Context
I was tasked with creating a restaurant brand concept for The Gateway Hotel in Dundalk. The interior designer provided me with a moodboard in order to ensure that the brand was inline with the interior design.
In my research, I learned that the hotel was located near an area called “The Navvy Bank”, an artificial embankment constructed in the 1840s to facilitate the entry of shipping into Dundalk Port. This informed my decision to take a “navigator” theme for this brand – The Navvy Bank references the local port, while also referencing Dundalk’s global shipping connections.
Challenges
The name “The Navvy Bank” and the navigator theme both suggest a blue colour scheme and a nautical vibe. However, I found that the blues where lacking character and contrast. It was also imperative that the brand design was in synch with the interior design. I pulled the orange accents from the interior décor. The bright pop of orange keeps the brand feeling sharp and modern, while the maintains an air of elegance.
Conclusion
Although this concept was not used, it did receive very positive feedback. The challenge of designing a brand in line with a interior designer’s moodboard was an interesting process.
