MCCAFFREY’S FOOD MARKETS

For the past 6 years at McCaffrey’s Food Markets, I’ve worn many hats, and designed most of them myself. As their Multimedia Designer, I’ve led the creation of everything from seasonal campaigns and in-store signage to social media assests and branded print materials. My work helped elevate a family-run grocery chain into a visual brand that feels both local and elevated. I’ve built consistency across locations, crafted visuals that connect with real people, and brought strategic creativity to an industry where design often gets overlooked— but never on my watch.

McCaffrey’s Catering

This project nearly broke me — I overcame it like a phoenix.

The McCaffrey’s Catering Catalog was a full-scale reinvention. Not just a refresh, a rebuild from the ground up. I spent nearly an entire year fully immersed in the process, wearing every hat imaginable: strategist, designer, food stylist, photo assistant, management of many sorts, layout wizard… and
part-time magician. This wasn’t a side project… it was a full-time commitment.

Months of competitor research, data mining, and visual analysis laid the foundation. From there, I collaborated & crafted a 32-page catalog with a younger, brighter voice, elevated visuals, subtle nostalgia, and an honest celebration of real food. No fluff. Just storytelling through typography, layout, and over 230 custom-styled photographs — all curated by me.

COVID-19 reshaped how we gather. Social media reshaped how we present it. This catalog needed to speak to both; with sincerity and style. It’s a piece that draws people in where they live: in their kitchens, on their phones, and in their memories. It also served as a launchpad for a full visual ecosystem from new marketing collateral and web assets to an internal guidebook that supports both staff and customers.

This project just dropped for public view, and I’m looking forward to the post-launch feedback and sales data to see how it lands. Creatively, it stretched me further than any other project I’ve tackled. And it’s the one I’m most proud of— not just because of what it looks like, but because of everything it took to make it real.

The Challenge:

Photography: A. Wilkinson

My Role:

Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Project Management
Continuity Management
Data Management

Photography Assistant
Catalog Design
Launch Campaign
Prepress

Software Used:

I was tasked me with bringing visual harmony to their entire line of private label products, a growing collection spanning multiple departments, packaging materials, and formats. The goal? Create a cohesive packaging system that felt fresh and inviting to a younger audience, without alienating the trust built over three decades with their loyal customers.

Designing for flexibility and consistency was key. I needed something that could live comfortably across packaged prepared foods, deli lids & bags, soup containers, and beyond— all while working within a variable of color, material and printing constraints. I landed on a bracket-style motif that added a sense of boutique charm and continuity, paired with playful but polished typography that injected youth without sacrificing legibility or sophistication.

My process was rooted in research and immersion. I spent time walking store aisles, analyzing shelf presence, and studying how competitors approached their own private label lines. The result is a system that doesn’t just look unified — it feels like McCaffrey’s, modernized. Familiar, but forward.

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Bridge

McCaffrey’s Private Label

The Challenge:

My Role:

Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Packaging Design
Vendor Management

Software Used:

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Procreate

The Crazy 8 Sale wasn’t new— but the way we presented it needed to be. The concept had been done many times before, usually leaning on the tired, overused 8-ball theme. I wanted to do something different, something that actually stuck. A campaign that didn’t just advertise a sale, but made people smile, remember it, and maybe even feel a little nostalgic.

I hit a creative wall for days. Nothing was clicking. Then, after one particularly frustrating post-office commute, it finally landed: 8 stores. 1980s. 8-bit. The trifecta. I combined a full-blown retro Nintendo aesthetic with saturated neon tones pulled straight from the best (and worst) of 1980s pop culture. It was wildly off-brand for McCaffrey’s. And, that’s exactly why it worked. The final campaign stood on its own, bold and unmistakable, with pixelated design elements, vintage arcade fonts, and a vibrant, rebellious palette that broke every rule in the brand guidelines… intentionally.

It became more than just a one-day sale. It was a creative refresh, a throwback moment, and a chance for store teams to lean in and have fun with it. The best part? A few nods from nostalgic gamers and hair metal fans who recognized the vibe instantly. We didn’t just run a sale, we’ve created a moment.

The final system balances playful energy with trusted familiarity. Built to flex across departments, formats, and materials, the design feels like it’s always been part of the McCaffrey’s brand, just with a modern twist. From soups to bakery cookies, every package now lives under a unified look that’s adaptable, elevated, and uniquely ours.

The Results:

McCaffrey’s Crazy 8

The Challenge:

My Role:

Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Circular Design
In-store Signage

Software Used:

Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign

The final concept brought a completely fresh spin to a tired promotion. Drenched in retro color, arcade-style typography, and subtle nods to gamer culture, the campaign stood out from anything McCaffrey’s had done before.

It didn’t just look different — it performed. The campaign drove noticeable foot traffic and boosted sales across featured items, while also giving store teams something fun to rally around. With playful visuals and a throwback vibe, Crazy 8 finally lived up to its name — in the best possible way.

The Results: