Branding a restaurant: social media posts.

Good evening, friend,

Today, I made three social media posts for my restaurant brand that I created. I used Adobe Express to create these posts.

For my first post, I chose a template, applied my brand colors and typeface, made some adjustments, and added animation to create an energetic feel associated with an exciting grand opening.

For my second post, I used an image of a dish that will be served at the restaurant. I applied the same color palette and typeface, and included a description of the dish to entice people and encourage them to try Bistro Bella Vista. I also added hashtags and contact information.

In my last post, I followed a similar approach and included a subtle animation. I applied my brand elements and aimed to attract guests for a live music night.

Here are my results.

Branding my Resteraunt

Good evening, friends. I decided to completely scrap my original logo because I wasn't satisfied with it. I wanted to approach this project correctly from start to finish. For that to happen, I needed my logo to reflect the color palette I initially chose in order to convey the vibe I wanted for my brand consistently. I'm much happier with what I've created now that I've applied my color palette and moved away from the flag idea that I thought was necessary to convey my message.

 Once I made these changes, everything fell into place much more nicely. I uploaded my new logo and color palette into Adobe Express, along with the typeface pairings I selected to create my brand. I started in Adobe Express by finding templates I liked and applying my branding to them. After that, I did some revisions in Adobe Illustrator. I believe this is the direction I want to pursue, and I feel that the brand voice I aimed to create is now much closer to my original vision than what I was working with before. I even purchased my own Qr code for my Blogger site and used that for Business Card. Its the little things things you know.( I was tickled pink about that part 😜)

Exporing typeface options

I'm thrilled to share that we’re on the exciting adventure of creating a new restaurant brand in class. I've made some amazing progress, especially with my logos, which are the backbone of the branding journey. But you should know that branding is more than just a logo. It's all about creating a complete experience that captures the heart and soul of a brand. Every little detail counts— from the touchpoints and color schemes to the way a brand communicates its messages.

As we dive deeper into the world of branding, I've discovered just how important typeface and font pairings are in shaping a memorable identity. Since we’re designing a restaurant brand, choosing the right fonts is key to creating the perfect atmosphere and conveying my message.

To kick off the font selection process, I explored a variety of typefaces that matched my vision using https://www.1001fonts.com/. After having some fun with different options, I whittled it down to a few favorites. I downloaded those fonts to see how they'd look in different settings. I even created some pairings using 3 or 4 of the selected fonts in https://fontjoy.com/ to visualize how they could work together.

After some careful thought, I settled on the lovely script font Great Vibes at 24 pt for our logo. For the menu, I chose Rasa at 18 pt. I feel like these two fonts play off each other perfectly—Great Vibes brings a touch of elegance and warmth, while Rasa keeps things clear and modern. Together, they truly reflect the inviting and refined vibe that.

I want my brand to convey!

Creative Challenge 27

A few weeks ago, on my drive to pick up my nephew from school, I stumbled upon a house that left an indelible mark on my mind. It had an eerie quality to it, as if it were steeped in untold stories and hidden secrets. Intrigued, I decided to return to capture its essence through my camera lens. 

Once I was home, I opened Lightroom and began to work my magic. I experimented with various effects, playing with the lighting to evoke an atmosphere of mystery and adjusting the bokeh to create a soft focus that drew attention to the haunting details of the house. With careful tweaks to the curves, I honed in on a final image that truly resonated with the mood I aimed to convey.

Inspired by this ghostly dwelling, I envisioned a captivating title for my book. I turned to Illustrator, selecting a font that echoed the shadowy theme of the house. Using the pen tool, I meticulously crafted each letter, magnifying them to create custom typography that exuded a chilling allure. A gradient flowed through each letter, enhancing their depth and atmosphere.

And here it is—my very first book cover! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

Creative Challenge 26

For my creative challenge this week, I decided to create a menu using some of the photos I took of shepherd's pie, stuffed chicken marsala, steak gorgonzola, stuffed French toast, and strawberry rhubarb pie. I wanted to incorporate something we learned in Adobe Illustrator this week, so I thought a menu would be a great example of a tri-fold design.

I started by sketching my name in fun bubble lettering and then took a photo of it to upload. After that, I locked the layer, created a new one, placed a black rectangle over the lettering, and lowered the opacity. I then traced over the lettering using the Pen Tool, filled it in with the color I wanted, and added some highlights. After finishing that, I deleted the original artwork and the rectangle. I followed the same steps for my cherries.

Next, I added a gradient as the background. I used the same gradient to create two other artboards to maintain consistency. However, I didn’t ensure the height and width of the images were correct or use my guides properly, which affected the overall quality of the final result. Still, I had a lot of fun and gained additional hands-on practice with the Pen Tool, layers, and swatches. 

So, here it is! Maybe one day I will turn this idea into a reality. I might have to change the name, though; there’s a good chance it’s already in use. 😊

Expressive Typography

I love typography, so I decided to create a promotional concert poster for an upcoming Nine Inch Nails show! I experimented with shapes, gradients, and perspective. I used rulers and guides and even incorporated some traced images along with additional shapes. I aimed to design something that resembles a crown and tried out different colors to see how they affected the overall image and emotion that was conveyed. This project was quite different from my usual work, which is rarely uniform or precise. It was really exciting to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new!

The Brochure

Creating a tri-fold brochure was quite a learning experience for me. I initially struggled with the folding concept but followed the project step by step as outlined in the book. To expand my understanding, I also watched several tutorials on YouTube, exploring various methods to achieve the desired outcome. It was fascinating to see the different approaches.

According to the Adobe Illustrator book, the recommendation is to create six artboards labeled as outside fold-in, outside center, outside right-front, inside left, inside center, and inside fold-in. However, I discovered that you can also create two artboards. Then created a rectangle and divided it into three columns, I was able to adjust the offset and get basically the same result.

To visualize my design, I folded a printed version on paper, which helped me understand how it would look when folded. I did my best with the design and realized there is much more involved in making a brochure than I initially thought. Along the way, I also learned about the painted turtle and how fascinating that habitat is. Unfortunately, I was working through a sore throat and congestion, which made things a bit challenging, but I'm grateful for the experience and the knowledge gained.

 

zoo icons

 

Creative Challenge 26

Hey there, creative friends!

Today, I had a fun time helping my son with his art homework as he dove into the amazing world of op art! For those who aren’t familiar, op art, or optical illusion art, is all about those striking black-and-white patterns and geometric shapes that create mind-bending effects and really play tricks on your eyes. My son’s project was to create an image using curved lines that look like ripples in cloth, and I just loved the idea so much that I decided to give it a whirl myself using Adobe Illustrator!

As I explored the realm of op art, I came across so many incredible creations that really make you see things in a whole new way. There’s just a wealth of fascinating pieces out there, so I definitely encourage you to check them out!

Oh, and just for some added fun, I found an optical illusion artwork called "The Doctor and His Patients" that you can see at 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/optical-illusion-only-a-person-with-quick-and-creative-thinking-can-spot-2-patients-in-9-seconds/articleshow/117727610.cms. 

Give it a look and see if you can spot the two patients hidden in the image of the doctor! Enjoy!