Building a Lifestyle Startup Brand in West Palm Beach: The Doorcigs Story
When the founder of Doorcigs first reached out to me, I’ll be honest… I wasn’t even sure if it was a real person. The message felt kind of out of nowhere, and the brand name sounded like something straight out of a 90s dive bar. But sure enough, it was real, and it ended up being one of the most fun projects I’ve done in a while.
She had this quirky, retro concept inspired by old-school cigarette ads — a tongue-in-cheek lifestyle brand with the tagline “Vice Never Dies.” It’s edgy, nostalgic, and just the right amount of chaos in the best way.
Helping a Startup Brand Find Its Direction
When she came to me, she already had some designs she’d made in Canva (a mix of AI-generated ideas and custom tweaks I think) but they weren’t actually usable for production, yet. She didn’t have vector files, didn’t know which fonts were safe for commercial use, and had no idea where to start with prepping her designs for real-world printing.
It didn’t make sense financially for her to hire me to recreate everything from scratch, so I offered some guidance and helped her find the right next step. She ended up working with another designer to get proper vector files made and prepare everything for print, which was exactly what she needed to move forward.
Before we got into visuals, she completed my branding intake questionnaire, which helped confirm her direction: bold, irreverent, and a little gritty, with nostalgic undertones that felt true to her concept. That clarity shaped everything that followed, from her shoot inspiration board to the final Shopify website design.
From Samples to Shoot Day in Delray Beach
Once her samples were ready — hats, tanks, and tees — she shipped them to me for product photography. I started with clean white background photos for her e-commerce listings and then planned a full lifestyle shoot to capture the personality of the brand.
We met in downtown Delray Beach, shooting at two iconic local spots they had connections to — Hurricane’s Bar & Lounge and Pat’s Beverages & Liquor — and used a mix of classic cars, props, and friends as models. The vibe was pure Doorcigs: bold, unfiltered, and fun.
That combination of South Florida character and brand storytelling made the photos feel cinematic — the kind of imagery that instantly communicates who the brand is without needing to say a word.
Shopify Website Design, SEO Strategy & Brand Launch
After the photography was complete, I designed and built a one-page Shopify website to showcase her first nine products: four hats, two tanks, and three tees.
See the Doorcigs site here: doorcigs.com
The layout blends clean structure with raw, retro energy — letting the brand’s visuals and attitude take center stage. Bold typography, warm lighting, and gritty undertones tie the whole experience together.
Along with the design, I also conducted foundational keyword research to help Doorcigs establish a strong SEO foundation from the start. We focused on a mix of:
- Low-hanging fruit keywords with smaller search volumes but easier ranking potential.
- Mid-range opportunities that connect with lifestyle and apparel searches.
- High-volume keywords to build long-term visibility as the brand grows.
This layered approach gave the brand a realistic way to start gaining traction early, combining achievable short-term wins with long-term growth potential. The result is a foundation that supports both discoverability and scalability.
The finished site ties everything together — from the product and lifestyle imagery to her cheeky tagline and brand tone — giving Doorcigs a professional digital presence that feels both rebellious and refined.
The Creative Process
From the start, the goal was to make Doorcigs feel nostalgic but not dated — a mix of vintage grit and playful rebellion. The color palette leans into warm tones and textures that echo smoky bars, denim, and chrome.
The photography style balanced candid and composed moments to keep things authentic and a little unpredictable — just like the brand itself. That creative direction carried through to the Shopify design, where bold fonts and a scroll-based layout keep the experience engaging and true to the “Vice Never Dies” attitude.
Supporting Local Startups and New Brand Founders
Projects like Doorcigs are exactly why I love working with startups and small brands in South Florida. There’s something exciting about helping someone take an idea that lives in their head — messy, half-formed, and full of potential — and turning it into something tangible.
Whether it’s product photography, Shopify web design, or foundational SEO strategy, I help founders launch with clarity, confidence, and visuals that actually feel aligned with their story.
If you’re based in Palm Beach, Delray Beach, or anywhere in South Florida, and you’re ready to launch your brand, I’d love to help bring your vision to life.
Ready to bring your own brand to life?