Visual identity, menu & brand collateral
For this project, I created a visual identity, a menu, and other branded collateral for the business. The designs have an intimate and casual visual language, keeping a personal relationship with their customers while providing an elevated experience.
Visual Identity
The visual identity consists of a logo, brand colors, and typography curation. The logo works as both a wordmark and a brandmark.
“El Cerrito” translates to “the little hill”, which was the inspiration for the logo. The simple curved brand name replicates just that, a little hill. The scaled-back-ness of it makes it come across as natural and obvious in the best way. If the logo is simple and bold, it shows that the business don’t need to rely on ornate decorations to prove its quality, but that it just needs to be striking enough to catch the viewer’s attention.
Color-wise, the dark red plays into Mexican associations, while keeping an elegance and not being too on the nose.
For the logo, titles, and headers, a boxy, bold sans serif that demands attention, without being harsh or very decorative. The subheading and body copy typeface is another sans-serif font that is a bit more curved and traditional.
Throughout the branded designs, especially in the menu, there is a focus on handcrafting, keeping the visual language intimate and personal for the restaurant’s customers. The type design replicates a typewriter, and the illustrations are exaggerated sketches that celebrate Mexican food culture, as if someone sketched it out on a napkin.
