Champa

Champa Thai & Sushi is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant local to Raleigh, NC. This project serves as a hypothetical rebranding of the restaurant in order to modernize its current design, create a cohesive brand identity, and attract new customers. Champa serves both Thai and Japanese food that appeals to the palettes of customers that are not used to the bold and punchy flavors usually associated with these cuisines. The goal is to transform Champa into a restaurant that mirrors their bold flavors while adding a sense of comfort and reliability.

Logos provide the backbone to the identity of any brand, thus it was important to capture a variety of different feels and shapes when brainstorming new logos for Champa. When thinking about Asian restaurant logos in general, there is a clear trend towards calligraphic typefaces and circular stamp shapes. Champa’s current logo followed these trends, so, to stand out, I considered the use of both modern and unusual typefaces and considered how it affected the mood of the new visual identity.

After much consideration and opinions from other designers, the final logos include bold typefaces that are clear yet indicative of Champa’s unique take on Asian fusion cuisine. Additionally, the color palette is derived from both the ingredients of the food and the warmth of Thailand’s and Japan’s landscapes. Together, the typography and color palette create a strong impression on both first time and continuing customers.

Additionally, a set of illustrations and free-flowing patterns were made to offer visual diversity in various real-life uses such as takeout containers and menus. The linear illustrations create a cute and approachable mood towards key dishes served by Champa, thus making “foreign” foods appear more approachable to newcomers. In contrast, the free flowing patterns are derived from the champa flower used in the original logo.