El Cosmico

Hospitality | Branding and Booklet Design

El Cosmico is an untraditional hotel in the middle of the desert in Marfa, Texas where visitors can stay in teepees, renovated trailers and yurts. It is for those who want to connect with art and nature and unplug from technology.

I appreciated how this project gave me the opportunity to understand how form making would enable me to communicate the fullness of a unique hospitality experience and convey it through various materials present in the space.

This is a personal project and is not affiliated with El Cosmico

I created a new logo and visual system that emphasizes the adaptability of the desert to be an escape and to reflect the unexpected and immersive quality of El Cosmico.

The core concept of my design is the location. The logo is derived from the aerial view of El Cosmico’s campground. It also represents the sun and the sky while the imperfect circle represents the adaptive nature of the desert.

The gradient and color system represents the vast sky and stark temperature changes during the night.

Logo

I created patterns that are applied to the trailer’s exterior. This gave me the opportunity to create a strong environmental branding system. The day and night flag is changed at sunset to represent the relationship between the desert and time.

El Cosmico is known for their textile designs, I emphasized the textile design by creating a visual system that doesn’t compete but works seamlessly together.

The website serves as a window into the world of El Cosmico containing information of the types of shelter, events and a dynamic reservation system.

Booklet Design

The folder and booklet is in a small and horizontal format to emphasize the vastness of the desert. The three booklets establish the three primary relationships of El Cosmico — the promise of the stay, the guest experience and the space. This connects both the relationship of El Cosmico to its environment and the relationship of the visitor to the environment.

The inside of the folder shows the adaptability of the campgrounds to hold events but to also be an escape.

By combining photography and illustrated supergraphics, I conveyed the feeling of the environment. I utilized my illustrations to speak to the sounds and feelings of the desert, such as the heat, moisture and wind.

This booklet gives the guest an opportunity to connect with El Cosmico. The small body copy is for those interested in learning more but the overall message can be understood through the large type and imagery.

I learned how to think about my keywords in a macro and micro manner, to create forms with meaning. Through this process I created many iterations, which became brand elements that connected with my final logo form and allowed for a flexible and cohesive identity system.

Process & Learning