Power House "To-Go" Beverage Series (V. 1–3)
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Client: Power House Restaurant & Bike Repair
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Roles: Illustration, Graphic Design, Creative Strategy
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Scope: Recurring Product Packaging & Brand Evolution
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Location: Hailey, Idaho
Creative Lead
I was retained over a three-year period to develop a visual "To-Go" identity for one of the Wood River Valley's most iconic establishments. Because Power House is a hybrid of high-end gastronomy and rugged bike culture, the packaging needed to be versatile enough to appeal to both. My role as the creative lead involved:
Strategic Brand Continuity: Developing three distinct "Volumes" that reinvented the brand's aesthetic while maintaining core recognition through the use of the signature lightning bolt and mechanical motifs.
Packaging UX & Functionality: Integrating technical "bartender-friendly" features, such as glassware-check grids and beer-style zones, directly into the artwork.
Mixed-Media Mastery: Transitioning from hand-drawn graphite textures and "Combat Rock" homages to clean, scalable vector graphics for year-round consistency.
Vision
The mission was to translate the restaurant's three pillars—Bikes, Burgers, and Beers—into a mobile brand. For Vol. 1, the focus was "Mechanical/Technical" (x-ray schematics); Vol. 2 shifted to "Culture/Music" (the Joe Strummer homage); and Vol. 3 solidified the "Landmark" (the storefront neons). This progression kept the brand fresh for local "regulars" while providing a collectible series for visitors.
Leadership & Creative Strategy
Managing a brand over several years requires the ability to innovate without losing the original "spark." I led the creative direction for each version by identifying specific cultural hooks—like the "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" tagline—that resonated with the "to-go" nature of the product. This approach proved that art can be a powerful tool for driving recurring sales and building brand equity.
By redeveloping the restaurant’s physical neon signs into digital brand assets, this label became an instantly recognizable landmark for the "To-Go" program.
Human Element
These labels are a tribute to the "Back-of-House" culture. Having worked within these walls, I knew the music and the grit that defined the brand. Each design was vetted by the staff and the community, ensuring that when a can left the restaurant, it carried a piece of the authentic Power House soul with it.
Developed from full-scale pencil sketches, this volume leaned into the rock-n-roll history of the restaurant, utilizing a grit-heavy, hand-drawn style to celebrate the "Combat Rock" ethos of the staff.
Tools of the Trade
This design introduced the glassware grid, allowing for operational efficiency at the bar. It merged mechanical bicycle schematics with a "human-first" anatomy motif.
