Diary Entry...
I didn't finalise my menu contents but I have all the resources to do so. Other areas of the project took more of my attention as I wanted to concentrate on developing my logo design.
I went to the Italian restaurant Bella Italia and really admired their branding and interior design...
This is the wrapping paper that wraps your food. I really like all the typography and illustrations - it is fun and gives the branding a lot of detail. It's all in the same colour so it doesn't look too cartoony and will be cohesive with the brand.
This is a neon sign they have above the kitchen and I really liked the way the typography flows like spaghetti - this is a style I would love to experiment with.
Their menu opens in the middle of the photo of this couple kissing which is a really fun and quirky design while having a simple structure of how the menu is built.
Here shows the inside of the menu and how it is divided into sections of foods.
Before beginning my sketching I put together a couple of mood boards to inspire the style and elements of my logo so that I could look at them while sketching to create a logo that suited the audience and purpose of this brief...
Typography mood board.
Illustration mood board.
Initial sketches for my logo...
Development of logo on Illustrator...
These ideas use a graphic that looks like a capital 'O' but looks to be made out of spaghetti. I think this is a funky way to show the fact that it is an Italian restaurant. Here I tried the graphic with a variety of fonts (similar to the ones I drew in my sketches above.)
I really like the script fonts as they look like a signature (to show the element of a family run restaurant) It also suits the 'spaghetti theme' of the graphic.
Here I tried a more artistic approach with a mess of spaghetti on a fork but it feels a little unprofessional for a restaurant aimed at mainly adults and families looking for a more formal feel.
I decided to rethink my colour scheme and look at every colour with the different logo ideas above...
This is a rather simple and informal font that lets the graphic be the focal point. However, the red feels too dramatic.
I really like this font as it feels rustic and handmade to suit the family run element - however, the orange is quite intense but I will definitely consider the font for secondary logo type or menu content.
This dark blue is too strong against this dainty type but I like the idea of blue as it reminds me of the coast and the south of Italy which is where Sicily is located.
Yellow is a difficult colour to use as it can be difficult to see at times as it is so pale. Yellow and red are the colours of the Sicilian flag but of course you instantly think of McDonalds - the font reminds me of pizza hut and is a little too informal.
Back to green, black and white this is the combination I had in mind at the start of the project as I really liked the idea of using black and white for sophistication and using bright green to add some interest and excitement. However, I wanted to experiment with other colours to make sure green was the best option for this brief. I still really like this and the way the green stands against the black but I can't help but feel it is a little too in your face for a restaurant that wants to look more professional.
Purple is a nice option as it is said to evoke feelings of sentimentality (family restaurant) and be calming which is perfect for my restaurant as I want it to be a family/adult restaurant that appears formal in style but has an inviting and friendly feel. However, the black is quite difficult to read against the purple in some shades. I again like this script font as it matches the graphic perfectly with its curvy spaghetti you could almost spell this out with real spaghetti.
I love this mid blue colour as it uses that element I stated previously about the blue showing the influence of the south of Italy but it is lighter to let the type stand out against it. I really like this font as it really looks like a signature and appears professional and established.
Finally, I think the pink is very eye catching but maybe a little too feminim for my wide audience of men and women and families.
