Raritan Valley Region, NJ — Place-Based Icon System

Custom Illustration · Place Branding

The Brief

A retail cannabis store opening in New Jersey wanted something genuinely rooted in its region — not a generic map, not stock art, but a custom illustrated icon system that could anchor a large-format print inside the store, live on the website, and carry across promotional materials. The Raritan Valley region has surprising depth: Revolutionary War history, wildlife refuges, historic mills, jazz legends, state parks, storied restaurants, and a shark attack legend that may or may not have inspired a certain famous film. The brief was to find all of it and turn it into something worth hanging on a wall.

Deciding What Makes the Cut

The most interesting part of any place-based illustration project is the curation. Every region has more stories than it has space for, and the Raritan Valley is no exception. The icon system drew from a wide range of reference points — historic landmarks and courthouses, natural areas, cultural institutions, Revolutionary War sites, and a few entries that bent the rules entirely. Washington's crossing of the Delaware. The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. A heron standing in the reeds. The ghost of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast, which originated just down the road in Grover's Mill. A nod to the Raritan Bay's own brush with Jaws mythology. Some icons depicted buildings rendered with careful architectural detail. Others told stories that a building alone couldn't carry.

The Style

The illustration approach is loose and hand-drawn — confident linework with just enough detail to be evocative without tipping into the fussy. Two colors: deep navy on warm cream. It has the quality of something sketched in a good notebook by someone who knew exactly what they were looking at. Familiar enough to feel like home. Considered enough to feel like a gift.

Where It Ended

The icon system was completed as a first phase of work. The full illustrated map — with roads, geography, and all icons placed in context — was scoped and ready to go. Budget didn't follow. It's one of those projects that got close enough to show you exactly what it would have been.