SELECTED WORK
GOOD DESIGN SHOULD LOOK GOOD.
THE BEST DESIGN HAS A REASON TO.
Every project starts somewhere different - a business ready to grow, a brand that no longer fits, a new idea that needs bringing to life or sometimes simply a feeling that something isn't quite working.
My job is to find the idea worth building on, then turn it into something clear, distinctive and made to work in the real world.
THE COTTESLOE CABIN
A TIMELESS IDENTITY DESIGNED TO GROW
The Cottesloe Cabin began in 2018 as a beautifully considered short-stay property in Cottesloe, Western Australia.
What started as an identity for one property has since grown into a much broader portfolio under Cottesloe BnB - with new properties, new touchpoints and an ongoing creative relationship that has evolved alongside the business.
The challenge was to create something distinctive enough to be remembered, but timeless and flexible enough to still feel right years later.
And thankfully, it does.
THE CHALLENGE
The Cottesloe Cabin needed to feel premium without feeling precious. The experience itself was beautifully curated, relaxed and welcoming, so the identity needed to reflect that same balance - considered enough to signal quality, but warm enough to still feel like somewhere you'd genuinely want to stay. It also needed to work well beyond the logo. From property signage and guest information to stationery, floor plans, vouchers and future accommodation brands, everything needed to feel connected without becoming overly designed.
WHAT I HEARD
One of the most important parts of my process is listening for what sits underneath the brief. For The Cottesloe Cabin, it wasn't about creating something overtly coastal or following the familiar visual language of holiday accommodation. The brand needed to capture a feeling: calm, considered, understated and quietly luxurious. That became the filter for every decision that followed.
THE IDEA
Rather than designing around trends, I wanted the identity to feel as though it belonged naturally within the property itself. A refined serif typeface gave the brand its sense of elegance and permanence, while the restrained layout kept everything clean and uncomplicated. Minimal iconography added personality without overwhelming the identity. The pine tree became a subtle reference to nature, relaxation and escape - giving the brand a recognisable visual element that could live comfortably across different applications. The result was intentionally simple. Because when the foundations are right, you don't need to keep adding.
THE DESIGN
The identity was built as a flexible system rather than a single logo. A primary wordmark, supporting brand marks, typography and minimalist iconography gave us enough variation to move easily between signage, print and guest-facing materials while still feeling unmistakably Cottesloe. As the business grew, that flexibility became increasingly important. New property identities could be introduced with their own personality while still clearly belonging to the same family.
MAKING IT WORK
A brand really proves itself once it leaves the presentation deck. Over the years, I've continued working with Cottesloe BnB to extend the identity across property signage, stationery, guest manuals, floor plans, custom vouchers and supporting brands for additional properties. Each new piece has a different job to do, but it should never feel like it came from a different business. That's one of the things I love about an ongoing client relationship: I already understand the brand, so we don't have to reinvent it every time something new is needed. We simply keep building.
THE RESULT
What began as the identity for a single property in 2018 has grown alongside the business without needing to be continually reinvented. The original Cottesloe Cabin identity still feels relevant today, while the broader system has given Cottesloe BnB room to expand into new properties and new applications without losing what made the original brand feel special. For me, that's one of the best measures of a successful identity. It still feels right - even when the business around it has grown.
Once the identity is established, that's usually where the fun really starts.
Packaging, campaigns, publications, signage, social, presentations, event collateral, print - I've designed a little bit of just about everything over the years.
And because I already understand the brand behind it, every new piece feels like it belongs.
Tell me where your business is now and where you would love to take it next.
We'll start with a conversation.