Someday
Building a world worth returning to. Some newsletters deliver information. Someday in Sonoma delivers a feeling. Created by entrepreneur, writer, and Une Femme founder Jen Pelka, the Substack is a personal lens into the people, places, meals, and moments that make Sonoma what it is. Equal parts guidebook, diary, and dinner invitation, it reflects Jen's unique perspective on food, hospitality, design, and everyday living. Our role was to create a visual identity that felt as personal and layered as the stories themselves.
Translating personality into a brand
The challenge wasn't creating a brand for a publication.It was creating a brand for a point of view. The identity needed to feel unmistakably Sonoma without falling into the clichés often associated with wine country. It needed warmth without sentimentality, sophistication without pretense, and enough flexibility to evolve alongside the stories Jen wanted to tell. Inspired by Sonoma's landscape, pace, and sense of place, we developed a visual system that feels approachable, lived-in, and quietly refined much like the region itself.
An illustrated expression of life in Sonoma
At the heart of the identity is a series of custom illustrations designed to capture the spirit of Jen's world.Food, wine, entertaining, local rituals, and beloved details all became part of the visual language. Among them is Pita, Jen's dog and constant companion, whose presence adds another layer of personality and authenticity to the brand. These illustrations weren't decorative additions. They became storytelling devices—small visual moments that make the publication feel personal, familiar, and distinctly hers.
Photography by Kayla Schmah
Translating personality into a brand
The challenge wasn't creating a brand for a publication.It was creating a brand for a point of view. The identity needed to feel unmistakably Sonoma without falling into the clichés often associated with wine country. It needed warmth without sentimentality, sophistication without pretense, and enough flexibility to evolve alongside the stories Jen wanted to tell. Inspired by Sonoma's landscape, pace, and sense of place, we developed a visual system that feels approachable, lived-in, and quietly refined much like the region itself.
An illustrated expression of life in Sonoma
At the heart of the identity is a series of custom illustrations designed to capture the spirit of Jen's world.Food, wine, entertaining, local rituals, and beloved details all became part of the visual language. Among them is Pita, Jen's dog and constant companion, whose presence adds another layer of personality and authenticity to the brand. These illustrations weren't decorative additions. They became storytelling devices—small visual moments that make the publication feel personal, familiar, and distinctly hers.
Photography by Kayla Schmah
A brand built for storytelling
The identity system was designed to support a wide range of content, from recommendations and recipes to interviews, travel notes, and reflections on life in Sonoma. Typography, illustration, color, and composition work together to create a framework that feels editorial yet intimate. Structured enough to build recognition, flexible enough to accommodate the evolving nature of a personal publication. The result is a brand that doesn't compete with the stories, it helps tell them.
The outcome
Someday in Sonoma is more than a newsletter.It's a window into a way of living.By blending thoughtful branding, custom illustration, and a strong sense of place, we created an identity that feels as welcoming as a seat at Jen's table and as memorable as the stories she shares.A publication rooted in Sonoma, shaped by personality, and designed to feel like coming home.
Explore Someday in Sonoma on Substack
A brand built for storytelling
The identity system was designed to support a wide range of content, from recommendations and recipes to interviews, travel notes, and reflections on life in Sonoma. Typography, illustration, color, and composition work together to create a framework that feels editorial yet intimate. Structured enough to build recognition, flexible enough to accommodate the evolving nature of a personal publication. The result is a brand that doesn't compete with the stories, it helps tell them.
The outcome
Someday in Sonoma is more than a newsletter.It's a window into a way of living.By blending thoughtful branding, custom illustration, and a strong sense of place, we created an identity that feels as welcoming as a seat at Jen's table and as memorable as the stories she shares.A publication rooted in Sonoma, shaped by personality, and designed to feel like coming home.
Explore Someday in Sonoma on Substack
