This project involved the development of a comprehensive editorial illustration system for LAist's Voter Game Plan (VGP), a civic engagement initiative designed to help voters navigate California's 2026 election through accessible, visually engaging digital content. The campaign encompassed coverage of the California gubernatorial election, the Los Angeles mayoral race, and numerous state and local ballot initiatives affecting communities throughout Los Angeles and Orange County.
Commissioned as part of LAist's broader election coverage, the objective was to create a scalable library of vector illustrations that translated complex civic information into approachable visual assets for readers. The system included stylized candidate portraits, animated bobblehead graphics, and supporting illustration components that could be deployed consistently across articles, voter guides, newsletters, social media, and interactive digital experiences.
Each portrait was illustrated entirely in Adobe Illustrator using a standardized visual framework that balanced recognizable likenesses with clean vector construction, simplified forms, and consistent proportions. The illustration system was intentionally designed for scalability, allowing additional candidates and election content to be incorporated while maintaining visual consistency across the campaign.
Beyond portrait illustration, the project required careful attention to production workflows, reusable asset creation, and editorial flexibility. Animated bobblehead graphics expanded the visual language into motion, providing engaging digital assets that supported LAist's mission of making civic information more approachable and accessible to a broad public audience.
Created entirely in Adobe Illustrator, the project demonstrates expertise in editorial illustration, scalable design systems, vector production, and visual storytelling for public-interest journalism. The resulting asset library establishes a cohesive illustration framework capable of supporting future election cycles and ongoing civic engagement initiatives.
Tools: Adobe Illustrator
Deliverables: Editorial illustration system, vector candidate portraits, animated bobblehead graphics, reusable digital assets
Focus: Editorial illustration, civic engagement, election communications, vector illustration, character design, digital publishing
Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates
The same illustration framework was applied to the Los Angeles mayoral race, creating a cohesive collection of portraits that maintained consistency while preserving each candidate's distinctive appearance and personality.
Editorial Illustration System
A unified vector illustration style was developed to ensure consistency across every candidate portrait. Standardized proportions, color palettes, and simplified facial features created a scalable system capable of expanding throughout the election cycle while maintaining a recognizable visual language.
California Gubernatorial Candidates
Each gubernatorial candidate was illustrated as an individual vector portrait before being assembled into animated bobblehead graphics. The system balances recognizable likenesses with simplified forms optimized for digital publishing and editorial storytelling.
County of Los Angeles Ballot Initiative
A reimagined illustration of the County of Los Angeles seal was created specifically for editorial coverage of county ballot measures. Rather than reproducing the official seal, the artwork presents an indigenized interpretation featuring a Chumash Native woman at its center—acknowledging the Indigenous homelands upon which Los Angeles County exists while maintaining an editorial, illustrative approach appropriate for civic storytelling.
Editorial Illustration System
A scalable vector illustration system was developed for LAist's Voter Game Plan campaign to support election reporting across California. The library features diverse voters, polling locations, accessibility scenarios, and civic engagement moments designed to communicate complex election topics through a cohesive visual language.
City of Los Angeles Ballot Initiative
Custom ballot box illustrations incorporating the City of Los Angeles seal were created for election coverage surrounding citywide initiatives. The simplified vector artwork maintains clarity at multiple sizes while reinforcing recognizable civic iconography throughout the Voter Game Plan campaign.
City of Long Beach Ballot Initiative
Illustrations supporting Long Beach ballot measure coverage extend the visual system beyond Los Angeles, adapting recognizable municipal identity into a clean editorial style that remains consistent across the broader Voter Game Plan illustration library.
