Callaly is a UK-based femcare startup on a mission to reinvent period care. Their flagship product, the Tampliner, combines a tampon and liner in one patented design, genuine innovation in a stagnant industry. Backed by gynaecological expertise and garment tech, the brand is a certified B Corp with strong ethical values and a distinctive voice. After a soft launch brought limited traction, they were gearing up for a bigger push. The website was still in development, and the visual identity, recently created by a talented but inexperienced designer, was brand new and yet to be fully implemented. I was brought in to help translate that foundation into a consistent, engaging brand presence across digital touchpoints, content and campaign materials.

This was a hybrid role that spanned creative direction, brand guardianship and hands-on design. While the brand’s core identity was already strong, the system needed tightening, and the team needed a creative lead who could steer with clarity, not ego. The job was to elevate without erasing: evolving layouts, photography, iconography and storytelling across web, campaigns and content. That meant making confident calls on taste and tone, and ensuring the brand’s warmth, boldness and clarity showed up in every asset, without slipping into cliché. I worked across strategy and execution, directing shoots, sourcing freelance teams, and translating values into usable standards the team could scale.

I was brought in to help close the gap between brand strategy and execution. Callaly had invested in UX and identity but were still struggling to translate it into a cohesive system. I led the art direction across a new product and stop motion shoot, assembling a team of talented women and providing detailed briefs, skamps and shoot lists to align everyone on the vision. I redesigned the website in close collaboration with their developer, refining layout, typography and interactions. I also updated brand guidelines, designed stationery, refined packaging details, and introduced clearer rules around colour and photography, making sure the brand values didn’t sit on a deck, but showed up in every execution.

The new creative system prioritised flexibility, clarity and emotion. Product photography became the heart of the brand, a way to show care, confidence and difference without needing faces, keeping costs low and assets versatile. Stop motion sequences brought lightness and clarity, supporting the product’s unique story. The colour palette was adjusted to behave consistently across digital and print, and animated content was added to give rhythm to key screens. 

All these elements were shaped by a single aim: to bring the brand’s personality to life with structure, not improvisation, and to create a toolkit the team could run with.

The visual evolution wasn’t just stylistic. It played a strategic role in supporting Callaly’s growth and credibility. With stronger foundations and clearer assets in place, the team relaunched the Tampliner through a more cohesive website, elevated photography, and a versatile design system spanning digital, print, and motion. Results followed. Callaly closed a €1.9 million Crowdcube round, backed by renewed confidence in the brand’s visual and narrative clarity. They went on to secure £13.2 million in funding, including support from Innovate UK. Orders surged. The initial Tampliner launch sold out fast, and momentum carried into new European markets. Industry recognition grew in parallel. In the next few years the Tampliner was named one of TIME’s 100 Best Inventions and earned Red Dot’s “Best of the Best” award, accolades that strengthened credibility with both media and retail partners. Repeat purchase metrics and subscription signups improved, supported by clearer storytelling and a more intuitive user journey.

This wasn’t about reinvention. It was about reinforcing what made the brand special,and giving it the creative tools to go further, with greater clarity, consistency and confidence.