Elakha Alliance - Backstory
In early 2024, we were introduced to the Elakha Alliance through our client Cup of Tea, a local tea company that donates to the organization annually. This nonprofit is on a mission to restore sea otters to the Oregon coast, a species that’s been absent from the region for over a century due to overhunting for their pelts.
Without sea otters, the coastal ecosystem has fallen out of balance. Sea urchin populations have surged unchecked, devastating the region’s kelp forests, essential underwater habitats that support countless species, much like coral reefs in tropical waters. The Elakha Alliance works to raise awareness, fund research, and reconnect Oregonians to the critical role sea otters play in preserving our coastal environment.
What began as a passion project evolved into two unique creative opportunities: a fine art poster for a curated artist showcase, and a logo for a conservation-themed beer festival fundraiser.
Services
- Custom Illustration
- Visual Identity
Elakha Alliance Backstory
In early 2024, we were introduced to the Elakha Alliance through our client Cup of Tea, a local tea company that donates to the organization annually. This nonprofit is on a mission to restore sea otters to the Oregon coast, a species that’s been absent from the region for over a century due to overhunting for their pelts.
Without sea otters, the coastal ecosystem has fallen out of balance. Sea urchin populations have surged unchecked, devastating the region’s kelp forests, essential underwater habitats that support countless species, much like coral reefs in tropical waters. The Elakha Alliance works to raise awareness, fund research, and reconnect Oregonians to the critical role sea otters play in preserving our coastal environment.
What began as a passion project evolved into two unique creative opportunities: a fine art poster for a curated artist showcase, and a logo for a conservation-themed beer festival fundraiser.
Services
- Custom Illustration
- Visual Identity
Biomechanical Otter
In March 2024, we submitted an original illustration to the Elakha Alliance’s open call event, Envisioning a Future with Sea Otters on the Oregon Coast. The curated show invited artists to create sea otter–themed work in any medium, with selected pieces featured in press coverage, shared online, and auctioned at a public fundraiser on September 28th at the Yaquina Bay Yacht Club.
Our piece is an 18×24-inch digital painting titled “Dinner Time.” We began with a hand-drawn pen sketch, then digitally painted the final artwork to bring it to life. The composition features a stylized sea otter diving through a vibrant kelp forest, hunting sea urchins along the rocky Oregon shoreline. We wanted to showcase a vision of a restored ecosystem—teeming with marine life, movement, and purpose.
The final framed artwork was displayed during the auction and shared across the Elakha Alliance’s social media, helping spread their mission to an even wider audience.
Biomechanical Otter
In March 2024, we submitted an original illustration to the Elakha Alliance’s open call event, Envisioning a Future with Sea Otters on the Oregon Coast. The curated show invited artists to create sea otter–themed work in any medium, with selected pieces featured in press coverage, shared online, and auctioned at a public fundraiser on September 28th at the Yaquina Bay Yacht Club.
Our piece is an 18×24-inch digital painting titled “Dinner Time.” We began with a hand-drawn pen sketch, then digitally painted the final artwork to bring it to life. The composition features a stylized sea otter diving through a vibrant kelp forest, hunting sea urchins along the rocky Oregon shoreline. We wanted to showcase a vision of a restored ecosystem—teeming with marine life, movement, and purpose.
The final framed artwork was displayed during the auction and shared across the Elakha Alliance’s social media, helping spread their mission to an even wider audience.
Nonprofit Logo Design
2025 Oregon Otter Beer Festival
Following our involvement with the artist call, we were approached again by the Elakha Alliance to design the official logo for their upcoming 2025 Oregon Otter Beer Festival, held at OMSI in Portland, Oregon as a major fundraiser for the cause.
For this project, we developed four initial concepts presented in both color and black and white. After three rounds of revisions, the final design, a personal favorite, was selected.
The logo features a sea otter rendered in negative space, happily munching on a sea urchin while sipping a custom-crafted, urchin-inspired beer. The backdrop is shaped like the state of Oregon and doubles as a kelp forest, reinforcing the connection to the coastal restoration effort. We chose a condensed typeface to echo the otter’s elongated body.
Same Logo – Playful Personality
As a subtle touch, we built in a visual “Easter egg”: when the logo is placed on a dark background, a hidden layer of detail is revealed, adding a playful, cartoon-like personality.
Nonprofit Logo Design
2025 Oregon Otter Beer Festival
Following our involvement with the artist call, we were approached again by the Elakha Alliance to design the official logo for their upcoming 2025 Oregon Otter Beer Festival, held at OMSI in Portland, Oregon as a major fundraiser for the cause.
For this project, we developed four initial concepts presented in both color and black and white. After three rounds of revisions, the final design, a personal favorite, was selected.
The logo features a sea otter rendered in negative space, happily munching on a sea urchin while sipping a custom-crafted, urchin-inspired beer. The backdrop is shaped like the state of Oregon and doubles as a kelp forest, reinforcing the connection to the coastal restoration effort. We chose a condensed typeface to echo the otter’s elongated body.
Same Logo Playful Personality
As a subtle touch, we built in a visual “Easter egg”: when the logo is placed on a dark background, a hidden layer of detail is revealed, adding a playful, cartoon-like personality.
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