RETAIL & EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN | ART DIRECTION | PRINT
Portside Brand & Retail Spatial Design
From concept to construction—an end-to-end branding and environment design for a new café and restaurant experience.
COMPANY
Port Side
YEAR
2014-2017
SKILLS
Construction and retail design, print design, payroll, people management
SOFTWARE USED
Photoshop, Illustrator
CHALLENGE
Create an entirely new hospitality brand from scratch—one that would resonate with both locals and travelers. The scope extended far beyond a logo: Portside needed a full visual identity, an inviting retail space, and a clear point of view that translated across digital, physical, and environmental touchpoints.
SOLUTION
I led the holistic brand development of Portside, starting with a custom wordmark and logo system that informed everything from packaging to signage. I crafted a unique typographic style and color palette rooted in the brand’s coastal inspiration. In parallel, I designed the physical space—selecting finishes, creating branded menu boards and signage, managing the interior buildout, and coordinating with contractors and vendors to ensure brand integrity from blueprint to grand opening.
OUTCOME
Portside launched as a visually cohesive and experientially rich café and restaurant. The brand came to life across physical space, digital menus, printed materials, merchandise, and advertising. Guests experienced a seamless blend of form and function—where every surface, sign, and sip reinforced the story.
REFLECTION
This project was a rare opportunity to build something truly from the ground up. It challenged me to think like a designer, a strategist, and a builder—balancing aesthetics with budget, creativity with logistics. Portside remains one of my most rewarding branding projects because it combined so many disciplines into one unified, living experience.
