Memphis Coffee Guide

The Problem

The task was to create an engaging and visually appealing illustration for Edible Memphis Magazine that captured the essence of Memphis and coffee culture and included an entertaining AR effect for added interactivity.

The Solution

A 3D illustration was crafted, featuring an aerial view of Memphis and an abstract coffee splash that resembled a map arrow pointer. Blue was chosen to make the illustration visually pop and reflect the city's connection to the Mississippi River, the Grizzlies, and the Memphis Tigers. After developing the illustration, I created an optimized version of the coffee asset to create a fun AR coffee activation, complete with a QR code for easy access through Instagram's Spark AR platform. The final result was a well-received, immersive, and caffeinated experience that combined 3D illustration and AR technology.

Creature Studio

3D Artist & AR Creator
// Mar - Apr 2023

The Process

The creative journey started with multiple concepts featuring Memphis maps combined with coffee elements in neutral tones. Following feedback from the Edible team, a more colorful palette was adopted, leading to the lighter blue coffee splash.

Blender was used for fluid simulation to create the pouring coffee effect, refined and sculpted in ZBrush. Next, a 3D mesh map of Memphis was generated using Blender's GIS Map plugin that utilizes Google Map data. Finally, coffee materials and a three-point lighting system were established in Blender, with the final render produced using the Cycles renderer for proper lighting and detail.

The abstract coffee cup was combined with the blue 3D map background in Photoshop, and Emma Meskovic contributed hand lettering for the final illustration. A lower poly version of the cup and a 3D model of Emma's hand lettering was created for the AR effect, along with minor animation. A playful coffee bubble VFX was designed and materials were reconfigured for augmented reality. Lastly, I changed the color of the AR hand lettering to gold to enhance visual impact.