Menlo Park Mongolian BBQ Rebrand

Branding Design

Project Overview

Design a new visual identity for a local small business including a new brand mark and logotype that will make the restaurant distinguishable to its audience. The redesign of the visual identity will give MPMongolian BBQ the help it needs to have its own unique stance and differentiate itself from others in the market.

ROLE: Graphic Designer
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PROJECT LENGTH: March-May 2022
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TOOLS: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

Context

My Contribution

In completing this project design principles practiced included research where I identified its existing identity, customer base and competition. I then made sketches and iterations of possible design directions. After thought and consideration I chose from my iterations and made improvements on them. I moved forward with the final logo and made color iterations. Following that I made a style guide displaying the choices of final color applications and typography. Finally mockups were made to show the redesign in practice.
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This project was carried out over the course of two months. To complete this project tools used were Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop.

Research

I started this project by reserching the identity it currently held. I learned more about the customer base, the role its location played on the business and its appeal through observation and interviews. Audience: young adults and middle aged people.
People also chose MP because of its convenience factor. The locationis surrounded by housing and offices making patrons in walking distance traveling on average no more than 3 miles.
The food is read very quickly and grilled right in front of customers making it high quality fast food that proves to be more useful to patrons on their lunch break. Customers care about their time being used wisely and eating healthily. MP offers an healthy fast food alternative

Sketches & Iterations

I started my sketches by creating a list of words that captured the identity and the desired branding of Menlo Park Mongolian BBQ. I then took the word and incorperated them into my sketches.
The process of designing a logo that fit Menlo Park’s identity started with takingsketches made that stood out the most and translating it into illustrator.
Ideas and themes that were intended to be stressed were that Menlo Park is quick, hot and fresh. A large part of a Mongolian BBQ’s recognition comes from its flat top grill that all the food is cooked on and in all the iterations it includes vvthat element.

Final B&W Design

After explaoration I chose from my iterations my final design.
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Improvements were then made for the final logo Changes included redirecting the orientation of the chopsticks to point the eye directly to the business name and to the logo’s center. Both the typography and the chopsticks were sized up to be more prominent and legible. The brush stroke was changed to have a varied weight. The way in which the brush stroke is oriented with the chopsticks and logotype there is balance.
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A pattern to accompany the logo on applications such as bags and to-go boxes was also made from a component of the logo; the chopsticks. The chopsticks are arranged to be in a bouquet and angled to look as if they are all reaching for food.

Final Color Application & Typography

Bely Display is a serif typeface that has a sharp look while also playful with its oblique styling andvariations in weight. Accompanying Bely Display is Futura PT Bold. Futura next to Bely Display helps play up both types of face strengths.
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Going forward the final color logo was a refinement of the monochromatic color iteration. Changesincluded darkening the shade of brown that was made in the iterations; the hue was shifted away from burgundy and moved closer to having a gray undertone.