I was so incredibly excited when I was given the task of rebranding this café location when I worked at Dining & Summer Conferences (DSC). The Food for Thought Café had been without a solid identity for years, and with the area it’s located in having renovations being done, they wanted to use that time to finally create something really unique for the space.

 

Located in our campus library, this small café is nestled in amongst books and computers, hence where the name, Food for Thought, originally came from. I have always had a love for literature and deep, thoughtful conversations, so exploring ideas for this branding was fun. The only requirement I was given was that the color scheme had to be predominantly orange. Each Dining location has a given color so that organization was easier. 

 

The logo itself is rather straight forward, a blossoming brain. Not only did I want to tie in the idea of growth and expanding the mind, but one of the core missions of DSC is about sustainability and caring about the environment, so I wanted to sneak that idea in as well. The accompanying assets are what I liked to call “food blots”. Created from existing food illustrations that had been done by a previous designer, Alex Gillis, this collection of blots are meant to mimic the ink blots used in Rorschach Tests. I always thought ink blots were intriguing because you can find so many different shapes and images the more you look at them. Making these blots by overlapping different food and drink illustrations gives the viewer something to engage with, to keep searching for what items they can find.

 

I was responsible for not only the creation of the new identity, but also designing all of the signage for the location, all in varying sizes, shapes and materials. I collaborated with my administration team to make sure all of the designs that I made were working for everyone, as well as getting information from them about prices and sign requirements. I also worked closely with the on campus print shop to choose paper stocks and finishes, and to make sure that all of the pieces came out perfectly the first time. Finally, with the help of my junior designer, we installed all of the signage and made sure everything was secure.