Local Flavors is a project that emerged from my interest in branding and package design and my love of the restaurants that anchor the community in which I live. This project began with conversations with owners of businesses at which I am a regular. I currently live in the Sunset District of San Francisco, and the three businesses I worked with are all located within 5 blocks of my apartment. After meeting with each of the restaurant owners, I proposed a plan to create branding and packaging for three family-owned restaurants: One Korean restaurant, one sushi restaurant, and one donut and coffee shop. I completed all of this work free of charge, and after the semester wrapped up I showed these new brand identities to the restaurant owners.
A common theme I encountered is that there is not a great deal of visual distinction from one restaurant to the next. Because of this, I devoted hours to researching what has and has not worked for other businesses, as well as spent time eating at each location as a customer in order to provide the best product for the owners.
I chose to create a scene in which these products would exist in the real world; someone’s living space. Takeout is meant to be approachable, making the consumer excited yet relaxed when they eat the food in whichever space they choose to eat. This specific space is a mix of where my own family and I used to eat, as well as where I would find myself eating takeout as a college student.
