Coffee Gift Cards

Hand lettered gift cards for coffee lovers to celebrate friendship

9 Weeks | Student Project

Objective

To encourage people to buy coffee for a friend this upcoming spring, I designed a series of gift cards for a fictional coffee company. The objective was to create designs that were fun, friendly, and appropriate for a wide audience of intended recipients.

Details

To make the gift cards feel friendly and fun, I hand lettered simple phrases and unique illustrations that highlight the special moment of generosity in a friendship.

Role

Illustration
Lettering
Copywriting

Tools

Photoshop
Fresco (iPad)

The best way to connect with a friend is to buy them a coffee. The second best way is a gift card for coffee. Either way, it should be done in a delightful way that supports that special moment of generosity between friends.

Hand lettering creates a human connection and brings personality to a brand or design that cannot be achieved by computers.

Research

Audience

The gift cards are set to be released in the United States in Spring '22. The primary audience includes millennials and Gen Z (roughly ages 20-40) purchasing a gift card for a friend around the same age.

This audience is influenced by trends in design, fashion, and popular culture. To appeal to them, the cards should be bold, colorful and grab their attention and delight their friends and avoid feeling too corporate or generic.

Process

1. Mood Board

I started with a mood board to establish the tone of the cards and to help keep the series cohesive.

2. Brainstorming

Brainstorming short phrases that would fit on a gift card and grab attention was next. I used mind-maps to create a list of potential words based on themes around coffee, friendship, and spring.

3. Thumbnails

After receiving feedback on which phrases resonated, I sketched thumbnails to establish a composition and hierarchy that could be quickly read.

4. Sketching

Once I had a thumbnail that worked for selected phrases, I sketched out a rough draft of the lettering and illustration in greyscale.

5. Refinement

When the sketch was finalized, I further refined it and added color and texture.