ABOUT PROJECT
This project was commissioned by a family-owned store located in the heart of the Alamo Park neighborhood, a popular destination for locals and tourists in San Francisco. The store offers a diverse selection of products, but due to its prime location and tourist traffic, items with San Francisco-themed designs are the best sellers. The client’s request was to create a series of SF-themed products that would resonate with visitors looking for memorable souvenirs. These designs needed to capture the essence of San Francisco's iconic landmarks and culture while also maintaining a unique and appealing aesthetic for the store's eclectic range of offerings.
CHALLENGES
One of the main challenges was balancing the popularity of SF-themed products with originality. With many typical souvenirs already flooding the market, it was important to create something that felt fresh and unique while still appealing to a broad audience. This meant not only capturing the attention of tourists, who are often looking for iconic, city-themed items, but also resonating with locals who might be more selective about the products they choose. Another difficulty was capturing the essence of San Francisco in just a few postcard designs. With so many iconic sights to choose from, I had to select San Francisco symbol that both felt authentic to the city and stood out visually.
DESIGN PROCESS
For this project, I decided to feature the Golden Gate Bridge, a clear symbol of San Francisco. To avoid the usual touristy look, I used MidJourney to generate the image of the bridge, but I deliberately distorted the proportions, varied the thickness of the lines, and left some parts unfinished. This gave the bridge a more handmade feel while still keeping it recognizable, offering a new perspective on the iconic landmark. The same approach was used for both the postcards and the tote bag, ensuring the design worked well across both formats while maintaining a cohesive and versatile look.
I also added a "San Francisco" sign using the Fustat font. I chose Fustat because it blends both modern and classic elements. While the font has a clean, contemporary feel, its rounded shapes and bold lines also evoke a sense of nostalgia, similar to the old signage you might see around the city. This made it a great fit for a design that needed to feel fresh but also connected to San Francisco’s rich history. The font’s bold, geometric style helped the text stand out, complementing the bridge design without overwhelming it.
Once I had the base design from MidJourney, I moved it into Illustrator for post-production. I refined the details, smoothed out some irregularities, and kept the unfinished lines to maintain a more relaxed, hand-drawn look. For the color scheme, I stuck with the classic orange for some designs but also explored a blue version of the bridge to offer a different, more modern twist. This allowed me to create a set of postcards and a tote bag that were visually varied yet cohesive as a collection.
For the backgrounds, I chose gradients to add depth and contrast. Some gradients are brighter and more energetic, while others are softer and more calming, giving each design its own mood while still keeping the overall collection unified.
By combining MidJourney’s generative tools with Illustrator’s post-production, I created a set of postcards and a tote bag design that put a fresh spin on a classic San Francisco image, blending modern design with the city’s iconic charm.
MY ROLE
Graphic Designer.
TIMELINE
2.5 weeks.
