Electric Bike Action Magazine, and TrendHunter all covered the launch, driven by a downloadable press kit and content that resonated with our audience on social. The community moment that captured what the bike could actually do: BMX champion Ryan Williams rode and flipped it at Nitro Circus in 2022.
Challenge
A philosophy professor built his dream electric BMX from scratch and hand-assembled it in Los Angeles: custom frame, patented high-drive motor, external swappable battery. The bike was extraordinary. The brand was nonexistent.
Solution
The visual direction focused on the technical capabilities, using the CAD drawings as a graphic system, emphasizing engineering credibility from original assets.