Client
Nicks Cove
Nick’s Cove has been a Highway 1 destination in Marshall, California for nearly a decade, featuring 12 cottages, a farm-to-table seafood restaurant and Tomales Bay panoramas—an experience unlike any other.
Before, the brand was too on the nose for a seaside eatery. Design elements felt kitschy, tacky, and mismatched. Some were hesitant about the trek; Nick’s felt like a far-away hole-in-the-wall when really it’s always been a roadtrip-worthy getaway.
Outer rebuilt the brand from the hull up with a goal of charming a more adventurous clientele. Messaging leans into escaping the everyday hustle for somewhere seaside and serene—encouraging visitors to “stay a little longer” and that it's “worth the trip.” Nick's is about the journey and the destination.
SERVICES
brand strategy
visual identity
collateral design
website design
The visual identity includes a minimalist, relaxing language, communicating the guest experience, beginning with revamped web design. Illustrations are reminiscent of pencil sketches, like a guest journaling their stay. Typography is a modern take on historic styles of classic American seaside. Overall, the visual identity is refined: Pared down but not sterile, rustic but not kitschy, contemporary but not trendy. From a guest visiting the website to departing their cottage, the brand touch points convey a curated, unique experience, matching the one-of-a-kind property.
