A cohesive redesign of a local North Carolina restaurant was completed to showcase the unique combination of authentic Italian cuisine with the upbeat New York background of the owner. The concept for this project revolved around the play between traditional Italian recipes with the bold attitude that defines individuals native to Brooklyn, NY. Each side of the concept was represented by various elements of the over- all design, using a consistent color palette and typeface chooses to keep an upscale and cohesive look. Photographs of stunning Tuscan landscapes were treated with a deep red overlay to mimic the interior color palette of the restau- rant itself while also attempting to transport viewers to the locale that their meal originated from. The hand rendered drawings of various types of pasta were also meant to be reminiscent of classic Italian artwork, however their scale in proportion to the rest of the elements gives them the feel of graffiti drawn onto the wall of the menu– this idea is further shown by the faint brick texture found on the back of the menu insert. The language of this project was also very integral to communicating the concept. Several common phrases that can be heard straight from the mouth of the owner, Gianni himself, were used throughout the elements to give a sense of the strong personality one might encounter during a visit to this restaurant. These phrases, spelled phonetically, such as the ever famous “Fuhgeddaboudit” and “J’eet Yet?” provide a stark contrast to the subtle and classical nature of typical Italian eateries. The typeface choices also furthered the contrast of the phrases to the other elements of the menu. By using a bold, condensed, sans-serif for the Brooklyn phrases and a beautiful script for headings and secondary lines of text, it was made clear that two distinct voices were represented in this design. The classic Italian recipes and Brooklyn attitude are more directly combined in the design of the coasters, which each feature a different type of noodle that appears somewhere throughout the menu, as well as the phonetic pronunci- ation spelled out boldly over top, referencing back to the bold phrases found on the menu and gift cards. This was meant to be both whimsical as well as practical, as it would provide some aid to the patrons of the restaurant as they order their meal.
