Hoodie Design Ideas for Custom Merch & Corporate Gifts

Table of Contents

1. Why hoodies are perfect for corporate merch
2. Seven hoodie design ideas for corporate gifting
3. How to design a hoodie your employees will actually wear
4. Best hoodie design placement areas
5. The secret to designing a hoodie

The hoodie has evolved from a utilitarian garment for laborers in the 1930s to a wardrobe staple for everyone: athletes, soccer moms, high-fashion models, loungewear aficionados, and everyone in between. Naturally, they’ve become one of the most popular apparel options for branded merch. When coming up with custom hoodie design ideas, it’s important to consider your brand’s intention, tone, and messaging. My team at Imprint Engine helps global brands strategically select and design merch, and I’m about to walk you through how we do it.

Why Hoodies are Perfect for Corporate Merch

Not only do hoodies offer the perfect blend of functional comfort and effortless style, they offer countless creative placement options for your brand elements. Whether subtle or bold, there are many ways to make your corporate merch a closet staple. The key is prioritizing quality, trendiness, and distinctive designs.

Thinking of including your hoodies as part of a larger gifting experience? Read our full list of welcome kit ideas.

7 Hoodie Design Ideas for Your Company Merch

1) Classic logo placement

You can’t go wrong with a simple, classic logo on your branded merch. Make your hoodies wearable for any occasion by opting for timeless designs that aren’t overly promotional. Keep it simple and visible, not overbearing.

2) Personalization for teams and employees

Depending on the hoodies’ intended purpose, personalization might be a meaningful touch to boost connection and wearability. Names, symbols, roles, or other custom elements are great additions to company hoodies to celebrate the team members who will be wearing them.

3) Creative patterns and all-over prints

If your brand has an iconic pattern or signature design element, all-over prints that cover the entire hoodie are a sure way to stand out. Whether it’s spirals, tie dye or your logo printed all over in repetition, it’s bound to attract attention.

4) Streetwear inspired

When skaters, surfers, and hip hop artists adopted signature hoodies in the 70s, they quickly became a staple in streetwear fashion that hasn’t gone out of style and won’t anytime soon. If suitable for your company culture, incorporating streetwear style elements like an oversized fit, trendy designs, or eye-catching fonts will appeal to fashion-forward employees and consumers.

5) Minimalist style

Unlike all-over branding, minimalist style is an understated way to display your brand elements. Simple color schemes, neutral logos, and subtle branding create a versatile hoodie that’s universally appealing. 

6) Typography centric

Hoodies featuring slogans and taglines have taken the fashion industry by storm in the last few years. Think about the hoodies you’ve seen at the airport or grocery store decorated with positive mottos or cute taglines. They’re popular because they communicate a message while expressing the wearer’s values and personal style. If your company has a signature message or saying, it could make a meaningful impact on the front or back of your hoodies.

7) Artistic collaborations

Your company has its own unique culture. Partnering with local artists might be a fitting way to reflect what makes your brand special while amplifying local artists and creating one-of-a-kind hoodies that people will want to wear everywhere.

How to Design a Hoodie Employees Will Actually Wear

Choose nice fabric

We all have our favorite hoodie. And it’s probably because of how comfortable it is to wear. That’s why it’s important to prioritize comfort when choosing the fabric and fit — it’s the only way to make sure it becomes someone’s go-to hoodie! Want to browse some options? Explore our top 10 custom hoodies.

Focus on practical features

Beyond fabric, you’ll have to consider practical features like whether your hoodie will be a pullover or zip-up, whether you’ll opt for a front pocket, or if it’ll have an oversized or athletic fit.

Stay true to your brand’s identity

Your merch is a very public representation of your brand, so you want to make sure it’s telling the right story. Align your hoodie design with your brand’s style guide to maintain authenticity and cohesiveness.

Work with a reliable partner

Odds are, you don’t have a large-scale production facility with various decoration methods right in your backyard. Thankfully we do! (It’s technically in our warehouse, not our backyard.) Working with a reliable, global partner like Imprint Engine ensures top-notch quality control, the freedom to think outside of the box, and a streamlined process that is delivered on time and on budget.

Read more in depth about our screen printing process.

Choosing the Perfect Spot for Your Hoodie Design

Left chest

The left chest is a classic design placement for branded merch because it’s the perfect space for a logo or symbol that doesn’t require much space. This placement also pairs well with larger designs on other parts of the garment like the center of the back or down the sleeve.

Center chest

For intricate or wordy artwork that requires more space, the center chest is a great placement option. It’s front and center, making it an impactful location to showcase your boldest designs.

Full back

Like the center chest, the back is well-suited for large, intricate designs. It’s a modern location for brand messaging that serves as an effective passive advertising tool, because as the people wearing your hoodie move throughout life, everyone behind them has eyes on your brand.

Sleeves

Vertical designs like text or patterns can be placed on the sleeves to add a trendy, creative twist to your merch. Sleeve designs also work well in tandem with traditional placements like the left or center chest.

Combination

Like I just touched on about using sleeve designs in tandem with other placements, combination placements offer a cohesive and eye-catching look. This style can become overcomplicated if your artwork is too busy, so only opt for combination placements if the designs complement each other.

The Secret to Designing a Hoodie? A Partner Who Cares

Hoodies make popular merch for their comfortability, fashionability, and ability to showcase your brand. Spread the right kind of brand awareness by aligning your designs with your brand’s style guide, choosing high quality fabrics, focusing on practical elements like fit and logo placement, and working with a reliable partner who can make the whole process run smoothly.

Ready to enlist our help for your next merch launch?