Giving Small Towns a Place in the Picture

The smaller communities I visited had plenty of character but often no Snapchat geofilter to show it. I created location-based illustrations that gave those places their own visual identity, turning a self-directed project into artwork people used in their everyday photos and videos and Snapchat repeatedly chose to feature.

The idea grew out of my daily illustration practice and a gap I could see firsthand. Larger places had filters to choose from; towns I knew did not. I developed concepts around local landmarks and lettering so the artwork would feel connected to an actual place rather than interchangeable decoration. Each filter needed to communicate quickly while leaving room for the person or moment in the photograph. The setting was part of the design brief, not just its label.

I carried the concepts into finished vector illustrations and typographic compositions, keeping the treatment recognizable over changing photos and video. That required balancing enough character to make the location distinct with enough restraint to avoid covering the content people wanted to share. I prepared and submitted the artwork for use on the platform, building a collection of original local designs. It was a practical exercise in making illustration work inside somebody else’s experience, where I couldn’t control the background.

The filters went on to accumulate substantial use, and Snapchat featured the work across its homepage, social channels, and tutorials. Repeated Featured Cities Artist recognition gave the project an outcome well beyond the initial submissions. I had carried it from noticing an opportunity through concept, illustration, and production, without waiting for a client to hand me a brief. What started with a few overlooked places became artwork people chose to make part of their own photos, videos, and everyday stories.