Rancho Santana

Role
Senior Graphic Designer + Illustrator

Scope
Brand Development · Sub-Branding · Packaging · Merchandise · Illustration · Marketing Collateral · Environmental & Retail Design

A destination like Rancho Santana is more than a single brand. It encompasses restaurants, recreation, wellness, retail, events, and the many smaller moments that shape a guest’s experience.
The challenge was to create distinct identities and applications for those experiences while maintaining a recognizable connection to Rancho Santana. The work also needed to feel authentic to the property, drawing inspiration from Nicaragua’s landscape, culture, materials, wildlife, and coastal lifestyle.
The challenge was creating flexible, engaging creative that could move seamlessly from a digital ad or brochure to apparel and signage.
I developed visual identities and supporting graphics for experiences throughout the property, including Harvest, Santana Farms, Santa Ana Madera, surf and recreation concepts, retail merchandise, spa products, and other guest-facing programs.
Rather than applying the primary logo everywhere, the system allowed individual experiences to develop their own personalities while still feeling like part of the same destination.
Illustration became an important part of that visual language, with artwork inspired by surfing, native flora and fauna, the property’s five beaches, local wildlife, and the surrounding landscape.

I explored a broader merchandise system designed around different guests, experiences, and price points, ranging from casual apparel and accessories to artisan-made and premium keepsakes. Concepts included surf apparel, hats, totes, locally crafted objects, jewelry, leather goods, and products inspired by Nicaragua’s materials and traditions.
The goal was to create merchandise that felt less like conventional resort souvenirs and more like objects connected to a specific place and experience.

The brand extended into tangible products guests encountered throughout their stay, from spa oils, scrubs, salts, and other amenities to locally inspired food and retail packaging.
Packaging was intentionally understated, allowing natural materials, botanical illustrations, and simple typography to complement the resort environment rather than compete with it.
These pieces helped turn functional objects into another expression of the Rancho Santana experience.

The work extended well beyond traditional marketing materials. Brand elements appeared in restaurant promotions, event collateral, spa products, retail spaces, merchandise, and signage throughout the resort, connecting the visual identity with the guest experience.

The expanded system gave Rancho Santana a flexible design language that reflected the breadth of its luxury hospitality offerings while preserving its sense of place.
From a bottle of body oil to a surf shirt, restaurant promotion, retail display, or handcrafted keepsake, each application offered another way to tell the property’s story.

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