Art Director:
Soonduk Krebs
Fear Naut! is a brand I made for tattoo artists to shop for all the things they need in order for them to do what they love... while encouraging patrons of these artists to not be afraid of the pain they're about to endure.
The Problems with Tattoo Supply Shops
Tattoo artists often have to buy equipment online from many different websites, or from many different brands. A company that makes and sells great tattoo machines might not also sell or make good tattoo ink. Oftentimes, tattoo artists will have equipment from a variety of companies, but tattoo artists often buy for quality and not for good design. So, what if you didn’t have to make a sacrifice?
Solution: Fear Naut! Tattoo Supply
With all the problems in mind, I have designed Fear Naut! Tattoo Supply, a brand that makes and sells all the quality equipment that a tattoo artist might need. It’s a one-stop shop for tattoo artists and shops. Everything from tattoo machines to shop chairs.
Research
The idea behind Fear Naut! Is a result of the research I conducted on current tattoo suppliers. I found that some websites DO sell everything that a tattoo artist might need, but from many different brands, which aren’t all that well designed. I wanted to provide tattoo artists with a way to work with a uniform set of equipment that is designed to make tattoo artists and their clients comfortable.
The Design Process
I wanted my visuals for the brand to be connected to tattoo art, so I researched the history of tattoos. I found that traditional American tattoos are very memorable and are typically very easy to identify, so I began to research traditional American tattoos.
The Name
I had a good idea of what I wanted the brand to look like, but I was struggling with what to name it. Then I thought, what do tattoo artists love? They love to use puns! So, after doing some research and finding out that the traditional American tattoo style was popularized by navy sailors during the second World War, I wanted to do something punny but also sailor related. Naut is short for nautical, which relates to sailing, and “naut” sounds like “not,” so I decided that was a good word to use. Then, I thought “What do tattoo artists NOT want their clients to feel?” and I landed on Fear Naut!
The Logo
I wanted to do something scary and sailor related, since the name is literally telling you not to be afraid, so that inserts some humor which is related to puns AND I personally love inserting something humorous in whatever I do. I did some initial logos with a scary sea creature, and just some illustrations of tattoo machines, but none of them felt right. I was then drawn to steering wheels on ships, and I was struggling with finding a way to make it scary and relate to tattooing. Then, I had the epiphany: what if the steering wheel handles were tattoo needles? It would be horrifying to steer a ship with sharp handles, and it directly correlates with tattooing.
