Year
2025
Industry
Graphic Design & Illustration
Space of work
Portfolio
Timeline
12 Weeks
10+ Custom-Branded Murals for Portland Leather Goods
I designed and illustrated 10+ custom in-store murals for Portland Leather Goods locations across the U.S. Using Adobe Illustrator, I developed region-specific artwork informed by local culture, landmarks, and community research while maintaining a cohesive, on-brand visual system. Because I wasn’t onsite, I learned to interpret architectural plans, wall dimensions, and spatial constraints to accurately scale artwork for each location. I created custom color palettes that aligned with Portland Leather’s brand identity and ensured consistency across all murals while allowing each store to feel locally rooted and unique.
New Style & Tight Deadlines
As the only illustrator, two of these murals came to me with an impossible deadline. I worked on the weekends to ensure it would get done because of my never-ending passion for design & bringing visions to fruition. One of the primary challenges of this project was adapting to a quirky, nursery-inspired illustration style that was requested & was outside of my usual design comfort zone. This required me to pull new references, experiment with linework, composition, and push my illustration approach while still maintaining brand consistency. Another challenge was designing murals for locations I had never physically visited. To ensure each space felt authentic and locally relevant, I conducted extensive regional research, and leaned on insights from internal “Insiders” - the Portland Leather community on Facebook. This collaborative approach helped inform design decisions and ensured each mural resonated with its specific location despite the distance.
Umbrellas Next
The mural initiative created a lot of fufillment in my role as a designer at Portland Leather Goods. It pushed me to expand my illustration style, design confidently for spaces I couldn’t physically access, and collaborate more deeply with both internal teams and the community. As the murals gained traction, the project expanded into custom illustrated umbrellas. This transition challenged me to rethink scale, function, and durability while maintaining the same playful, locally inspired aesthetic, proving the flexibility of the illustration system beyond in-store environments. I'm excited for them to come out in 2026.
