When Dr. Soderstrom approached me about refreshing the brand for the most iconic landmark in Peoria, I was super excited. Dr. Soderstrom wanted a visual story that would reflect the castle's unique history, inviting visitors to explore both its legacy and future in a dynamic online experience.
Our goal was to capture the timeless grandeur of the castle while making it accessible and engaging for today’s audience, blending its rich heritage with modern design elements. While his current website was fine, we really wanted to showcase the photography and videography captured during all of the Castle's seasons as well as make a "family album" capturing all of the Castle's beloved memories.
Inspired by the Castle's unique history, architecture and decor, the Soderstrom Castle's identity incorporates medieval elements, from the patterns and illuminated initials to the crests and fonts, with modern elements. Everything draws viewers in to a world of awe and enchantment.
All of the hand-drawn illustrations are pulled from the Castle's unique architecture. We opted for very simplistic styles with rough edges to look like they came from a medieval book. Each illustration was hand-drawn, vectorized, touched-up, and colorized.
The new website reflects the Castle's rich history, architecture, and memory-making events. The site was made easier on the back-end to update with new events and a contact form to request free photoshoots was added.
