The Gauge Collective
Who
The Gauge Collective is a Chicago-based group of freelancers that describes themselves as the anti-agency. Founded by Teddy Heidt, who previously led brand marketing for The Walt Disney Company and Protein Bar & Kitchen, TGC was built as a response to everything he disliked about traditional agency culture — hierarchy, red tape, and creative work that gets watered down in the process. Instead, The Gauge Collective brings together some of the most talented freelance minds to collaborate on brand marketing, social media, email marketing, and more. Their client list includes some of the biggest names in Chicago and beyond, like Mariano’s, Enjoy Illinois, and Absolut Vodka.
What
When Teddy first approached me about a brand and website redesign, there wasn’t anything wrong with their branding — it just felt stale. He had DIYed their original identity and website when he launched TGC, and while he liked the minimal look, he knew it was time for something more polished. Even though Teddy and his team are experts in brand marketing, they realized that bringing in an outside perspective was exactly what they needed to breathe new life into their own brand.
I worked with The Gauge Collective on a complete rebrand, updating their visual identity to reflect the next stage of their growth while staying true to their roots. Their first website had been built on Squarespace, which they loved for its ease of use, but aesthetically, it had DIY energy. Using their new brand guidelines, I built a fully custom Squarespace site that felt elevated, strategic, and editorial — but still easy for their team to maintain.
The biggest goal of the redesign was to showcase the caliber of TGC’s work, and I was lucky to have an incredible collection of photography to work with. My favorite part of the site is the horizontal scroll on the homepage — I love how it plays into the editorial-inspired layout.
Turns out, TGC’s clients love it too — Teddy reached out a few weeks after launch and said, “We had a new client meeting earlier this week, and they RAVED about our site!”
