Background: A school assignment where we were each assigned one country to be inspired by for the project. I was assigned France. Brief: Create a comprehensive visual identity and branding concept for a new restaurant in Sweden. This includes designing a logo, a four-page menu, and applications of the visual concept for take-away and in-restaurant products.
Software: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Procreate Credits: Freepik (mockups)
Approach
As soon as I got France as my assigned country, I knew the direction I wanted to go. I didn't want to create a "typical" French restaurant, instead, I decided to create a fusion of France and the northern part of Sweden. My location of choice was Umeå, my hometown, which has a diverse food and art culture and appreciates different types of cuisines. It felt like the perfect place for my restaurant concept: Brasserie du Nord.
Finding the Balance
My goal was to make the restaurant feel exclusive but still welcoming. I played around with the colors of the French flag, classic fonts, and combined them with sharp and clean Nordic design. This turned into a pattern inspired by Nordic landscapes complemented by small, simple illustrations to give it some personality. When it came to fonts, I discovered the font Nord (I promise I really did name the restaurant before I found the font) and mixed it with Adorn Garland to achieve a nice blend of classic and modern styles.
Plaisir Sucrés...
...Or Sweet Pleasures
As you may have noticed, the red color has been missing so far. Since the color red is often associated with excitement and passion, I saved it for the dessert menu and everything related to after-dinner treats. I designed a smaller menu for this as well as take away boxes using the red pattern.
This is a fictive case