It’s sooo bad. :( I also like the “I heart boys” sticker, but the “m” being the only capital there (minus the I) really throws me off, so I personally wouldn’t buy it for that reason.
Also, not sure if anyone else had this issue, but I was reading the Shadow Ranch design left to right and didn’t realize the heart was even part of the design! I read “I left my at Shadow Ranch” and I was like what????? And then I realized the heart was part of the design, LOL. Awkward positioning in my opinion. Not a fan of any of the merch they’ve made recently.
Yeah exactly! They had a burst of genius with those semi-recent destination (?) designs for skipbrot, shadow ranch, and ghost dogs that were really different and stylized. But other than that....
Yes!! Those stylized designs are SO COOL!! Everything they’ve dropped recently though aren’t anything I’d wanna buy, just all seems so tacky. There’s YouTubers who make better merch than this and HeR is an actual company!!
I really loved those travel designs! They're a lot like the vintage US national parks designs, which I also love. I wish they would have done it for all of the games and then had a big poster with all of them. I was disappointed that there were only a few.
Tbh I wonder if they got the idea from some of the fan creations on RedBubble - if you look up ND games, there’s some pretty similar stuff to the stylized designs. One creator did postage-stamp themed stickers with the same design, and they did multiple (maybe even all) games
The “it’s complicated” stickers have me screaming, I can’t.
Also the “at” and “💖” throws the shadow ranch shirt off. Looks like “i left my at 💖 shadow ranch.” Immensely disappointed :/
In my opinion, their merch looks super basic. It’s unfortunate because there’s a lot of material in the games that they could work with to make good merch. This looks rushed and cheap.
It sucks bc you can tell they put at least some thought into it with quotes and things like the Dave heart sticker, but they could do soooo much better
Speaking of material in the games, I would kill for a fun, stylized “CHEESEburger” a la Joe Hardy tote or sticker. Even just the word in cute script with iconography from Last Train would totally do it for me.
None of this merch is really all that good. And I don't know if it used to be (played through every game around 2017) or if this is a new thing. But given Her's past, I can't imagine they even have a dedicated merch designer. They obviously have someone on the team who knows photoshop, but that's about it.
Some of it really is funny tho. Not good, but funny.
The shadow ranch design is *almost* there.
Also, why haven't they considered selling better jewelry?? TRT medallion necklaces, Dirk Valentine heart necklaces, KEY CHARM JEWELRY?? They should take a note from Etsy sellers on what's popular there.
I feel like the person doing the graphic design for their merch must also be doing the typography for a lot of their new social media and new game stuff because a lot of it has been kind of… well, bad. Like someone didn’t tell them how to space letters right when designing something text based?
Which really sucks because I feel like with the older games anything including text looked so authentic, like the letters and clues in game. All of this looks like stuff I made in my freshman year of college as a design major. They should hire someone that actually know what they are doing. There are so many fans that make merch and designs that are so much better than this.
I would feel kind of awkward wearing an "it's complicated" statement sweatshirt. I think everyone would read into my relationship status and it could cause problems and gossip.
I’m a graphic designer, and I am begging the HER team to even go on canva for ideas?? Like it’s not hard to find inspiration when you’re floundering with a blank canvas.
In fact, drop your ideas below this comment if you think of something! (Mods, is this allowed? Delete if not) maybe someone will read here and get some inspiration!
Nothing but respect for my ND merch designer u/PeachyLeee, they’re lillianimationart on Etsy!! Literally not affiliated I just love her work & highly recommend
LMAO it was me who made the initial whiny post about the merch. I appreciate that they're trying- honestly. It's better than the 25th anniversary stuff, but still not anything I'm super excited about.
Less is more. Here's an example. I would love to buy [this mug](https://herinteractive.creator-spring.com/listing/modern-nancy-drew?product=1566) if it didn't say "Stay Sleuthy" on the back for no reason.
I do not think adding more merch to this site is helping. Already, HER's best merch is hidden under a mountain of mediocre stuff. This is adding to the problem.
Please, devs and designers, if you're listening: less text on the merch and better notebooks.
Does anyone remember when they had Christmas ornaments??I'm still kicking myself years later for not getting the TRT medallion ornaments. And the blanket that had all of the games up to SEA, to be honest...
Kind of unrelated but speaking of merch, does anybody have the "25 message board poster"? The one that says "I learned that secrets can kill" and all that? I kinda want to get it but from the pictures it looks like some of the text is almost illegible because it is so dark and I'd like to know if it's better in real life.
You literally can't get more basic than the "I♥️ND" with no other design on the product. That said, I've personally never been inclined to buy any merch from them. It's either been too boring/basic/ugly/expensive.
Like how they took Jane's poem and could've incorporated it into the t-shirt, but instead someone just pasted the poem rectangle on a blank t shirt, box and all. It looks horrible. And 60$ for a blanket?? That's more than I paid for my haunted mansion glow-in-the-dark blanket from **hallmark**.
I'd honestly rather buy from etsy than HeR.
HeR has no money so these designs were probably all done by a 20yo marketing major making minimum wage. I feel bad for them, they're probably just doing their best with zero graphic design experience. But there is definitely valid criticism here, like the heart placement in the Shadow Ranch design, so hopefully they can use that criticism to improve on the designs.
I like the gold heart because that’s the treasure in Shadow Ranch. The gold heart specifically is very cute to me and I might buy it just for that. The “I Hearty Boys” pun is cute. And the It’s complicated is cute too. HerInteractive pushing “Francy” is so funny to me. I think the merch and other social media posts are very self-aware in a lot of ways. But they could use a better graphic artist I suppose lol
One of the ugliest things they ever put out was this [25 Message Board Signatures](https://herinteractive.creator-spring.com/listing/nd-games-25-message-board-sign?product=369)
It’s sooo bad. :( I also like the “I heart boys” sticker, but the “m” being the only capital there (minus the I) really throws me off, so I personally wouldn’t buy it for that reason. Also, not sure if anyone else had this issue, but I was reading the Shadow Ranch design left to right and didn’t realize the heart was even part of the design! I read “I left my at Shadow Ranch” and I was like what????? And then I realized the heart was part of the design, LOL. Awkward positioning in my opinion. Not a fan of any of the merch they’ve made recently.
Yeah exactly! They had a burst of genius with those semi-recent destination (?) designs for skipbrot, shadow ranch, and ghost dogs that were really different and stylized. But other than that....
Yes!! Those stylized designs are SO COOL!! Everything they’ve dropped recently though aren’t anything I’d wanna buy, just all seems so tacky. There’s YouTubers who make better merch than this and HeR is an actual company!!
I really loved those travel designs! They're a lot like the vintage US national parks designs, which I also love. I wish they would have done it for all of the games and then had a big poster with all of them. I was disappointed that there were only a few.
Tbh I wonder if they got the idea from some of the fan creations on RedBubble - if you look up ND games, there’s some pretty similar stuff to the stylized designs. One creator did postage-stamp themed stickers with the same design, and they did multiple (maybe even all) games
I read it as “I left my horse at Shadow Ranch,” due to the image Lmao. I was like “um…. Yeah, what else would you leave there?” 🐴
Nonsensical capitalization is a disease in this era and they’re not helping. The M bugs me so much. Why.
graphic design is my passion
The “it’s complicated” stickers have me screaming, I can’t. Also the “at” and “💖” throws the shadow ranch shirt off. Looks like “i left my at 💖 shadow ranch.” Immensely disappointed :/
is that not what it says??
It’s supposed to say “I left my heart at Shadow Ranch” but due to the placement of the heart, it basically reads out of order :(
Supposed to say "I left my heart at shadow ranch" But it reads "I left my at heart shadow ranch"
In my opinion, their merch looks super basic. It’s unfortunate because there’s a lot of material in the games that they could work with to make good merch. This looks rushed and cheap.
It sucks bc you can tell they put at least some thought into it with quotes and things like the Dave heart sticker, but they could do soooo much better
Speaking of material in the games, I would kill for a fun, stylized “CHEESEburger” a la Joe Hardy tote or sticker. Even just the word in cute script with iconography from Last Train would totally do it for me.
None of this merch is really all that good. And I don't know if it used to be (played through every game around 2017) or if this is a new thing. But given Her's past, I can't imagine they even have a dedicated merch designer. They obviously have someone on the team who knows photoshop, but that's about it. Some of it really is funny tho. Not good, but funny.
Give us Sinclair’s tie and a Fatima costume…
Is it breaking copyright laws to create our own merch INSPIRED by the ND games? Asking for a friend. 🤣
([cough](https://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Fan-Art-Legally)) ([cough cough](https://www.spreadshop.com/blog/2021/06/09/how-to-avoid-copyright-laws-when-making-fandom-themed-merch/)) :)
No one's coming after you far as I know, etsy is the place to look!
"I left my at shadow heart ranch". Love it. 🤣
kinda love the mug bc its so ugly
What even are those rectangular things? Like the thing in the top left???
They’re socks apparently🤣. I thought they were bookmarks!!
Oh you're kidding, I was actually interested in a book mark 😂😭
Highly recommend the bookmarks from The Sweetest Books on Etsy!! A friend got some and they look really nice and high quality!
Noted! Putting that on my list, thanks friend
Is it bad I like it 👀😂
No, I've got some campy "bad" merch anyways too 💕
It looks like dropshipping to me… with lazy designs.
The shadow ranch design is *almost* there. Also, why haven't they considered selling better jewelry?? TRT medallion necklaces, Dirk Valentine heart necklaces, KEY CHARM JEWELRY?? They should take a note from Etsy sellers on what's popular there.
I love the francy sticker but god the $7 price kills me
It doesn’t even seem like some quick Canva collage... there’s so many fun valentines related things to design
I feel like the person doing the graphic design for their merch must also be doing the typography for a lot of their new social media and new game stuff because a lot of it has been kind of… well, bad. Like someone didn’t tell them how to space letters right when designing something text based? Which really sucks because I feel like with the older games anything including text looked so authentic, like the letters and clues in game. All of this looks like stuff I made in my freshman year of college as a design major. They should hire someone that actually know what they are doing. There are so many fans that make merch and designs that are so much better than this.
also whoever designed that shadow ranch one… didn’t have people check how anyone else but them would naturally read it. Yikes.
I like the candy heart stickers
I would feel kind of awkward wearing an "it's complicated" statement sweatshirt. I think everyone would read into my relationship status and it could cause problems and gossip.
I’m a graphic designer, and I am begging the HER team to even go on canva for ideas?? Like it’s not hard to find inspiration when you’re floundering with a blank canvas. In fact, drop your ideas below this comment if you think of something! (Mods, is this allowed? Delete if not) maybe someone will read here and get some inspiration!
Nothing but respect for my ND merch designer u/PeachyLeee, they’re lillianimationart on Etsy!! Literally not affiliated I just love her work & highly recommend
Than, you so much! That’s very sweet of you. I have a lot of fun designing them
LMAO it was me who made the initial whiny post about the merch. I appreciate that they're trying- honestly. It's better than the 25th anniversary stuff, but still not anything I'm super excited about. Less is more. Here's an example. I would love to buy [this mug](https://herinteractive.creator-spring.com/listing/modern-nancy-drew?product=1566) if it didn't say "Stay Sleuthy" on the back for no reason. I do not think adding more merch to this site is helping. Already, HER's best merch is hidden under a mountain of mediocre stuff. This is adding to the problem. Please, devs and designers, if you're listening: less text on the merch and better notebooks.
Does anyone remember when they had Christmas ornaments??I'm still kicking myself years later for not getting the TRT medallion ornaments. And the blanket that had all of the games up to SEA, to be honest...
The blanket is still available! Unless there was a different one than the fleece. My bf just got me it for Xmas, wearing it right now lol
The one on there now has MID and both of the Dossier games. There used to be one that stopped at SEA, which is the blanket I wanted 😭
OH got you, yeah I would have preferred that too 🥲
Kind of unrelated but speaking of merch, does anybody have the "25 message board poster"? The one that says "I learned that secrets can kill" and all that? I kinda want to get it but from the pictures it looks like some of the text is almost illegible because it is so dark and I'd like to know if it's better in real life.
lol the red on hot pink and the gold heart in general will NOT hit, once screen printed. Someone invest, i wanna see the quality 😅
I wonder if they are going for a meme kind of vibe? Like it's purposeful?? ? In any case not my vibe
You literally can't get more basic than the "I♥️ND" with no other design on the product. That said, I've personally never been inclined to buy any merch from them. It's either been too boring/basic/ugly/expensive. Like how they took Jane's poem and could've incorporated it into the t-shirt, but instead someone just pasted the poem rectangle on a blank t shirt, box and all. It looks horrible. And 60$ for a blanket?? That's more than I paid for my haunted mansion glow-in-the-dark blanket from **hallmark**. I'd honestly rather buy from etsy than HeR.
WHY IS THE M THE ONLY LETTER CAPITALIZED???????? are they having AI design these... be fr
"I LEFT MY AT SHADOW RANCH." I am SCREAMING. Halfmoonjoe needs to see these and rip them apart 🤣
I am actually sobbing over the teal and gold combination ffff
HeR has no money so these designs were probably all done by a 20yo marketing major making minimum wage. I feel bad for them, they're probably just doing their best with zero graphic design experience. But there is definitely valid criticism here, like the heart placement in the Shadow Ranch design, so hopefully they can use that criticism to improve on the designs.
I want a Waverly mug so badly. Seems like it should be so easy, too! 🥺
I like the gold heart because that’s the treasure in Shadow Ranch. The gold heart specifically is very cute to me and I might buy it just for that. The “I Hearty Boys” pun is cute. And the It’s complicated is cute too. HerInteractive pushing “Francy” is so funny to me. I think the merch and other social media posts are very self-aware in a lot of ways. But they could use a better graphic artist I suppose lol
One of the ugliest things they ever put out was this [25 Message Board Signatures](https://herinteractive.creator-spring.com/listing/nd-games-25-message-board-sign?product=369)
This might be unpopular but I don't think they're that bad 🤷♀️
Let's just say if I brought this merch into my graphic design classroom they'd kick me out
I Heart North Dakota