Outbound Hotels is a new collection of locally-minded lodgings in beautiful outdoor destinations, intent on capturing the unique sense of camaraderie created by shared experiences in nature. Properties provide access to skiing, swimming, hiking, biking, climbing, and more, allowing guests to dip their toes or dive right into the best outdoor recreation the environment has to offer.
Each location—with more coming soon—is positioned near a town in which guests can also immerse themselves in local culture and experience the comforts of modern amenities and touchpoints. With a heart for service and a love for the outdoors, Outbound exists to connect people to place.
ART DIRECTION + DESIGN — Simone Shafer
PHOTOGRAPHY — The Virginian Lodge, Outbound Mammoth
Using an existing set of logomarks and color palette, the goal was to build a robust, meaningful visual identity system appropriate for a hotel collection brand and clearly applicable to guest, owner, and operator-facing materials.
Our team exercised the use of Outbound’s existing assets to give meaning and breadth to a full set of core elements that will apply to every future hotel. Shapes are derived from the primary mark and used as framing devices, while typography balances utility and idiosyncrasy, much like outdoor trail signage. We mapped out a full set of brand identity, interior, and guest experience guidelines to help the Outbound brand navigate its ongoing growth.
While the use of color throughout most of the identity system is thoughtfully restrained, our team created a custom tartan pattern that incorporates all colors of the Outbound palette, intended to add energy, boldness, and distinction to select print and soft goods.
Every Outbound collection hotel’s name and logomark follow a system, creating consistency and recognition no matter the location. The property logos are designed to be flexible—easily adapted to future locations—and derived from the Outbound Hotels primary logo.
To give each hotel a sense of place, we defined a set of property-specific brand elements to layer onto Outbound’s core visual identity system. These include a property mascot, tagline, and custom oil painting.
Outbound is all about connecting guests to the best of the location. We designed a system of area maps featuring staff picks and can’t miss spots.
Outbound Hotels prides itself on being dog-friendly—and going the extra mile to make our furry friends feel special with upgrades like dog beds and custom merch. We created a pet-specific print using the tracks of each property’s unique mascot that can be applied to pet package items.