When the assignment is to design an Asian fusion restaurant, one’s thinking leads to a certain set of clichés, says Joseph Szala, whose Vigor Branding design firm specializes in restaurant and beverage brands. There’s the chopsticks, zodiac placemats, rice paper lights. But, asks Creative Director Szala, “where’s the fun in applying identity elements to typical, forgettable touch points when you can redesign some of them in ways primed for participation.”
With that thought as the focus for the branding the new Smoke & Duck Sauce located in Atlanta GA, Szala pulled design cues from both Americana and standard Asian mnemonic devices, and also rethought the standard issue menu and placemat go-tos. The solution includes an updated zodiac for today’s astrologically inclined market, and menus that were primed for origami. Tim Turnquist was copywriter for the project.
