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For two decades in my hometown of Falmouth, MA there has stood a beloved restaurant that sadly had to close  after the COVID-19 pandemic. The people around town were devastated to see this staple of our beloved coastline go, and more so were they hesitant to see what would replace it. 

A few weeks after the news, I received a phone call from my neighbor a few doors down. He explained to me that he needed my help with a new project of his. He had purchased the restaurant and needed a reliable designer to help bring his idea to life. 

He wanted to name his restaurant "Shipwrecked". It was to be a watering hole for locals and tourists alike. A great family restaurant during the day with a great party scene by night. The theme was to be nautical, but fresh and modern to bring new life into the building. 

The logo design process was complicated. He had the font that he wanted to use and wanted to nod at the local history of the fishing industry and the many ships that lay sunken off our shores. We experimented with different designs of old schooners, sometimes accompanied by the tenticles of the ship-sinking sea monster that presumably brought it down. They all had great potential, but none of them incited that "ah ha!" feeling. 

One day, we were taking a look at one of the hundred year old maps that he had found and planned to use as wall decor for the restaurant. In the key there was an odd symbol that we learned marked the locations of shipwrecks underwater. There was our ah ha moment. It was so simple yet so perfect, and had a recognizable look to it. So we combined this unique shape, we called it "the football" and paired it with the Shipwrecked text that he came in with and the design was complete.

Once we finalized our logo, I started designing everything else that a restaurant needs. Food/drink menus, kids menus, staff t-shirts, posters, merchandise. I hand painted the "football" logo onto the hostess stand. I had several Zoom meetings with a UX designer to create the layout of the website. I worked with a vinyl printing friend to make a six-foot vinyl text logo and applied it myself to the sushi bar. 

It was a lot of hard work, but it ended up coming together so well. That first summer was a hit for the restaurant. Soon I was seeing my merchandise all over town. the owner even saw some of the gear I designed at an airport in Colorado! I can say that I helped create one of the most, if not the most, successful restaurant in Falmouth, which is just as beloved as the one it replaced.