Gus’s Bloom
Gus’s Community Market is a community store for SF locals. Gus Vardakastanis, co-founder of the shop passed away in 2017, leading his two sons, Dimitri and Bobby, to take care of the shop. Gus’s prioritizes making all customers feel as if they are a “part of our family;” therefore, many of the goods they sell are house-made.
I created a sub-brand for Gus’s, from the perspective of Dimitri and Bobby. To create an inviting mood, I drew illustrations of little men (inspired by the two sons) participating in activities that relate to the product being sold.
RESEARCH & INITIAL IDEAS
started by analyzing the shop’s products, which had clean, flat designs but lacked storytelling through illustrations. Inspired by their 1981 branding, I chose the sub-brand name “Bloom” to reflect their mission to grow and brighten their future.
I developed a playful character and pattern concept, refining it through sketches and color exploration despite feedback that it might seem too childish. Integrating the character with bold typography created a distinctive design that stood out from typical product styles.
CHARACTERS
I chose 7–10 products that my sub-brand could sell and created mini-characters for each product. I drew inspiration from flowers for the color choices as I wanted a colorful and dynamic palette.
FINAL
I designed 12 products and placed them around the store to see how they would compare with competitors.
