Söl Surf CO
From Conception to Licensed Brand deals - Launching Michigan’s Wake Surf Company
Problem
Sol Surf Co was an emerging word-of-mouth wake surf lesson business that lacked a digital hub leading to missed business & growth opportunities.
Solution
A completely reimagined brand image, website, and online booking system. Resulting in increased web traffic, lesson bookings, and licensed brand deals.
Söl Surf Co founder, Francisco, was on a mission to establish Michigan as a premier wake surfing destination. The midwest has an abundance of waterways (Great Lakes), large network of marine infrastructure, and long history of outdoor recreation enthusiast and water sports competition.
Bring your friends, family, corporate party to the area and Söl will provide the boat, refreshments, captain, crew, wake surf lessons, and good vibes. The Söl team brings their boats to any lake in the SW Michigan area and the clients just get to enjoy.
Francisco came to me looking for a creative director to help bring his dream to reality. Söl Surf Co was to be a wake surf charter & lessons company, unlike any at the time. Francisco had a website for his idea that was underperforming, and 90% of his bookings came from word-of-mouth.
As creative Director, I established Söl’s brand identity, logos, marketing, and cemented their digital presence as the new industry standard.
Market Research
Who were the top performing competitors in the Wake Surfing Charter Space?
Miami Wake Academy is one of the most well known wake surf charter companies, operating out of Miami. While WakeToWake is historically one of the first companies to offer wake surfing as their primary attractions. They operate out of Turks & Caicos. Both companies’ rise to prominence came from celebrity wake surfer, Austin Keen, partnering with their companies via social media during his rise to water sports stardom.
Who are the major wake-boat manufacturers?
What can we learn from Them?
Lack of Clear CTAS
Clunky Booking Process
Lack of Grid Design Structure
Too Many Navigation Elements
Lack of User-Centric Design
Outdated Visual Design
Poor Information Architecture
Poor Branding Design Choices
(logos, color palettes, imagery)
Landing Page Examples
Services/About Us
booking
Navigation
brand identity & Design
Competitor’s unoriginally used names like, Miami Wake Academy, or Wake Surf Arizona, where Söl Surf Co didn’t want to be just another geographic wake surf school it wanted to be a brand, community, and experience.
Additionally, wake surfing holds a unique place within the water sports industry, because it isn’t loved by fellow water sports such as wakeboarding/skiing. These traditional sports don’t always look fondly upon wake surfing, but wake surfing does have a close relationship with traditional ocean surfing.
Instead of aligning our brand identity with traditional water sports branding, we chose to define Söl Surf Co based on its ties to ocean surfing. As a play on the motif, soul surfer, and the Spanish word for sun, sol, we came up with the brand name: Söl Surf Co.
Logo Design
Inspired by surfboard fins
Simplified for merchandise
Retro logo inspired by Rip Curl
Reference to 90s water skiing ads and competitions
Merchandise Design & Marketing
Merchandise was a strong point in establishing Söl’s brand identity as not just another business, but as a contributor to the overall surf community. Inspired by timeless brands such as Vans, Quicksilver, and Electric, we designed merchandise that would go beyond boat-wear and make clients feel like they could wear our clothing in their everyday lifestyle while paying homage to the Midwest. Söl’s merch gives off a timeless aesthetic with washed out colors, sun-faded graphic Ts, and SoCal inspired style. Further, we chose high-quality garments that are durable and printed using environmentally friendly methods.
Product Shoots
Creating a Digital Identity
Landing Page Design
Product Hero Video
Showcases wake surfing, lessons, boats, the experience
Marine industry typically has hero media (Jakob’s UX Law)
Three Page Navigation
Key information all on landing page
Contrasting Color Palette
Reference to 90s water sport colors
Follows accessibility guidelines
Clear Call-To-Action
Booking a session is the primary CTA, if clients have questions they can also call before they book
Social Proof
Immediately showcase industry brand partnerships that users know and love
Free Surf Guides/Blogs
Increases credibility
Creates hub for wake surfing information
Offers free advice to clients who just need a trick tip
Boosts SEO rankings
Product/Experience Guarantee
Real Testimonies
Client submitted reviews
Client photos
Simple Contact Page
Shows location
Offers email contact
Offers phone contact
Has repeated CTAs for quick reference
Social Media Inclusion
Builds community
Offers social participation
Demonstrates real client experiences
Boosts confidence in scheduling for first-time clients
Footer Design
Repeated 90’s Logo for Clarity
Key information shown
What Söl is
Where Söl is
Quick Links
Large Headers
Headers contain key information, like TLDR
SEO friendly
Client & Equipment Photos
Key information all on landing page
Repeating Clear CTA
Makes it easy for user’s to book a lesson instead of having to scroll back to the top
Social Inclusivity
Mentioning Söl is a minority owned business
Express brand ethos
FAQ section
Questions clients have are answered directly on landing page
Reduces unnecessary inquiries
Helps users make informed decisions
Easy reference point to return to for information
Team Photos & Video
Demonstrates non-corporate nature of the business
Builds client trust & relatability
Optimizing Our Booking System
Competitors in the Wake Surf Lessons space have extremely poor booking systems on their websites, or they rely traditionally on Over-The-Phone booking. To increase online booking and increase client confidence when booking a session, we designed Söl’s booking with user-centered principles.
We chose to use Calendly since it is a common booking system used across digital products. Calendly has a large customer support system, ease of customization, and user-friendly design. Users can book confidently online with clear product information and real-time calendar availability.
Clients can also still contact Söl’s team in traditional formats to book.
Merchandise Page Design
High Contrasting Background
Grid Designed Content Cards
Price Shown Upfront
Diversity Inclusion
Multiple Product Images
Real Humans Wearing Products
Product Videos Included Where Possible
Sustainable Material Choices
Model Measurements & Sizes Included Where Possible
