The Flying Pickle
The Flying Pickle
Client
The Flying Pickle
Agency
Gyst Design
Deliverables
Branding • Logo Design • Web Design • Social Media • Print Collateral • Merchandise
Contribution
Lead Graphic Designer for Website Design and Social Media
Project Overview
The Flying Pickle, the largest dedicated indoor pickleball facility west of the Mississippi, needed a creative transformation that went beyond traditional branding. This comprehensive project focused on creating an immersive experience across their 50,000-square-foot facility, appealing to both professional athletes and recreational players.
Problem
The Flying Pickle needed more than just a logo or website; they needed a cohesive identity that would define their brand and captivate players. They wanted the entire experience, from the physical space to their online presence, to embody the energy and social nature of pickleball. Their challenge was uniting this vision across multiple mediums: branding, signage, social media, merchandise, and the interior design of their massive indoor facility.
Key Challenges:
Brand Cohesion: Developing a cohesive and vibrant brand identity that could be applied consistently across diverse platforms, including signage, murals, the website, and social media.
Website Design & Functionality: Designing a custom website that captured the brand's playful, energetic vibe while offering functionality like court reservations and event scheduling.
Wayfinding System: Creating a wayfinding system for a large facility, which needed to be both intuitive and visually engaging, integrating elements like murals and immersive design features.
Spatial Design & Court Layout: Designing courts and custom signage that aligned with the brand and enhanced the visitor experience, all while adhering to functional needs.
Brand Integration: Ensuring that the brand was present in all aspects, from custom merchandise to the interior environment, including living moss walls and dimensional signage.
Solution
A multi-layered approach that combined strategy and creativity. We started with a bold, playful brand identity, weaving it into every aspect of the facility’s design and digital presence. The website, built on Squarespace, became the digital hub for community engagement, event sign-ups, and online store integration. Inside the facility, we delivered everything from large-format graphics and custom court designs to wayfinding systems, creating a seamless experience for visitors.
Website Design
The Flying Pickle needed a custom website that not only matched their bold, energetic branding but also supported various functions for their busy pickleball facility. The website had to cater to high traffic, facilitate event bookings, and provide detailed information on multiple services, including lessons, leagues, and tournaments.
As the lead designer, I built the website on Squarespace, pushing the platform's limits by integrating custom code to achieve functionality that wasn’t natively supported. I designed 30+ custom pages, ensuring each one reflected the brand’s boldness while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Key Features
Multi-page design with event booking systems, class schedules, restaurant menus, and location-specific details.
Custom-built vertical navigation menu and unique typography.
Fully responsive and optimized for both desktop and mobile users.
Challenges
When tasked with creating the Flying Pickle website, I faced several challenges.
Platform Constraints
The website had to be built on Squarespace, a platform that doesn’t natively support many of the complex features the client required, such as a vertical menu and custom font uploads.
Complex Requirements
The website needed to support multiple functionalities, including event bookings, member signups, menu displays, pricing, and detailed information on the various types of services offered (e.g., lessons, tournaments, leagues, youth programs, private events, and more).
High Traffic & Custom Features
With the potential for high traffic, the website had to handle peak periods smoothly. Plus, the client wanted features like custom menus, booking systems, and multiple location pages that didn’t fit within Squarespace’s native capabilities.
Despite these constraints, I was tasked with building a site that matched their bold branding, was highly functional, and offered a seamless user experience.
Approach
Although I was provided with an example of a website the client liked and full branding guidelines, my role involved designing a custom solution to meet the project’s complex needs.
Website Design & Customization
I was given full creative freedom over the website design, and I leaned into my expertise to ensure it matched the vibrant, energetic brand that I had developed for the Flying Pickle. The challenge was not only aesthetic but technical. The website needed to look and function in a way that represented the facility’s boldness and energy while being user-friendly. I designed 15 custom pages, including:
Main Features: Event bookings, Pricing, Lessons, Leagues, tournaments, The Kitchen, Private Events, Merchandise, Sponsorships, Contact Forms.
Custom Layouts: Each page was meticulously crafted to ensure that it was engaging and intuitive, while still meeting the technical requirements. Custom layouts included a vertical menu, custom font styles, and an integrated booking system to accommodate the diverse needs of the Flying Pickle’s clientele. I utilized advanced coding techniques to push the boundaries of what Squarespace could typically offer, ensuring the website was both functional and visually appealing.
Social Media
Alongside the website, I created social media assets that carried the Flying Pickle’s bold branding across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. With clear brand guidelines and a consistent tone, I designed engaging posts that helped establish their digital presence and keep customers excited about events and promotions.
I developed templates for various social media campaigns, including event promotions, sponsorship shoutouts, and user-generated content. These assets were designed to maintain the energetic vibe of the brand while ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms.
Key Features
High-impact visuals that complemented the website design.
Posts designed for engagement, leading to increased interaction with followers.
Clear calls to action for event signups and brand promotions.
Outcome
The Flying Pickle's website and social media presence have become integral to the brand's identity, establishing a strong digital foundation that continues to drive engagement and support their business operations. My role in designing and developing the website, coupled with the creation of dynamic social media assets, helped set the tone for the brand's ongoing digital strategy.
This project is far from finished; it's an evolving process with continuous updates and improvements. The collaboration with the rest of the team, including designers, developers, and branding experts, has ensured that the brand’s visual identity is consistent across every platform, from the physical space to the digital realm. As we move forward, the website will continue to evolve with the brand, incorporating new features and enhancing the user experience.
