Objective
Entrepreneurs Mike and Jeremy wanted to create a fast-casual sushi dining experience in affluent neighborhoods near their hometown. Their research showed strong demand for fresh dining in suburban mountain valley communities. They aimed to establish a flagship restaurant and eventually franchise the concept, which they named "Freestyle," allowing customers to fully customize their sushi rolls, much like Chipotle or Panera.
Branding
The business owners requested a few specific elements for their branding: include a fish, avoid red, use green for a fresh look, and incorporate the Japanese symbol of heaven as a graphic element. Given their detailed requests, I involved the client in the design process earlier than usual, after the sketch stage.specific asks, 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
The client received a brand identity for the restaurant that suits the fast-casual atmosphere of an affluent community. For the restaurant opening, design materials included signage, carry-out packaging, business cards, and social media templates. I delivered a comprehensive style guide that beautifully outlines their logo, colors, typography, icons, photography, and messaging for strong cohesion!
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