Cali Coffee

Custom Assets for a Fresh Brand

When Cali Coffee approached me in 2017, they had a pattern of generic icons to use for their yet-to-be-printed cups, but they wanted something distinctively theirs—inspired by the Dutch Bros Iconoflage I created earlier that year. The challenge was capturing their fun, beach-lifestyle energy while incorporating brand-specific elements that could work across multiple applications.

The Iconoflage pattern incorporated California-inspired elements, coffee culture details, and Hollywood, Florida references into an intricate design implemented across three sizes each of hot and cold cups. Customers began sharing photos of the distinctive cups daily on Instagram, generating organic brand visibility.

Beyond the cups, the artwork appeared on gift cards and promotional materials, while individual icons were saved as separate files—giving Cali Coffee a library of brand elements they could mix and match for future applications. I also included two refined illustrations: the California bear and crossed portafilters which were used for mugs and apparel.

That project's success led to Cali Coffee returning for a few other projects including a monthly sticker series in 2019—twelve themed designs (March 2019 through February 2020) that customers collected and shared on social media, from St. Paddy's Day and beach sunsets to 80's outrun aesthetics and palm trees with Christmas lights.