When you need to differentiate...
This project was a first for me: developing a new brand under the roof of an existing business. The French 1/4 Café, a long-standing client and good friend, had built a solid daytime café offering. But they had a new idea they'd been dreaming of for years, launching a burger bar in the same space, two evenings a week, as a pilot project.
From Spark to Strategy
I came in from day one, when the idea was still just a conversation. I worked with the team to explore the competitive landscape, shape the menu concept, and run a lively name-storming session. We landed on something with personality, playful, unexpected, with a cheeky tone of voice.
Once the name and tone were in place, I explored a range of logo concepts—from illustrated cooker rings to stylised burger marks. But the strongest option turned out to be the simplest. With a punchy name and bold colour palette already doing the heavy lifting, the brand came together quickly and confidently.
Supporting the Start-Up Side
With the identity locked in, I moved into start-up support mode: setting up social media accounts, cover images, profile icons, and Google My Business, and making sure the client was set up as admin across platforms. This is something I did for a few small business clients giving them a running start, after going through the experience myself.
A Menu with Bite
As a print designer at heart, I loved bringing the brand to life in a physical format. I helped write the menu content in the same cheeky tone of voice we’d established, and designed a circular die-cut menu to echo the burger theme. It was a small but powerful way to let the brand personality shine in the customer’s hands.
Opening Night & Final Handover
I attended the soft launch and was treated to an Emperor Burger—quality control, of course. After that, I prepped a run of teaser content for social media ahead of the official April 1st (no fools here) opening, and handed over everything the client needed to keep growing the brand on their terms.