Oakland.

Clarity with attitude

Oakland was a different kind of challenge. At the time, it was one of the largest and most visible clients we had worked with, and the city came with a reputation that needed to be addressed. It was often seen as gritty, overlooked, and not a traditional tourist destination. The goal was not to hide that identity, but to reframe it into something honest, confident, and worth exploring.

As Creative Director, I shaped the visual direction and worked closely with the team and stakeholders to define both the design and user experience. The approach was intentionally unpolished in the right ways, confident in tone, and grounded in the reality of the city rather than trying to soften it.

The system leaned heavily on typography, using a single typeface to carry hierarchy through scale and weight, with a scratchy script introduced sparingly for moments of expression. The palette stayed mostly black and white, allowing photography and content to take the lead while maintaining a strong, consistent visual rhythm.

There was a deliberate effort to avoid the overly polished feel of many tourism sites. Pushing too far in either direction could have weakened the experience, either making it too gritty to navigate or too clean to feel authentic. The design needed to sit in that middle ground, structured and usable, but still reflective of Oakland’s character.

The homepage is where everything came together. Large photography, generous white space, and a strong layout rhythm created clarity, while details like the illustrated map added a distinct and functional layer to exploration.

The direction resonated immediately. The style guide presentation aligned the client around the vision, and the final platform has continued to evolve over time while maintaining the core design approach.