A passion project that I keep coming back to, Minnesota Surf Co has been around as long as I have been serious about design. It has evolved with my skills and has been such a fun concept to bring design ideas to.
The Start
May 2021
The last class I ever had in high school was printing. We learned about all kinds of printing, and for the final project we got to design a t-shirt and print it ourselves.
I needed a design, so I got a marker and some paper and freehanded this design in about five minutes. I then spent the last hours, even staying after class on the last day of my high school career printing shirts for my friends and selling them. I've been hooked on this project ever since.
Second Designs
September 2021
After high school, I went on to design school where I expanded my skills, and naturally I took my new skills to the project that had stayed on my mind since graduating. I had so much fun and it only made my excitement for design grow.
I wanted to make different designs around animals that would identify with different kinds of people. Are you a deer drifter? A moose mover? A walleye whisperer? I kept this idea in my back pocket, because design school was starting to take up all my time, but I knew I wasn't done.
College Capstone
September 2022
My last year in school we got the opportunity to spend an entire semester on one project and I finally got my chance to go all in on this concept and expand it into more of a brand and other things besides clothing.
Logo design progression
So far my ideas didn't have a face. I had some doodles from before I learned more about what a logo should be, but they looked unfinished and overcomplicated. I started with looking at the first ideas and found one with some promise. It had a wave and MN, but it still felt like too much. Narrowing it down to just the wave/shell shape and adding a sun completed the logo perfectly.
Illustration Process
First Capstone Design
Knowing that trout fishermen love a good design, I wanted to include a trout in my three designs for my project. The designs are inspired by woodcut prints and elements surrounding the animal.
After refining my sketch and bringing it to life in Adobe Illustrator, it didn't feel complete. After some peer reviewing and tweaks, the final design was complete. I then used this design as a guide for the other two.
Part of my capstone project was to help people get into the outdoors. For my brand concept, every piece of clothing sold got an "info kit" with information on how to get involved with a hobby associated with the animal, as well as a coupon on equipment to help them get started.
Info Cards
Envisioning the brand as something that could be sold in an actual store like Scheels and REI was important to the overall concept. A simple Point of Purchase display made in Adobe Dimension with a rustic and "fruit stand" look.
Point of Purchase Display
