At MISUMI USA, I was brought on as a graphic designer to help transform underperforming marketing collateral into a cohesive, competitive brand system capable of standing up to Grainger and McMaster-Carr. While MISUMI was a household name in Japan, its North American presence lacked the clarity, polish, and strategic storytelling required to gain traction in the U.S. market.

Working closely with the Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager, I helped establish a distinct North American brand expression—one that preserved MISUMI’s engineering credibility while aligning with Western expectations around premium marketing and sales materials. We introduced a bold yellow-and-black color system to create immediate visual contrast, elevated catalogs and brochures through the use of premium stocks and finishes, and brought intentionality to every customer touchpoint.

I also championed the creation of an in-house photography and video studio, reducing costs while increasing creative control and efficiency. This enabled higher-quality product imagery, faster production cycles, and the launch of educational engineering videos featuring MISUMI’s subject-matter experts. Through focused creative direction and social media strategy, MISUMI USA experienced measurable growth across social and YouTube platforms, ultimately earning the attention of MISUMI headquarters in Japan, who began adopting elements of our North American marketing approach.