How the Triplets Brainstorm New Designs
Every Sturniolo Triplets merch drop starts the same way: with a group chat that’s equal parts chaos and creative energy. Chris, Matt, and Nick gather round - sometimes in person, more often over FaceTime - and they spitball ideas based on what’s been trending in the community, what inside jokes have recently blown up, and what they’ve been personally obsessed with. They keep a running “merch ideas” note on their phones, so when a fan meme or a funny moment from a video starts gaining traction, they can capture it instantly.
“We don’t want to just slap our faces on a shirt. That’s boring. It has to mean something to us and to the people watching,” Nick explained in a livestream Q&A. The triplets prioritize designs that reflect shared memories from their content - a laugh that became a catchphrase, a challenge that went sideways, or a visual motif from a fan-favorite series. This brainstorming phase can last weeks, with each brother pitching two to three concepts and the others voting with reactions in their private chat.
From Sketch to Screen: The Design Workflow
Once a concept is greenlit, it moves to a small, trusted design team that the triplets have worked with for years. The process is far from polished - it starts with rough sketches on grid paper or even napkins. “Matt is actually really good at drawing, so he’ll sketch the idea, and then we send photos to our designer to clean up,” Chris shared in a behind-the-scenes Instagram story.
The designer creates two to three mockups for each concept, experimenting with colors, fonts, and layouts. The triplets review these mockups in a shared Google Drive folder, leaving voice memos or comments with tweaks - “Can we make the font bolder?” or “That green doesn’t match the vibe of the video it’s from.” They often request multiple revisions until the design feels authentic to the original spark. “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being us,” Matt noted during a podcast appearance.
Fan Feedback That Shapes New Drops
Fan input isn’t just an afterthought - it’s embedded in every phase. Before finalizing a design, the triplets sometimes post a sneak peek on their Instagram or Twitter and monitor the reaction in comments and DMs. If a design gets overwhelmingly positive responses, it gets fast-tracked. If fans express confusion or disinterest, they’re not afraid to scrap it and start fresh.
“We’ve literally killed designs because the comments were 50/50. We want everyone to feel like they’re part of the process,” Nick said during a YouTube members-only stream. The triplets also run occasional polls in their Discord server, asking fans to vote between two colorways or even two competing design concepts. This isn’t just flattery - it’s strategic. By involving their core audience, they ensure that every drop has a built-in demand before a single item is produced.
What Makes a Design an Instant Hit
Not all designs succeed equally. The ones that become instant hits share a few key traits. First, they reference a specific, memorable moment from their content - like the “Grimace Shake” challenge or a glitched gaming clip that went viral. Second, they’re visually simple enough to work as a social media avatar or phone wallpaper; fans love to repurpose the art on their own profiles. Third, they incorporate a subtle inside joke that only true fans “get,” which creates a sense of belonging.
“When we dropped the ‘Smoothie Guy’ tee, we knew it would be big because every single comment on the reveal post was quoting that video,” Matt recalled. The triplets also pay attention to the production details - soft cotton blends, unique tag designs, and limited colorways. They refuse to compromise on print quality, often requesting samples multiple times until the color saturation matches the digital mockup. It’s that hands-on dedication that turns a fan into a collector.
The result is a merch line that feels less like apparel and more like a physical extension of the community. Each piece carries a story, a laugh, or a shared experience. And the process keeps evolving as the triplets learn from each drop, always looking for new ways to turn inside jokes into something you can wear.
Ready to own a piece of that story? Check out the latest collection and snag a design that speaks to your favorite moment.
