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Somma Cruises
Brand Launch

Project Insights & Outcomes

A website, illustrated keepsake itinerary map, and interactive prototype for a first-of-its-kind luxury music cruise through the Mediterranean.

Art Direction
Interactive Design
Print Design
Illustration
Challenge
Saxophonist Dave Koz had spent 15 years building one of the most successful music festival cruises on the water. Somma was the next step: a deliberate evolution into curated luxury travel, blending world-class music with wellness, acclaimed chefs, and intimate destination experiences aboard smaller, high-end vessels. The challenge was not starting from scratch. It was asking a loyal, established audience to follow him upmarket into significantly higher ticket prices, while also attracting a new kind of traveler who might not know him as a musician at all.
Approach
The site needed to feel like the experience itself, not a booking form, not a brochure. Working as Art Director alongside Creative Director Dave Cuzner as a two-person team, the design language was built to feel high-end without being cold, adventurous without being rugged. The illustrated map extended that language into print and keepsake form. The interactive prototype pushed it further into experiential territory.
Outcome
The September 2023 website launch coincided with a newsletter to Dave Koz's established fanbase promoting the new cruise and opening signups. It sold out in ten minutes. For the 2024 inaugural voyage, the illustrated map was included in every passenger's welcome gift box and ran as a double-page spread in the onboard travel guides, a keepsake from a trip people paid a premium to take.
Role
Working as Art Director alongside Creative Director Dave Cuzner, I co-led the UX/UI design and web development, created the illustrated map, and designed the interactive prototype as a personal proof of concept.

Website Design

Fourteen screens mapping the narrative arc from legal exposure to resolution, designed for social media release.

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Homepage
Hero Section
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Homepage
Trip Sign Up Section
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Itinerary Destinations Page
Rome Section
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Itinerary Destinations Page
Ajaccio Section
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Itinerary Destinations Page
Amalfi Section
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Itinerary Destinations Page
Porto Venere Section
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Amalfi Page
Header Section
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Palermo Page
Header Section
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Retreat Page
Header Section
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Bars & Lounge Page
Header Section
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Dr. Weil Page
Header Section
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Dining Page
Partnership Section
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Additional Page
Header Section
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Accessibility Page
Header Section
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Before You Book Page
FAQ Section

"I for one, love it! Another really special piece of art. Please relay our thanks to Josh!"

Dave Koz
Owner, Somma Cruises

Illustrated Itinerary Map

For the 2024 inaugural voyage, I created a custom illustrated itinerary map of the full Mediterranean route: Rome, Porto Venere, Ajaccio, Golfo Aranci, Palermo, and the Amalfi Coast. The map ran as a double-page spread in the onboard travel guides and was included in each passenger's welcome gift box as a keepsake.

Illustrated Map for the Guests Gift Box

“The map was designed to go beyond print into an interactive experience. When it didn't make it past the pitch phase, I followed it through to its natural conclusion as a proof-of-concept prototype.”

Josh Brill
Creative Director, studioBRILL

Interactive Itinerary Map

Following through on my original vision, this map was designed as a guest-facing itinerary experience for the ship's touchscreens, tablets, and desktop. The goal was to give passengers an informative, experiential preview of the adventure that awaited at each port.

Contact

A Dream Team,
Super Team-Up
in the making!

What if the two of the best collaborate to make something brilliant? Wonder no further, let that contact form take those wonders away.

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  • Portland, Maine
  • Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
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