Objective
Entrepreneurs Mike and Jeremy wanted to bring a fast-casual sushi dining experience to affluent neighborhoods near their hometown. Their research supported the appetite for fresh and fast casual dining in the suburban mountain valley communities near natural foods grocers. The goal was to establish a flagship brick-and-mortar dining experience and franchise in similar communities. They asked me to develop a brand standard for their restaurant they call "Freestyle"- because the concept offers complete customization of sushi rolls - like a Chipotle or Panera for sushi.
Branding
The business owners were specific on a few things. Include a fish somehow. No red. Use green and make it look fresh. Lastly, "We really like the Japanese symbol of heaven as a graphic element. We believe it ties into what we can deliver in the experience and quality. Could you incorporate that symbol into the branding somehow?" I typically present to clients 1-2 stages before high-fidelity logos. With their requests and very specific aks, I brought the client into the process earlier than usual — after sketches.
PROCESS
1. Brainstorm, word maps, and word association
2. Research and gather images, graphic elements, and iconography.
3. Put it to paper. Flesh everything out with a pen or pencil, Black and white only. (Pictured are a few pages of the sketch process.)
4. Rough mockups. Black and white only.
5. Apply color and tone. Explore logo format variation and logo marks.
6. Semi-final. Fonts, graphic elements, baseline iconography, and copy rationale for voice and tone.
7. Final brand book. Package high-fidelity logos, logo marks, colors for print and digital, fonts, icons, graphic elements, ad samples, and copy for tone of voice.
2. Research and gather images, graphic elements, and iconography.
3. Put it to paper. Flesh everything out with a pen or pencil, Black and white only. (Pictured are a few pages of the sketch process.)
4. Rough mockups. Black and white only.
5. Apply color and tone. Explore logo format variation and logo marks.
6. Semi-final. Fonts, graphic elements, baseline iconography, and copy rationale for voice and tone.
7. Final brand book. Package high-fidelity logos, logo marks, colors for print and digital, fonts, icons, graphic elements, ad samples, and copy for tone of voice.
Visual Inspiration
Early-stage logo mark options
Early stage logo type exploration
The client agreed to add “sushi” to the name and signage at launch
so new customers would know the type of food served.
so new customers would know the type of food served.
Putting it all together
Strategy
In our brand strategy session, Matt, Jeremy, and their manager, Brad, collaborated to define their brand foundation, target audience, and market position. Together, we crafted the quality statement: ‘Though our name is Freestyle, we believe some things should remain unchanged. You deserve a fast, fresh, and casual dining experience from beginning to end. We care about a healthy lifestyle for you and our community. We will proudly source local produce just as it meets our highest standard of quality, freshness & seasonality.’ We defined Freestyle’s brand personality as Community, Inviting, Flexible, and Natural. I used these personality traits as markers to inform our brand design.
Design
Using the insights data we extracted from our brand strategy session, I created a fresh brand identity for the restaurant that matched the fast-casual setting that would appeal to an affluent mountain community. I delivered design collateral for the restaurant opening using the brand identity, including signage, packaging, business cards, social media templates, advertising assets, and rewards program signs. Cohesion was at the top of the client's list, so I delivered a detailed style guide for the team to implement the branding during the day-to-day business operations. This included guidance on logo usage, color palette, typography, iconography, photography, and messaging.
Brand Style Guide Pages
Logo Layouts
Social Media Template Samples
Takeout Packaging
Outdoor Ads
Additional Creative Brand Assets
Signage And Menu Elements
"Thank you for your work on our brand. We appreciate your understanding of our goals and working in the Japanese symbol of heaven. You solved so many problems on the fly, so we came to you for more than we initially asked. We LOVE the brand! You gave us so much credibility."
Matt B & Jeremy F, Owners, Freestyle Sushi