OVERVIEW

Nebulunch Pit Stop is an original themed restaurant concept designed from scratch, built around a single narrative premise: what if the most famous intergalactic gas station in the universe ended up on Earth?

The project covers the full spectrum of themed entertainment design, from world-building and narrative development to attraction signage, wayfinding, prop design and print collateral. Every piece was designed to exist within the same cohesive visual and narrative system.

Story first. Design second. Production logic always present.

NARRATIVE

It was the 1970s. The space race was at its peak, ABBA was playing in the background and psychedelic art was making its way through every door.

Miguel was offered a maintenance job on the Milky Way Highway, practically just around the corner, and Carmen dropped her plans to open something on Earth and opened it in space instead. She had always wanted to build something of her own, and the edge of the galaxy was as good a place as any.

That's how Nebulunch Pit Stop began: a small gas station in the middle of nowhere, with avocado green countertops, a jukebox and the best croquets in the known universe.

Over the decades, word spread. Carmen had one rule: no photo goes on the wall unless you've been back at least three times. Not famous. Just loyal.

In 2012, a wormhole opened mid-service. No warning. Dishes still on the tables. When it closed, Nebulunch had landed on Earth. Still warm.

That story is the foundation of every design decision in this project.

CONCEPT ART

The building had to feel like it landed, not like it was built. A retro-futurist structure that fell through a wormhole and never quite fit in on Earth. Every material, form and prop designed to support forty years of intergalactic history.

The process started in Procreate, sketching the spatial concept by hand: the building form, the proportions, the relationship between the structure and the surrounding elements. Those sketches were uploaded to Midjourney as reference, which interpreted them and generated several strong directions. The best outputs were then taken into Photoshop for refinement: removing unwanted elements, adjusting colours, modifying spatial relationships and pushing the final image toward the established visual language of Nebulunch.

The result is concept art that is genuinely directed, not generated. Every compositional decision was made before the AI was involved.

Procreate · Midjourney · Photoshop

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Two floors, two atmospheres. The first floor carries the diner DNA: booths, lava lamps, the warmth of a place that has fed millions. The second floor bar pushes the retro-futurist aesthetic further, with curved forms, orbital details and a view of wherever Nebulunch happens to have landed.

The same process applied: hand sketches in Procreate, Midjourney for exploration, Photoshop for direction and refinement.

Procreate · Midjourney · Photoshop

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MARQUEE

The marquee is the first point of contact between the guest and the world of Nebulunch. Three concept directions were explored before landing on the final design, which prioritises retro-futurist signage language, orbital forms and intergalactic fuel station references.

The three fuel types, Cosmic 95, Galactic 98 and Solar Fuel, are Miguel's own formulas, developed during his years on the Milky Way Highway. Nobody else has them.

Procreate · Illustrator

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WAYFINDING SYSTEM

A complete wayfinding system covering directional signage, room identification and zone markers. Every sign built within the retro-futurist visual language of Nebulunch: shapes, colour palette, typography and iconography all derived from the same design system as the marquee.

The system covers the full guest journey inside the space, from the entrance to the bar, the terrace, the VIP room and the restrooms. Wayfinding in a themed space does not inform. It orients without breaking the story.

Procreate · Illustrator

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WALL OF FAME

Carmen and Miguel were designed as characters first, developed across three life stages: young, middle-aged and elderly. That visual continuity across time was essential before any of the Wall of Fame illustrations could be created.

Once the characters were established, Higgsfield was used to generate the individual scenes, placing Carmen and Miguel alongside the most recognisable figures in the galaxy, following a loose chronological order from oldest to most recent guests.

Carmen's rule: no photo goes up unless you've been back three times. Not celebrities. Regulars. Every illustration built within the same visual language, every frame a piece of the world.

Higgsfield · Photoshop · Illustrator

POSTERS

A set of in-world print pieces designed as decorative props for the interior. Each poster exists within the Nebulunch visual language: retro-futurist, 1970s travel poster aesthetic, limited colour palette. Designed in Illustrator and refined in Photoshop.

Illustrator · Photoshop

PROP DESIGN — LAVA LAMPS

The lava lamp is the signature object of Nebulunch: present on tables and hanging from the ceiling across the space. Four shapes designed around the same material language, chrome finish and the recurring lava pattern that ties the world together.

The design process started with hand sketches in Procreate exploring different silhouettes and forms. Each shape was then developed digitally in Illustrator, maintaining the same material logic and visual identity across all four versions.

Procreate · Illustrator

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