We first wrote about startup Softside in 2022, when it launched its platform to help artists enlist fans to design new merch items. CEO Erin Singleton then won our Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2024. Now her company has unveiled its latest artist partnership, with American rock band Geese. “This was our biggest drop yet — we rolled out 13 designs created by fans across the US, UK, and Europe,” wrote Singleton on LinkedIn, with two more designs added this weekend.
“What’s been most notable about this partnership is the band’s trust in their fans,” she added. “Many artist teams we talk to have a tight creative vision — everything must align with a defined aesthetic. It makes sense; artists are world-building with each album and visuals play a big role in that. Providing direction can also be helpful for designers looking for basic creation parameters. But we’ve found that too much control can take out the magic of fan creativity.”
Geese offered fans “total creative freedom” though, and the resulting merch is varied and fun.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source musically.com ’
