CLIENT

Piers Park Sailing Center

SERVICES

Brand strategy, messaging, creative direction, website & digital design.

A project anchored (hehe) in inclusion, accessibility, and making everyone feel welcome on the water.

And what better way to build an inclusive brand than involving the community itself?

The young people and teen staff from the center created the custom fonts and the incredible artwork that bring the identity to life.

The challenge

Piers Park Sailing Center had evolved hugely over the years, but its brand hadn’t evolved with it. The existing identity and website felt dated, corporate and disconnected from the energy, warmth and sense of community that defines the organisation in real life.

The challenge was to create a brand that truly reflected who they are today - a welcoming, people-first sailing centre with a mission to empower people through accessible programmes and experiences on the water.

Playful illustrated graphic with the phrase “Home is on the harbor” in large cream lettering on a dark blue background, surrounded by nautical-themed illustrations including a life jacket, fish, sailboat, and whale.

The concept

Home is on the Harbor is all about community, confidence and connection. Capturing the feeling of getting outside, trying something new and feeling welcome from the moment you arrive. Inspired by nostalgic summer camp energy, the concept brings warmth, playfulness and personality to the brand, creating a space that feels approachable, inclusive and full of life.

Someone standing on rocks holding up a branded towel in front of them
Someone standing on rocks holding up a branded towel in front of them
brand colour combinations presented on lifejacket illustrations
brand colour combinations presented on lifejacket illustrations

Built by the community

From the start, it was clear this couldn’t be a brand built for the community without involving them directly. Through workshops, young participants and teen staff at Piers Park Sailing Center helped shape the identity by creating custom typography and illustrations. Their creativity, humour and perspective brought an authenticity to the project that couldn’t have been replicated in isolation.

Illustrations the particpants drew of marine life and things you find around the harbour like flags, ropes, boats, hats and sunglasses
Custom hand-drawn alphabet created by young participants, featuring playful lowercase letterforms in light green on a dark green background.
Bold custom uppercase alphabet inspired by children’s drawings, featuring playful geometric letterforms in light blue on a dark blue background.

A voice that sounds like them!

The tone of voice was built in the same collaborative way, using the phrases, sailing slang and everyday language used by the community itself and the way participants and staff speak to each other both on and off the water. This helped create a voice that feels approachable, full of personality and genuinely reflective of the people behind the organisation.

Brand tone of voice board featuring playful nautical-themed messaging in bold typography, including phrases like “Everyone’s Welcome on the Water” and “Not Your Average Sailing Club,” alongside illustrated sea creatures on a soft neutral background.
Three playful social media post designs for a sailing club brand, featuring hand-drawn typography, bright nautical illustrations, and phrases including “Standing by 78,” “Home is on the harbor,” and “Far from ordinary.”
program logos in a sailing badge style with icons like crabs and life rings
program logos in a sailing badge style with icons like crabs and life rings
A metal flask/bottle with branded illustrations on it

A new system of sailing badges brings consistency across the Piers Park Sailing Center programme while giving each course its own distinct identity. Designed to help differentiate the wide range of programmes — which previously felt visually similar — each badge draws on the character and spirit of the individual experience, from youth sailing to advanced training.

Social media posts for a youth sailing and exploration programme featuring playful nautical graphics, colourful logo designs, and candid photography of children and adults participating in water activities.

“To us the most important thing was that we look like who we are, and that has 100% been accomplished by this project.  We are out in the world feeling confident because we look like our true selves.

We feel like we stand out big time.  While other orgs have AI sloppy looking posters, we have original art, fresh, youthful, fun, and engaging that really makes people take notice and pay attention

Everyone that has seen our rebrand (our staff, our community, funders, partners) loves it and has been commenting on it.”

Brand poster for Harbor Explorers leaning against concrete steps, featuring a minimalist crab illustration surrounded by curved serif typography on a deep red background.
A5 printed flyer that says welcome and has a QR code to sign up for an event
A teenager on a boat smiling with text that says 'home is on the harbor'
A teenager on a boat smiling with text that says 'home is on the harbor'
A picture of a child with a Boston cap on that says ' everyone's welcome on the water'
A picture of a child with a Boston cap on that says ' everyone's welcome on the water'
A printed flyer balancing against a wall that has details for an upcoming open day and a big illustration of a crab
A blue bucket hat with brand illustrations on it
A blue hoodie with a life jacket, anchor, sun and boat illustration on it
A billboard mock up with details of the sailing centre and a photo of four people in a kayak looking at the camera and smiling

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