Shelby Elyse Sixsmith

Art direction & visual identity

(Reusables.com)

Reusables set out to solve a behaviour problem disguised as a logistics problem.

As the company scaled from an ambitious startup into universities and workplaces across North America, my role evolved from industrial designer to Creative Lead. Working across product, brand and campaigns, I partnered with leadership, product and marketing teams while directing freelance photographers and creative collaborators to shape a cohesive experience from patented infrastructure to institutional launches.

The object came first.
The conviction it carried became the brief for all the creative that followed.

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Creative Lead (3 Years)

Product, Brand, Campaign, Launch Strategy Reusable Packaging Systems
Jan 2022 - Jan 2026
Designing behaviour through products and brands

I was initially brought on to redesign the reusable container system, creating objects that felt intuitive, durable and at home
within the everyday environments of cafés and restaurants. As the work progressed, it became clear the challenge wasn't the
containers themselves. It was the system surrounding them.

People weren't choosing between disposable and reusable packaging because they lacked conviction; they were choosing
the option that required the least effort. The opportunity wasn't to design a better container, it was to redesign the
experience around it so the sustainable choice became the effortless one.

The Smart Return Bin™ wasn't designed as a piece of furniture. It was behavioural infrastructure, reducing the friction
between intention and action until reuse became the default. We realized that leaning into our products and ensure we had
the most seamless, intuitive tech and product system would be our differentiator. This decision led to a sleek and beautiful
Smart Return Bin™ and system that could fit into any university, corporate office, airport or hospital.

The brand became the product.

The identity was designed as an extension of the product, not a layer applied afterwards. Built on the same principles
of clarity, simplicity and trust, it became a flexible system that could adapt to each institutional partner while maintaining
a consistent brand experience.

Instead of rigid assets I designed a full template system that could be delivered and launched alongside partners without
a full redesign each time. This was integral to our growth as we had to onbound and launch a new client each month
with a small team to execute.

The most important design choice for these assets was clarity. Ensuring students and customers could understand the
program the moment it landed at their school.