I worked on a self-initiated rebranding project based on a fictional client brief for Homegrown, a family-owned casual restaurant chain based on the west coast of the United States. They specialize in plant-based foods, all of which are meat-free and dairy-free, and are made from organic ingredients sourced from local farms to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable eating. They serve mostly salads, wraps, and grain bowls, but their menu has also expanded to include some contemporary American cuisine (sandwiches, plant-based burgers, etc.).
Brand Redesign
Homegrown's original brand identity was designed quickly prior to the launch of their first store in southern California, without significant attention paid to detail or cohesiveness across logo, menu, marketing collateral, and in-store designs. They wanted their new brand to become iconic in the plant-based food world and to help convince the public that plant-based food can be cool and modern. To meet the needs of the client, I sought to provide a unique visual look that will be memorable to consumers and espouse the client's values of “clean, delicious, fast, and healthy” to match the quality of food and service offered.
Logo Treatment
In the redesigned logo, the logomark is shaped like a leaf to represent the concept of plant-based food with the letters "H" and "G" stylistically combined to form the leaf's appearance.
For the text underneath, I chose a sans-serif font called Brandon Grotesque. With its round letterforms and the entire name set in lowercase, the text exudes a casual, approachable, and friendly feeling.
Early Concept Development
Early logo concept exploration with sketches
Mood board
Brand Colors
The following color palette was extracted from the mood board photo collage above to represent the Homegrown brand, with a focus on green as the primary color which signifies health, nature, and sustainability. Orange and yellow follow as warmer accent colors that are known to stimulate an appetite and evoke feelings of cheerfulness. Brown and beige are earthly, neutral tones ideal for a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Font Selection
As the header font, Bree Serif leaves a lasting impression with its bold and editorial look, characterized by slab serif letterforms, while still maintaining a charming and welcoming appearance. It is paired with Raleway, an elegant, classy, and easy-to-read sans-serif font used in the descriptive copy that accompanies the headings.
Restaurant Posters
Below is a set of four concept poster designs with the restaurant's visual branding guidelines applied to each one. These posters present featured menu items and can be mounted on interior walls or storefront windows.
Website Landing Page
Below is a concept landing page design that presents an "above-the-fold" view of the Homegrown website on both browser and mobile screen displays.
Brand Items
The Homegrown logo and brand colors are displayed on a few brand items including a T-shirt, a brown to-go bag, and a disposable paper cup.
