Freepik revitalises local small businesses in San Francisco’s excelsior district

Freepik’s artificial intelligence-assisted designs expedite the process of conceptualising to completion, enhancing the storefronts, interiors, and merchandising of businesses.

Freepik, the preeminent technology company globally and the preeminent design platform encompassing generative artificial intelligence tools and audio-visual resources, has recently unveiled its San Francisco Neighbourhood Design platform. Through the implementation of artificial intelligence functionalities, this progressive initiative swiftly rejuvenated three neighbourhood small enterprises situated in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. A novel era in AI-assisted design has commenced with the conclusion of the AI-driven modifications, encompassing the interior renovations and products as well as the exterior design, all of which were executed in less than a week.

On Wednesday, April 17th, the designs that were developed in collaboration with Freepik for the San Francisco Neighbourhood Design project were unveiled to the general public at the intersection of Excelsior Avenue and Mission Street. Throughout the occasion, designers, business owners, and government representatives, including Ahsha Safaï, the District Supervisor; Sarah Dennis-Phillips, the Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development at the Mayor’s Office; and Mel Flores, the Director of Public Realm at Excelsior’s Action Group, participated in dialogue with the local community and addressed diverse facets of the initiative. In attendance were Jose Florido, the Head of Freepik in the United States. During the discussion, several subjects were addressed, including the utilisation of artificial intelligence in the design process, the sources of inspiration for each individual design, and the anticipated impact on the local community.

Dennis-Phillips lauded the extraordinary Freepik incentive outreach conducted by the neighbourhood community, stating that this exemplifies the vitality of public-private partnerships. She mentioned that she is eagerly anticipating much more from the perspective of economic development regarding this genuinely exciting initiative.

An initiative to support burgeoning design talent was introduced by Freepik a month ago. Freepik granted those who attended an open call for aspiring designers an unprecedented chance to partake in the San Francisco Neighbourhood Design initiative. Project participants would be tasked with utilising its state-of-the-art AI-driven design tools to reconceptualize storefronts, interiors, and merchandise for neighborhood-oriented small businesses. In addition to imparting invaluable practical experience to aspiring designers, the San Francisco Neighbourhood Design initiative sought to facilitate the transformation of neighbourhood businesses, thereby positively affecting small businesses and the greater community.

The three participating small businesses in San Francisco’s Excelsior District—Restaurateure Familiar, Excelsior Coffee, and Razo’s Barber Shop—and the emerging designers who were chosen to work closely with them to redesign their visual identities utilised Freepik’s comprehensive suite of cutting-edge AI design tools. 

Unthinkable Creative assisted in the coordination of businesses and designers during the production of the new designs. Sandra Manzano, Head of Operations of Unthinkable Creative UAE, remarked, “Freepik’s dedication to empowering communities through design is exemplified by our Neighbourhood Design initiatives in both Spain and the United States.” We firmly believe that positive narratives can be genuinely transformed through the use of technology and excellent design. The tangible results of this campaign serve to strengthen our conviction that ingenuity has no limitations and has the capacity to instigate constructive transformations on a global scale.