PROJECT BRIEF | Restaurant Branding
For this project, you will be developing a name, tagline, brandmark, and logotype for a fictitious restaurant you create. You will select two to three defining characteristics for each of your two initial restaurant concepts.
The purpose of this project is to really hone in to the intuitive art of using type, pairing type, and creating extensions of a brand by using type as a tool.
There will be a lecture to help you be able to intelligently select type based on common features and tone.
Choose at least 2 factors that make it unique (cuisine, location, audience, theme, time period).
Examples
1950’s sushi diner, vegan bar-b-q in Dallas, all-u-can-eat dessert buffet, book lover’s bakery
No matter what type of food you plan to serve, everything MUST be organic and locally sourced, when possible. The catch: if you want to communicate this aspect of the restaurant in the branding, please stay away from the obvious:
There are other ways to communicate that the food is organic/locally sourced in the menu/collateral materials.
Consider the location, type of food, and menu items before you begin brainstorming for the restaurant name and tagline. The more original and developed your restaurant concept/name is, the more focused you can be when you begin sketching.
- Create an idea/mood board story/history of the restaurant
- Include a final list of 3 names, 5 taglines — The shorter and more unique the better.
- Color palette — What job will you give each of your selected colors?
- Typography — You will need at least 2 fonts that compliment each other.
- Inspirational imagery — Think environmental design and space design, but can be anything that inspires the concept.
- Design examples — Include images of the visual aesthetic you want to achieve.
- Interiors — Open concept, booths, dark, vibrant, outdoors, fast casual, etc.
- Materials — Leather, wood, concrete, industrial, opulent, natural,
- Textures/patterns — Created by you or sourced from fabric.
- Menu items — You will source your own menu items but researching a restaurant concept that comes closest to your concept. Menu items, descriptions and pricing should be cohesive to your restaurant.
- Food photography — Will you use it or not? Will there be a consistency of imagery? Tone? Lighting? Angle?
Places to look for inspo
dribbble.com
pinterest.com
underconsideration.com/artofthemenu/
gritsandgrids.com
bpando.org/restaurant/
Examples
Categories
Cuisine:
Raw
Baked Goods
Mongolian Barbecue
Teppanyaki-Style
Delicatessen
Oysters
Pancakes
Steak
Asian
Bar-b-q
Brazilian
Cajun/Creole
Californian
Candy Shop
Caribbean
Chicken Dinner
Chili Parlor
Chinese
Clam Shack
Coffee House
Crab House
Czech
Donuts
Fish Camp
French
German
Greek
Ham House
Hamburgers
Hawaii
Health Food
Hotdog
Hungarian
Ice Cream
Indian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Lobster
Mexican
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pie
Soup
Cupcakes/Cakery
Pizza
Polish
Carved Meat/
Sandwiches
Portuguese
Ramen
Seafood
Soul Food
Southwestern
Steak
Tex-Mex
Thai
Vegan
Vegetarian
Vietnamese
Theme/Type:
Tea Room
Tavern
Street Food
Soda Fountain
Small Town Cafe
Smokehouse
Roadside Stand
Lunch Counter
Parlor
Hotel
Take Out
Bar
House
Drive-In
Diner
Speakeasy
Public House (Pub)
Bistro
Cafe
Cafeteria
Tavern
Buffet
Food Truck
Pop-Up Restaurant
All-You-Can-Eat
Brew Pub
Delivery Service
Fast Food
Casual Style
Fine Dining
Fast Casual
Truck Stop
Dinner Theater
Automated Restaurant
Supper Club/Underground Restaurant
Audience:
Child-Centric
Book-Lovers
Politicians
Poets
Musicians
Artists
First Responders
Lawyers
Pet Friendly
Generation X
Baby Boomers
Tourists
Introverts
Extroverts
Freelancers
Blue Collar
White Collar
Doctors
Nurses
Homeless
Low Income
Social Activists
Physically Disabled
Teachers
Adrenaline Junkies
Health Nuts
Teenagers
Retirees
Motorcyclists
Cyclists
Project Specifications
- Name of restaurant must be integrated into logo, obviously.
- Must work at any scale.
- B&W and color version (at least 2 colors) required. If black and white only, have a good reason.
- Also, create three alternative marks to be used with system.
- Apply to at least two branded restaurant materials of your choice. Be creative! I don’t wanna see a boring coaster or a pint glass with the logo slapped on it. These can not be mockups.
- Example: You may create a unique menu, ordering system, packaging for take-away food, uniform, etc.
- Each piece must have the highest craft quality that you can achieve and strive to be as close to a real life process as possible.
- You are more than welcome to purchase supplies from Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, etc.
DUE 3/24:
- Two initial restaurant concepts to present in class. Choose one to move forward with on this day.
- Mind map for both concepts. Fast, write ideas as you think of them.
- Three potential names for both concepts and 5 taglines for both concepts
- Idea board for both concepts with the information specified above (include your names & taglines).
DUE 3/26: STUDIO DAY
DUE 3/31:
- 75 logo sketches — all unique! Please no subtle variations if possible!
- Lecture on pairing typography in logo development and beyond.
DUE 4/2: STUDIO DAY
DUE 4/7:
- 10 Variations of type/image combinations for one final design, b&w
DUE 4/9:
- Logo revision + type trials + b&w finals and color trials
- Class Critique
- Brainstorming session — ideas for expanding your logo into a system
1. Fold a sheet of 11x17 paper into four sections, leaving you with 8 areas (front and back) to number as follows:
1)Logo/Brand Usage
2) Color Palette
3) Typography: Display/Body Copy
4) Grid/Layout
5) Format
6) Supporting Visuals: Pattern/Texture/Photography/Illustration/Icons/Symbols
7) Paper: Color/Weight/Texture
8) Special Materials/Printing Processes
2. Place the sheet beside your logo designs. Write your name and the concept of your restaurant at the top.
3. Spend a few minutes at each of your classmates projects — write a suggestion under each section that relates CONCEPTUALLY to their restaurant, that would help them with expanding their identity system research and development.
DUE 4/14: STUDIO DAY
DUE 4/16:
- First Finish check-in on what you have remaining.
4/21:
- Final restaurant identity system and final 2 collateral materials. Formal class presentation. I will send out instructions for submission the weekend before.
