BY Armin

Pirates, the Best Target Audience

826 Valencia, New

Established in San Francisco in 2002 by renown writer Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari, 826 is a unique organization that tutors and provides workshops for kids ages six to eighteen on writing and ultimately on creative expression. The San Francisco building where the classes took place, located at 826 Valencia Street (hence the name 826), was zoned commercial and the logical thing to do was to set up a pirate supply storefront which, according to David Byrne, is “definitely one of the top five pirate stores.” And in that same spirit, the 826 chapters in New York and Los Angeles are flanked by retail stores like the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. (designed by Sam Potts) and Echo Park Time Travel Mart (designed by Stefan Bucher), respectively. With a wide range of fictional products these stores have lent themselves to truly unique design experiences not just for the visitor but for the designers involved, as they are able to craft this made-up world encouraged by the sense of exploration that accompanies the centers.

Dave Eggers speaking at TED.

San Francisco-based Office is the latest design firm to take on this dreamy pro-bono project by designing a full-blown identity for the original 826 retail store in San Francisco. Office has designed a set of badges to act as identifiers for the store as well as nearly fifty products for the discerning pirate. As a non-pirate I have to say that this is absolutely stunning work, everything from the colors to the typographic choices — I just love all that swirly black letter — works to build up a deceptively vivid and plausible consumer brand. I will spare everyone of pirate puns, just enjoy the work.

You can click on any image to see bigger. All images courtesy of Office, please attribute properly if you plan on plundering these images.

For Sale
The following four posters, silkscreened with white and gold inks on black paper, are available for purchase here. Proceeds flow into the center, so it’s a good cause, and they are pretty awesome.

DATE: Oct.15.2008CATEGORY: Retailers 48 COMMENTS

Comments › Jump to Most Recent

AL’s comment is:

Lovin' it!

On Oct.15.2008 at 08:08 AM

davidd_pl’s comment is:

nice!

On Oct.15.2008 at 08:20 AM

sra’s comment is:

That plunder before pillage poster is blowing my mind. I envy those designers x 2

On Oct.15.2008 at 08:50 AM

Jonathan’s comment is:

826 is really such a great company, and all this stuff is just freaking amazing! Nicely executed.

On Oct.15.2008 at 09:51 AM

felix sockwell’s comment is:

very inspired, inspiring work.

gasp.

argh.

On Oct.15.2008 at 09:53 AM

aburtch’s comment is:

Fantastic! I especially like the packaging design with the cork-topped glass bottles and the "Scurvy Begone" product.

On Oct.15.2008 at 10:12 AM

Paul Corrigan’s comment is:

What can I say? I was going to pick a few favorites from this bunch, but they're growing on me en masse. Shiver me shimmies, boys. Nice work.

On Oct.15.2008 at 10:26 AM

Kristen’s comment is:

Inspiring on so many levels. Wow.

On Oct.15.2008 at 10:42 AM

Rett’s comment is:

This is amazing, having a hard time choosing between the missing limbs poster and the beards poster.

On Oct.15.2008 at 11:21 AM

Ryan’s comment is:

Beards are the new black - brilliant! Great work.

On Oct.15.2008 at 11:22 AM

Kakairo’s comment is:

Their Chicago branch, The Boring Store, is great, too. It's a spy store, hidden behind messages telling passersby that there's "nothing to see here." Everything comes in plain brown boxes with simple but stylish labels. Not sure about fake beards, but they have a selection of fake mustaches.

On Oct.15.2008 at 11:27 AM

JonE.’s comment is:

Don't we designers wish we all could get a chance to do this kind of creative work?!

This is the kind of stuff that made me want to be a designer. Nice work all you people at Office!

On Oct.15.2008 at 11:30 AM

Paulo’s comment is:

Love the missing limbs! Overall brand/image, well done!

On Oct.15.2008 at 12:10 PM

Daniel’s comment is:

Yaar.

On Oct.15.2008 at 12:38 PM

Von K’s comment is:

This stuff is all so great. I've got to re-decorate my house for Halloween--pirate style!

On Oct.15.2008 at 02:08 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

Gorgeous.

On Oct.15.2008 at 02:12 PM

ScottS’s comment is:

Inspirational and exceptional work. Exactly the kind of project I dream about as a designer. *sigh* someday...

On Oct.15.2008 at 02:47 PM

Matheus’s comment is:

HOOORAY, very nice

On Oct.15.2008 at 06:43 PM

Gavan’s comment is:

Mission fulfillage.

On Oct.16.2008 at 09:23 AM

Darrel’s comment is:

Dear Account Procurement Department:

Please find us more pirates for clients.

Thanks!

Signed,

Your design staff.

On Oct.16.2008 at 04:43 PM

matt’s comment is:

Pimp, pimp, pimp.

Office does some amazing work, I need to get a job there, it sure would beat doing this retarded eBlast...

On Oct.16.2008 at 05:43 PM

Patrick’s comment is:

Either the pirate fad has already peaked or I just don't get it. Probably the latter! This is nice work regardless, very whimsical yet quite believable. It reminds me of a store in Ann Arbor, MI with the moniker "Robot Repair Company" or some such. I wonder if it's related.

On Oct.16.2008 at 08:58 PM

Burgess’s comment is:

S T U N N I N G

On Oct.16.2008 at 09:24 PM

Ray’s comment is:

Once again, Dave Eggers blows my socks off. Truly my hero.

On Oct.16.2008 at 11:35 PM

illusio’s comment is:

YAR! Now there's a solid brand.

On Oct.17.2008 at 05:20 AM

koyo’s comment is:

Crazy applications. Nice.

On Oct.17.2008 at 10:12 AM

Patrick’s comment is:

Amazing initiative. Truly inspiring.

On Oct.17.2008 at 11:10 AM

Jeremy’s comment is:

Great copy for the posters, hilarious!

On Oct.17.2008 at 12:08 PM

MADPHILL’s comment is:

OMG...delicious!

On Oct.18.2008 at 05:27 PM

Luiza’s comment is:

Im speechless!
Well done!
Makes me want to be a child again o/

On Oct.19.2008 at 08:39 AM

Alice Baldwin’s comment is:

I love the work, and I love the fact that it is very 'feel good'.

Nice motivation.

On Oct.19.2008 at 05:17 PM

chris’s comment is:

killer good!! wow.

On Oct.20.2008 at 12:40 PM

brian’s comment is:

Totally & entirely 100%
AWESOME!

On Oct.20.2008 at 08:03 PM

keith’s comment is:

my senior year of design school, i celebrated "int'l. talk like a pirate day" with some of the incoming freshmen. the ensuing "pirate club" that was created was a great spark of creativity for the kids who were coming in to art school with open minds (my work wasn't all that fun). the highlight of that year was seeing a pirate flag on top of the smoke stack of our 6 floor building (the smokestack happened to be outside my bedroom window, right behind my computer, AND they hung it on my birthday). needless to say, this work makes me think back to all the sheningans that were had in the name of the love of all things piratey. gorgeous work, especially the initial logo designs for 826.

On Oct.22.2008 at 01:53 AM

Char’s comment is:

beau-ti-ful!
Truly inspirational.

On Oct.23.2008 at 12:06 AM

Mark’s comment is:

well done.

I like that boat shape.

I was wondering what it was for until I read the post. After I realized it, it seems much more cooler. Very playful, makes learning more fun for them.