CREATIVE DIRECTION

Creative Direction

The New York Times Store


As the Creative Director for Commerce, I led the creative vision for The New York Times Store for eight years. During my tenure, I oversaw the design and development of hundreds of products, annual marketing campaigns, and the online platform, ensuring that every touchpoint reflected the brand's core values.





The following highlights focus specifically on the retail side of my role. While my broader work included licensing, internal projects, and brand collaborations, this selection showcases the products and campaigns that define the branded retail commerce experience.

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The Challenge

How do you encapsulate the essence of The New York Times in physical goods? More importantly, how do you translate editorial rigor and excellence into seemingly ordinary products like hats and apparel?

Every design decision was made with intention. My team and I obsessed over the details of material, fit, and color to ensure that our everyday merchandise served as a sophisticated extension of the brand identity.



AN EXCERPT FROM
The Story Behind the Times Store by Sarah Diamond

“Mr. Nacional said that while he sometimes feels silly taking an intense approach to little decisions, he then thinks about how deep Times journalists go on their projects and feels emboldened instead. “It’s only fair to do justice to everything because we are creating the things that represent the brand,”







The Refresh

When I first started working on the store, it was clear that the products, marketing and visual identity were not living up to design caliber of the wider company. While Steve Mayne stepped in to optimize the business and operations, I came on board to direct the creative strategy and visual language. We purged the majority of the existing inventory and essentially started fresh.

After a year of dedicated development, we relaunched on Shopify with a cohesive new look—spanning new products, website, and art direction. Over the years we continued to polish the store brand, but our North Star has never wavered: creating a brand experience that mirrors the integrity and quality of the journalism we support.





Merchandising Strategies



Lifestyle


After overhauling the basics, we moved beyond 'merchandise.' We began an intentional transition from a simple brand shop to a curated lifestyle destination.
PROJECT CREDITS: CREATIVE DIRECTION: ED NACIONAL, ART DIRECTION: GABRIELA ALFORD,  PHOTOGRAPHY: COLLIN HUGHES, STYLIST: SAVANNAH WHITE, CASTING & PRODUCTION: ARTIFEX PRODUCTIONS



Quality and Craft



As our product range expanded, I prioritized superior construction and intentional design, seeking out makers and artisans with compelling narratives. We shifted our focus toward integrity by emphasizing the ‘who’ and the ‘how’ behind every piece. I am incredibly proud of the collaborations we built and the opportunity to bring the stories of these passionate craftspeople to the forefront.
PROJECT CREDITS: CREATIVE DIRECTION: ED NACIONAL, ART DIRECTION: GABRIELA ALFORD,  PHOTOGRAPHY: KYLE DOROSZ



To share the backstory behind one of our best-selling products, we produced a video feature documenting the craftsmanship of our debossed ceramic mugs, crafted by our partners at Franca, a Brooklyn-based studio.




Purpose-Led Products



This project serves as a key example of how we translate editorial missions into meaningful products. For 'The Local Edition,' we developed a collection that served as a physical extension of a campaign focused on local journalism. This initiative allowed customers to wear their civic pride, offering merchandise that celebrated each individual borough. To ensure authenticity, we cast a representative from each area and photographed them on their home turf, grounding the collection in the real communities it represented.
PROJECT CREDITS: CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DESIGN: ED NACIONAL, DESIGNER: MELIA TANDIONO: ART DIRECTION: KELSEY LIM, PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULA-ANDREA AGUDELO




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