Match
books
Sweet Maple
PROJECT BRIEF: Design branded matchbooks to be used as marketing and collectible items for the restaurant Sweet Maple.
RESEARCH & MOODBOARD: From visiting the restaurant and website, I learned that Sweet Maple is a Korean-Fusion brunch restaurant which first opened in San Francisco, CA. The restaurant's claim to fame is their thick cut "Millionaire's Bacon." I was inspired by Korean traditional patterns and learned that in Korean folklore, the pig represents wealth.
Mind mapping and mood boarding helped me keep my research and visual ideas organized.
THUMBNAILS: With a steady foundation of color, pattern, and type inspiration in my mood board, I began sketching some thumbnails. The website and menu featured a lot of blue, but I wanted to play with a more saturated version. I fell in love with this shade.
GRAPHICS: I rendered a texture-rich slice of bacon as an homage to the popular menu item. I love that the end result also resembles the state of California where the restaurant originates.
GRAPHICS: I experimented with risograph-style color overlaying and traditional Korean patterns. After spending waaayy too much time trying to get this lil' piggy perfect, realized that it wouldn't translate well on the small canvas of the matchbook cover and simplified my design.
LOGO: To replicate the imperfect print texture in the graphics, I outlined a sans-serif typeface with the paintbrush tool. The end result was a totally unique logotype for the brand. I liked the idea of having the Korean word for PIG featured on the matchbooks, but later cut it in favor of a simpler design.
DIELINES: Finally, it was time to apply the designs to the die line. The front covers feature graphics, logotype, tagline, and address for the restaurant. The fold has a quick thank you to the customer, and the back lists opening hours. On the inside is a shout out to the beloved Millionaire's Bacon. The pattern that was cut earlier found a new home on the inner panel, and becomes visible over time as the matches are used up.
MOCKS: The same 3D artist from the Thunderbowl project brought the matchbooks to life through mock ups!
