About Mille Lacs
Island Resort:
Mille Lacs Island Resort is a scenic, tiny-house vacation and ownership destination nestled on the shores of one of Minnesota’s most iconic lakes. The resort offers a rare blend of rustic cabin culture and modern comfort. The goal was more than a rebrand–it was reinvention. The brand needed to capture the magic of the experience and lifestyle customers were buying into.
Role: Creative Director (branding, art direction, visual storytelling)
Scope: Full brand overhaul—logo, typography, color system, photography direction, digital redesign, environmental branding, print + digital collateral
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, XD, Premiere Pro
Process: Market research, brand workshops, visual strategy, lifestyle & real estate photo direction, digital asset creation, multi-channel rollout
The Opportunity:
Mille Lacs Island Resort’s existing brand was fragmented—logo, color, photography, and digital experiences lacked alignment and emotional resonance.
Key Goals:
A distinctive identity that speaks to its values: relaxation, adventure, and cabin nostalgia
A visual system supporting hospitality and real estate audiences
A responsive website for a better user experience
Authentic visual storytelling to evoke the lifestyle experience
The Approach:
Brand Audit
Competitor research in lodging, vacation niches, and Minnesota cabin culture
Developed moodboards anchored in lake, forest, and cabin textures and colors.
Visual Strategy & Storytelling
Logo and visual system: destination‑inspired color palette, bold/adventurous type, and environment-driven textures
Responsive website art direction
Lifestyle photography on-site, real estate, and video shoots
Copy and Tone of Voice established a warm, friendly, and casual tone that reflects the heart of “Up North” Minnesota culture
Language was approachable and authentic, meant to feel like it came from your cabin neighbor
Design Systems
Designed multi-channel assets: print, web, social, signage, and environmental branding
Design system & brand guideline for resort management to maintain the new brand identity
The Execution:
The Results:
By pairing authentic storytelling with strategic design systems, I elevated the brand to meet rising customer expectations and gave Mille Lacs Island Resort a strong foundation for future growth.
The Refreshed Brand:
A unified identity that elevated brand positioning in a crowded resort and vacation market
Enhanced engagement with increased web traffic and prospective buyer interest
Story-driven assets with rich visuals deployed across print, digital, and onsite experiences
