Johnston & Murphy is an American heritage brand with 160+ years of history — one of the oldest footwear brands in the United States, known for craftsmanship and quiet authority. The design challenge was translating that brand equity into a digital experience that felt modern and competitive without eroding the understated quality that defined the brand's identity. The existing site wasn't reflecting the strength of J&M's campaign imagery or supporting the brand narrative that its heritage warranted.

• Rob F. // Vice President Studio Services

• Daryle M. // Art Director & Strategist

Delivered site redesign direction for Johnston & Murphy through Virid's enterprise retail partnership with Genesco. Worked within J&M's established brand parameters — clean, understated, modern — to develop an experience that centered the brand's strong campaign photography and elevated editorial content as a vehicle for continuing the brand's heritage narrative. Designed for both desktop and mobile environments, with a site structure prioritizing navigability across apparel and footwear categories. The introduction of timely editorial content was a deliberate strategic decision: giving the brand a publishing dimension that could deepen customer engagement beyond transactional browsing.

The proposed redesign addressed the gap between Johnston & Murphy's strong brand identity and its digital presence — bringing the site's visual and editorial experience into alignment with the quality and heritage of the product. The engagement was part of Virid's broader Genesco partnership, which also encompassed Journeys and Journeys Kidz — representing sustained, multi-brand e-commerce design work for one of North America's leading footwear retail groups.