Discover Kodiak Convention & Visitors Bureau - Speculative Project
Discover Kodiak s a non-profit organization promoting the sustainable development of the tourism industry through the Kodiak Island Borough. Discover Kodiak is tasked with three specific missions: welcoming visitors, informing the general public, and promoting the destination within Alaska and abroad.
Our first challenge was, of course, whether to maintain a rugged, distressed visual identity. Without explicitly referring to the rough landscape, it is difficult to communicate effectively about the destination ‘Kodiak’ to a wide audience. However, we are well aware of the overused visual territory, bordering on kitsch. In researching the history of Discover Kodiak‘s materials, we decided that rich, bright images would convey the wild landscape, and clean, legible branding would serve as a gateway.
We opted, therefore for simplicity and concentrated on a typographic design that gently suggests a Kodiak landscape: the bottom arc evoking mountain ranges, jumping salmon, breaching whales, and rolling seas. The result is a minimalist logotype that incorporates Discover Kodiak’s “Alaska Untamed” tag line.
Kodiak Downtown Pocket Guide
The first application of the new branding identity was the ‘Downtown Pocket Guide,’ the official downtown map for Kodiak. This handy product provides info on over 30 museums, monuments and attractions in Kodiak, and allows visitors to travel easily around town. The pocket guide includes all the useful information you need to know to get from one key point to another. This simple and clean design allows us to integrate the color palette and icons in a subtle way.
Kodiak 2022-2023 Visitor Guide
Past Discover Kodiak print collateral felt dated and off brand, falling short of communicating all that Kodiak has to offer. Using fresh design and marketing techniques, we revamped the print materials to include a Discover Kodiak magazine and visitor guide. The previous graphic layout was based on a number of Kodiak bear images. Though effective at showcasing Kodiak’s most famous resident, this appeals to a specific demographic, and often overused visual territory.
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In our proposal, the logotype is a central element, but serves as a gateway to stunning imagery. The layout is clean and saves social media icons, contact info and links for the back cover of the magazine. The inside of the magazine features a number of updated timelines, maps, and icons, including a clean, easy to use hiking guide. Imagery choices highlight a vast array of landscapes & activities from across the archipelago.
Web Design
The next application is a redesign concept for the existing Discover Kodiak website. The former site is outdated, uneven, and poorly laid out, thus leaving visitors confused and underwhelmed.
The Discover Kodiak destination video is a great resource, and we wanted to highlight it front and center, upon reaching the landing page. Our main task was to create a modern, attractive, and informative website. Ultimately, we used large, bright hero imagery to showcase the stunning scenery of Kodiak Island.
Remarks
This whole project was carried out with great serenity and seriousness. We created copy and content that reflected our experiences living in and growing up in Kodiak, and tailored designs to reflect current branding, marketing, and ecotourism trends and strategies.
All text, photography, illustration, animation, web design, and editorial layouts were done in house. Although we made every effort to ensure accurate listings, we do not guarantee the accuracy, services, or products represented herein. We acknowledges that Kodiak is full of talented photographers and illustrators, but can only include imagery produced by the studio or with free license to use.
The rebrand, Pocket Guide, Web Design, and 2022-2023 Discover Kodiak Visitor Guide were created for portfolio building purposes by Carty Design Studio.
Thank you!
