​​A Sweet Affair Bakery & Cafe

  • Achievement: A fun and functional re-brand for a renewed chapter in the life of the cafe.
  • ​Project Goal: Create a post pandemic brand re-fresh to bring back market share and start the economic recovery. Should be a fun and inviting logo with a nod to nostalgia, keeping the color palette simple, black, white and one color, either a red or pink.
  • Duration & Role: I was given two weeks and was responsible for creating the design of the logo along with brand guidelines and direction for photographic use.
  • Research & Audience: Desktop research to determine local competition. Current customer base includes people that work at the nearby hospital, parents of children playing and participating in various sporting events across the street, and neighbors.
  • Main Tasks: Understand the brand, Understand the product, Develop something easy to use Create a cohesive system.
  • Design Tools: Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop

Design Process

My first step was to understand and define the brand and it’s users. From there I ideated solutions developed those solutions into workable logos. The client had the final say in design, and chose their favorite, the one they thought best represented the brand.
Finally, developed a system of graphics that could be used for menus, shirts, boxes, apron, signs, and more..
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

​Inspiration & Reference

Nostalgia
The bakery & cafe was established in 1984. The interior contains many antique signs, equipment and displays. The new logo needed to be current, but reference the past.
Product
The cafe serves breakfast and lunch in the form of coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups and sweets. They also bake all their own bread.

​Define

To develop a brand for this bakery, I needed to understand the brand and it’s users. By conducting quick desk research of competitive brands in the local baked goods market, and the user/client base, I was able to determine some needs of the identity.
Who? Most of the current customers either work at the nearby hospital, are parents of children playing and participating in various sporting events across the street at the park, or are locals that live within walking distance.
Where? On signage, menus, T-shirts, aprons, web and more.
What? A friendly identity to be the face of the brand.
Why? To win back post-pandemic customers

Ideate

  • I started with words, then moved to imagery.
    Words that describe the business: Friendly, Bakery, Quality, Creativity, Family Owned, Nostalgia, Classic, Fun, Safe, Clean.
    Words that describe the products: Cookies, Cupcakes, Sandwiches, Cafe, Coffee, Soups, Salads, Tasty, Sugar, Treats, Sweets, Colorful, Decorative, Organic, Flavorful, Pastry, Baked, Fresh, Wholesome, Decedent, Rolling Pin, Cookie Press, Ingredients, Cookie Cutters, Icing, Frosting, Chocolate, Vanilla, Breakfast, Lunch, Salad, Sandwich, Soup, Coffee, Mixer, Whisk, Spatula, Measuring Cups.
    Words that describe the atmosphere: Friendly, Helpful, Retro, Diner-like, Comfortable, Fun, Casual, Family, Community, Happy, Relaxed, Slow, Calm, Refreshing, Enjoyable, Luxury, Special Occasion.
  • Low-Fi Sketches:
    I start with some quick scribbles/sketches for layout, shape, color and style. Then I move to the computer for a font search and to start tightening up the sketches into comps.

Prototype / Client Comps

I developed three comps that I felt hit a range of ideas - using the words Bakery, Treat, and Retro as my driving ideas.

Finalize / Branding

I revised the logo for final approval, then the next step was to design the branding for the company. I did this by putting together a full branding guide that would ensure a common user experience and maintain the brand identity across all assets.

Logo

Colors

Color is an important element of any brand. I carefully selected each color to reflect the essence of the bakery products as well as a historical nod to the idea of confections.

Typography

I thoughtfully used typography to reflect the simplicity and whimsy of the brand. I used Sweet Easy for it’s fun and eye-catching quality for the name of the business, and Futura for it’s simplicity and readability, which will work for conveying all the supporting information. The juxtaposition of the two fonts creates a great contrast and adds to the energy of the brand.

Imagery

Imagery is a powerful mode of communication. Each image selected for A Sweet Affair not only displays their quality products, but embodies the exceptional ingredients and craftsmanship that defines their baked goods and desserts. All imagery used in promotional marketing should utilize the product as the hero in the shot without background distraction along with the dotted white line as a direct tie-in to the logo and brand.

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