Background
For this project, I was assigned to redesign Packsack's visual identity. Packsack is a family-owned business that offers outfitting services, cabins, hiking, and fishing in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Families bond over nature adventures, and scout troops especially love visiting this location. At the end of their stay, each troop customizes an oar to hang in the visitor's cabin. The sentimental nature of this oar tradition inspired me to create a customizable logo "bud" to allow Packsack another method of creating personal and memorable experiences for each camper.
Scroll down to see the results and read about my process!
Logo
During my iteration process, I stumbled upon the convenient realization that a reversed 'P' resembles a torso and backpack. With this in mind, a friendly Packsack "bud" emerged, floating in a Packsack canoe. Once created, it was only natural for this Packsack bud to become customizable, which presented exciting opportunities for campers to express their individual personalities and remember their adventures with fellow campers! This customizable logo is inviting and expresses Packsack's passion for community.
To account for various logo uses, I created alternate logos that exclude the enclosing striped oval and instead use only the Packsack bud with/without his boat.
Alternate Logos
Initial Sketches
Digital Iterations
Colors
Packsack's colors are derived from vibrant camping gear and beautiful nature. Because Packsack offers a variety of activities, I thought it would be useful to use colors to represent each aspect of Packsack: Canoes, Log Cabins, Hiking, and Fishing (See business card). Additional secondary colors allow for seasonal color schemes and further customization of the Packsack bud.
Color Iterations
Website
Dense sections of text and a busy background made the original website confusing to navigate at times. To improve legibility and user experience, I narrowed down the paragraphs that were repetitive as well as the paragraphs that belonged on other web pages. This change made the website less overwhelming and easier to navigate.
CUSTOMIZATION
I love Packsack's tradition of having scout troops decorate an oar to hang in the visitor's cabin, because it celebrates each troop's unique dynamic, while creating another opportunity for the troop to bond with each other as they reflect on their camping trip. In addition to this fun tradition, Packsack also hosts photography competitions on their website. I wanted to further embrace Packsack's value for creativity as a way to separate them from other camping locations, so I created the customizable Packsack bud as a way for campers to express their individual personalities.
Because so many families and scout troops visit, I thought it was important to offer the option to have multiple campers in one design, so I included the option to have up to three Packsack buds per canoe. Canoes typically seat two people, but three seat canoes are common as well. Groups of four or more campers can split their designs into canoes of two and three without leaving out one sad and lonely member.
Brochure
Custom Postcards!
Postcard Back and Postcard Envelope
Custom T-Shirts!
Apparel
The original T-shirt design (Left: Get Hooked!) was small and difficult to read. In the new design (Right), the Packsack logo is easily visible and captures the fun personalities of each camper's group.
Cozy Travel Mug
Pins for your Packsack!
