For this project we were tasked to create a brand guideline book for the identity we created for an area around Austin. My area was the newly built boardwalk running along the river bank of Lady Bird Lake.
Through my research, I found that the boardwalk was a great place to walk, bike, run, and enjoy nature. However, it is smack dab in the heart of Austin, where cars constantly stream by and houses adorn the bank. I thought it was a perfect mesh of nature and city life. I also wanted to push the identity further. Austin is known as a “weird” city. I wanted to focus my audience on those who want to get active while also referencing the weird side of the town.
This led me to creating an identity that joked around with its audience. I wanted to encourage fitness in a funny way by using humorous merchandise and signage. My signs were created to make people laugh and encourage them to keep moving at the same time.
The brand book itself was very similar in this aspect. I used silly phrases and humorous writing to emphasize the identity of the boardwalk. The colors used were to reference the water, sun, and architecture of the city, while naming the colors would reference the humor. My typefaces were intended to feel both natural and manmade.