Brand identity redesign
07/2024
The restaurant had a mixture of design identities coexisting at the same time. The task was to unify all visual identity under a new brand language that evokes Koyo's authentic Japanese cuisine.
When tasked with the redesign, I observed that several design languages were being used at the same time. The printed and online menus had one design identity, the wall decor had another, and the website had a different logotype and style. It is now time to unify all different supports, both physical and online, into a cohesive new look.
Most Japanese restaurants in the area use food imagery as a logo, such as a nigiri or ramen bowl. Many others use the traditional Sakura flower as their main brand icon. In order to differentiate Koyo from the other restaurants, I decided to move away from that design line and get inspiration from the Japanese writing systems Kanji, Hiragana & Katakana.
Japanese writing systems use characters to express words, and each character is composed of a series of strokes written in a specific order. I wanted to give the logo the aesthetic of Japanese characters without falling in a cliché typeface.
I composed the whole logo using only six 'strokes', three for the 'K', two for the 'Y' and one simple circle for both 'O's. This way the logotype reflects a direct connection to Japan, but at the same time feels minimalist, fresh, and modern.
Once the brand image has a new, fresh look, it is time to convey it into the real world. Since the pandemic, the restaurant decided to move into digital PDF menus to ensure safety among customers. Now, they wanted to resume the use of printed menus. This new version I created uses both Spanish and Japanese language to display menu items, giving the whole experience a more authentic vibe.
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