El Harissa - Brand Guidebook

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

BRAND GUIDEBOOK

Client El Harissa Ann Arbor, Mi

Designer Paige Gilstad

Date of Completion April 26, 2022

CONTENTS BRAND DEVELOPMENT

BRAND APPLICATIONS

Summary Statement of Intent Original Logo

06 08 09

Stationery Overview Stationery Details Menu Overview

29 30 35

Logomark Sketching Typography Exploration Digital Exploration Master Logo Logo Extension Brandmark Typography Color Pattern Exploration Signature Pattern

10 11 13 15 16 17 19 21

Menu Details Signage & Wayfinding Mural Promotional Stickers Stamps Packaging Apparel

39 43 49 50 51 53

22 23

55

Page 05

BRAND DEVELOPMENT PHASE ONE

Summary

Summary Client

Audience

The El Harissa family expressed a desire for a

The proposed redesign is aimed at the

brand identity that combines Mediterranean &

Ann Arbor community, which is primarily

North African vibrant culture and tradition with

made up of students, townies, families, and

their core values of community, education, and

adventurous eaters. These locals range in age

sustainability. The restaurant, opened in 2013, is

and come from a variety of backgrounds, and

family owned with roots in Europe and North

the project hopes to attract young people and

Africa. They want to cook healthy, unique food

families looking for a one-of-a-kind experience

that contributes to sustainability efforts and

and destination.

reduces their carbon footprint. Aside from serving slow-cooked dishes, they have added an indoor boutique market with items made by small independent brands, the majority of which were founded by members of the African and Middle Eastern diaspora. They make an effort to stock brands that emphasize sustainability and social justice, as well as brands that source from small farmers and artisans. They currently do not have a unified, cohesive visual identity system in place, but rather a collection of logos in various styles that have evolved over the last nine years. They want more brand cohesion that is simple to implement and adaptable across applications.

Brand Identity

Page 07

Project Goals

Process

The project goal is to create a cohesive visual

The project began with a meeting with

identity system for the restaurant that is

El Harissa's manager to gain a better

versatile and simple to implement across a wide

understanding of the family's and restaurant's

range of applications while remaining unified

history, as well as their values and his vision for

under a single unique logo. I strive to create a

the restaurant's future. I then began researching

distinct visual language for the brand that

North Africa and a variety of brands shared

captures the bold, joyous, and youthful nature

with us in a look-book to begin exploring

of North Africa while remaining rooted in

potential rebranding inspirations. The next step

tradition and honoring the family history. I will

was to brainstorm potential logos and

create a new brand identity for El Harissa that

signatures that could be used as a unique

includes a new logo, a cohesive color palette,

trademark that represented the company's

and a mural that can be applied to the

culture and mission. Through careful

restaurant and assets in the future.

typographic exploration, I was able to create a signature and mural for El Harissa, which I then applied to various deliverables for the restaurant, such as menus, business cards, stationary, and apparel.

Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent My intended solution is to create a new brand identity that combines Mediterranean and North African vibrant culture and tradition with El Harissa’s core values of community, education, and sustainability, all while maintaining a bold and youthful edge. The proposed design system will be easily adaptable across applications and deliverables while appealing to a diverse demographic.

Original Logo

Original Logo Shown above are El Harissa’s original logo’s used amongst deliverables and outdoor signage. They felt they were lacking an overall theme and wanted something that was more playful, bold and cohesive.

Page 09

Logotype Sketching

Logomark Sketching I started my logo design process by writing El Harissa in various scripts, as well as the geometric shape of a tagine, a North African dish used in many of their traditional dishes. My initial concepts included transforming the double "s" of El Harissa into steam coming out of the tagine, a playful nod to the culture and cuisine of the restaurant.

Typography Exploration

Scarlet Wood Galahad Std

Page 11

EL HARISSA

EL HARISSA

El harissa Bovine RoundMVB Regular El harissa HVB Bodedo EL HARISSA

BigSmalls

Typography Exoploration I started experimenting with a variety of primary typefaces that were bold and simple, but included unique or textural elements to add character and a handmade feel that the client had expressed interest in.

Digital Exploration

Digital Exploration I was eventually inspired by my original sketches and began to expolore the double “s”s in “harissa.” By creating a vector tagine lid and base, the “s”s could become representative of steam, therefore giving a playful nod to the traditional cuisine.

Digital Exploration

Digital Exploration I decided to explore changing the “A” into a more unique convex shape, resembling the tagine lid itself and place it on a vector base with and without incorporating the double “s.” While this “A” was slightly too convex, these iterations inspired my final design.

Page 13

Master Logo

Master Logo The composition of the final signature is simple yet distinctive, allowing it to be used widely in a variety of applications in the restaurant's future. For versatility, each element of the final logo can stand alone as a logotype, brandmark, and full signature. El Harissa's "A" has been tilted slightly to act as an exclamation point, and it has a red top and base to resemble the traditional North African tagine dish. Three leaf decals inspired by Tunisian tiles sit atop, not only dotting the eye and drawing it around the logo, but also allude to El Harissa's various sustainability efforts. The type is bold and commanding, yet organic, with the unique texture of woodblock printmaking, lending it a distinct handmade quality. The "El Harissa" text is a deep blue, similar to that worn by the North African Berber people, and connects the tilted "A" at the end to the composition for legibility and cohesion. The red accents are inspired by the hues of harissa, the chili pepper paste used in the restaurant's name and North African cuisine.

Master Logo

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

Page 15

Logo Extension

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

Logo Extension There are additional ways to represent the logo as shown here. The secondary and tertiary logos can be used when space is limited or across various deliverables.

Brandmark

Brandmark The brandmark which is situated at the end of the signature, is able to stand alone to represent the overall brand. It can be used when space is limited or across various deliverables as well as in one singular color.

Page 17

Typography Scarlet Wood Bold, the final typeface, was chosen for its bold sans serif structure as well as the organic and handmade qualities of the woodblock texture. Garamond Premier Pro was chosen as the secondary typeface to balance the primary sans serif font with something more neutral with the serif. Both should be used appropriately in their respective contexts.

Typography

Master Logo Text

Page 19

Aa

Scarlet Wood Bold ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Body Text

Aa

GARAMOND PREMIER PRO ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

Color This color palette provides a wide range of options while still maintaining a bold and youthful appearance. I based my primary colors on the incredible blues of North African Berbers and paired them with the vibrant red accents of the harissa chili peppers after which the restaurant is named. The top three colors (dark blue, bright red, and warm pink) are the system's primary colors, while the second row (light blue, gold, dark red, and light purple) are the system's supporting secondary colors.

Page 21

Color

#001D9C RGB: 0, 29, 156 CMYK: 0, 27, 69

#006EEA RGB: 0, 110, 234 CMYK: 100, 53, 0

#EE4723 RGB: 238, 71, 35 CMYK: 0, 70, 85

#DEA145 RGB: 0, 29, 156 CMYK: 0, 27, 69

#C43819 RGB: 196, 56, 25 CMYK: 0, 71, 87

#231F20 RGB: 35, 31, 32 CMYK: 0, 11, 9

#F9EBFF RGB: 249, 235, 255 CMYK: 2, 8, 0

#EDC3E2 RGB: 237, 195, 226 CMYK: 0, 18, 5

#ACA7D3 RGB: 172, 167, 211 CMYK: 18, 21, 0

Pattern Exploration

Pattern Exploration I returned to my North African inspirations after creating a cohesive color palette. I was inspired by Tunisian architecture, particularly Ksar Ouled Soltane, a fortified granary in the Tataouine district of southern Tunisia. I began to design an abstract interpretation of the buildings, incorporating the vibrant colors of my palette as well as unique painterly textures that complemented the handmade aspect.

Signature Pattern

Signature Pattern The design (shown on the left) was then cropped to remove any negative space so that it could be used as a pattern among deliverables.

Page 23

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

Signature Pattern This pattern can be used across deliverables and can stand alone because it is significant enough to represent the brand without the signature (shown above).

Signature Pattern

Signature Pattern The signature pattern can also be used with the brandmark at times where color is needed.

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BRAND APPLICATIONS PHASE TWO

Stationery Overview The brand design I created was then easily implemented within various stationery deliverables such as letterhead, business cards and so on. The overall stionery is colorful, bold and clean yet distinctive to the resturants iconic new brand.

Stationery Overview

Page 29

Envelope 4.124” x 9.5”

Stationery Details

Page 31

Business Card 2” x 3.5”

Stationery Details

Page 33

Menu Overview

V SOURCED

INGREDIENTS

SU Dietary Symbols Shown above are 5 graphic emblems to be used amongst menu’s, deli card’s and gelato cards to highlight when a dish might contain an allergen. The icons were created very minimalisticly and colorful to read from a small size.

S

ORT YO PP

MADE WITH

LOCALLY

RTISAN LA

LOCA UR

Page 35

Menu Overview @elharissa

Starters & Dips V

Hummus

7.5/13

Toum

6

Garlic, Lemon, Olive Oil, Tahini

north african + mediterranean cafe & market

Garlic, Lemon, Egg Whites V

6

Harissa Dip

Harissa, Olive Oil, Garlic, Roasted Peppers

Tzatziki

7

Zaakouk

7

Mama Houria

7

Yogurt, Dill, Cucumber, Mint, Sumac V

V V

Fire Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Onion, Parsley, Ras el Hanout Carrot, Cumin, Garlic, Harissa

Skordalia

7

Whipped Feta

7

Whipped Feta Rosso

7

Stuffed Grape Leaves

4.5/8

Potato, Parsley, Ethiopian Berbere Spice, Spanish Smoked Paprika, Garlic Kalamata Olives, Capers Sun-dried Tomato, Pepper & Basil

V

Salads V Tabboulah

6.5/12

V Tunisian Salad

6.5/12

V Carthage Salad

14

Parsley, Quinoa, Hand Diced Vegetables, PickledRed Onions, Sumac Hand Diced Vegetebles, Pickled RedOnions, Harissa, Mint

Poached Figs, Dates, Pomegranate, Roasted Chickpeas, Kalamata Olives, Cherry Tomatoes -w/ a Fig, Mint & Balsamic Dressing add Chicken - 4

Greek Salad

add Chicken - 4

14.5

Sun Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato, Spiced Lentils, Pomegranate, Feta, Almonds, Dates w/ a Tahini Green Curry Dressing add Chicken - 4

Rice, Onion, Lemon

Pies

Entrées Chicken Chermoula w Rice

9.5/16

Chicken Tagine

15.5

Root Vegetable & Date Tagine

15

Spice-Rubbed Chicken Thigh, Olives, Preserved Lemon

9.5

Lasagna Bolognese

10.5

Beef, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Sauce

Slow-Roasted Root Vegetebles (Parsnip, Sweet Potato, Golden Yukon Potato, Onion, Carrot) Medjool Dates, Pomegranate Molasses, Coriander Seed, Preserved Lemon

Marguez Meatballs

Tunisian Egg Tagine

A North African Baked Egg Pie. Blue & Gold Potato, Pepper, Spinach, Feta, Parmesan, Mozzerella, Herbs & Spices

El Harissa Chicken Breat, Preserved Lemon, Fresh Herbs, Olive Oil

V

14

Feta, Grapes, Kalamata Olives, Pickled RedOnion, Roasted Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, w/ a Homemade Herby Vinaigrette

Lasagna Verde

10.5

Bacalao Fish Pie

10

Peppers, Brussel Sprouts, Zucchini, YellowSquash, Broccoli, Tomato & Basil Sauce

9/16

Lamb & Beef, Onion, North African Sice Mix, Tomato Sauce

Served with rice or couscous

Berber Terrine du Poulet

12

Potato, Salt Cod, Tilapia, Sardine, Carrots, Leeks

Ground Chicken, Potato, Green Onion, w/ a Coconut Curry Sauce

Soups & Stews V

Moroccan Lentil Soup

Sides

7.5/13

Red & Green Lentils, Kale, Fresh Herbs, Onion, Carrot, Celery V

11

Lablabi

Our take on a Tunisian Classic. Chickpea & Lentil Stew w/ Cumin, Coriander, Tumeric, Kale, Onion

Contains Gluten

Contains Dairy

all food is halal

V Spice Roasted Mushrooms

9.5/14

V Spice Roasted Cauliflower

9.5/14

V Mujadara Rice

7.5/13

Rice & Chickpea Flour, Garlic, Olive Oil, North African Spice Mix Rice & Chickpea Flour, Garlic, Olive Oil, North African Spice Mix Rice, Green Lentils, Carmelized Onions, Tumeric

Contains Nuts

V Vegan

all prices include tax

Contains Egg

GELATO 4.24/6.50/9.25

Apricot Peach Cardamom Baklava Rosewater Birthday Cake Cherry Chocolate Almond Dulce de Leche Dutch Fudge Cookies & Cream Lavender Honey Lemon Ginger Sorbetto V Mackinac Island Fudge V Mango Sorbetto Mexican Chipotle Chocolate Pomegranate Sorbetto V Roasted Pistachio Spiced Hazelnut Fig V Strawberry Swiss Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Tiramisu Toasted Coconut Turkish Roast

DESSERT 5.5/9 Black Tea & Saffron Rice Pudding V A vegan rice pudding made with oat milk, spiced with a cardamom black tea and saffron. Filled with juicy raisins and topped with pistachios, toasted almonds, and rose petals 5/8

Baklava Sold in two sizes, 4 pieces and 7 pieces. An excellent dessert to cap off a delicious El Harissa meal

3.5 Bosbousa *Ask about avalibility A deliciously spiced and perfectly moist Semolina Flour cake, varieties of which can be found throughout East Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. Our take is flavored with cardamom, rose water, almonds, coconuts, and a hint of lime.

9 Turkish Delight Sold by the box. Made with hazelnuts & coconut Contains Gluten

Contains Dairy

Contains Nuts

@elharissa

Dessert Menu Along with the main course menu, I created a secondary menu to highlight the resturant’s dessert and various gelato offerings.

V

Vegan

Contains Egg

Page 37

Menu Overview

1516 N Maple Rd (734) 585-0686 north african + mediterranean cafe & market

elharissaa2.com

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Slow-cooked marinated boneless chicken thigh, rubbed in spices, and cooked in spinach, preserved lemon and olives

BEEF RAGOUT PROVENCAL Lean beef in a rich tomato sauce, spiced with fresh provencal herbs

VEGGIE RICE PILAF Perfectly roasted seasonal vegetables with long-grain rice, spiced with saffron

GRAINS & GREENS - NORTH AFRICAN STYLE Quinoa, Kale, and a meiange of beans and warm spices

ROOT VEGETABLE TAGINE Root vegetables cooked with dates, pomegranate molasses, preserved lemon, and spices

COMBOS 1. Moroccan Chicken Tagine + Veggie Rice Pilaf OR Grains & Greens 2. Beef Ragout Provencal + Veggie Rice Pilaf OR Grains & Greens 3. Root Vegetable Tagine + Veggie Rice Pilaf OR Grains & Greens 4. Veggie Rice Pilaf + Grains & Greens @elharissa

Pierpont + Maizie’s Menu The tertiary menu shown above is a more condensed menu the resturant can use when catering through the univeristy. The bright colors & pattern will illuminate well and can be used to draw attention from far away.

10 10 10 8

Menu Details

Low Carbon Footprint

Medium Carbon Footprint

High Carbon Footprint Carbon Labeling The three icons above can be used within various deliverables to increase awareness of each dishes carbon footprint as a part of El Harissa’s various sustainibility efforts. The iconography of the Barbary Lion is not only playful but a nod towards how decreasing use of meat and animal products makes an impact on climate change.

Page 39

TUNISIAN EGG TAGINE

9.5

A North African Baked Egg Pie, Blue & Gold Potato, Pepper, Spinach, Feta, Parmesan, Mozzerella, Herbs & Spices

LASAGNA VERDE

10

Peppers, Brussel Sprouts, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Broccoli, Tomato, & Basil Sauce

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE Beef, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Sauce

Deli Cards This template can be used to highlight the name, price, allergens and ingredients of the many dishes within the resturant’s deli case. Each card can be easily modified as necessary.

10.5

Menu Details

APRICOT PEACH CARDAMOM

BAKLAVA ROSEWATER

BIRTHDAY CAKE

Gelato Cards This template can be used to highlight the named and allergens of the gelateria’s many gelato offerings.

Each card can be easily modified if necessary.

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Signage & Wayfinding

market deli gelateria

north african & meditteranean cuisine Exterior Signage The three rectangular boxes (shown above) will be used on the exterior signage of the resturant.

The light colored background will increase legibility from the road while the bright colors, pattern and texture will read well from up close (shown right).

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Exterior Signage Three 4’ x 10’ rectangular, illuminated signage to be placed on the exterior of the resturant.

Exterior Mural 12’ x 36’ Mural I created a mural, consistent with the signature pattern that was inspired by Tunisian architecture.

The mural, 12’ x 36’ will be located on the resturant’s exterior brick wall on the outside of the building.

Mural

Page 49

Promotional Stickers

Stickers The El Harissa brandmark and Barbary Lion icon can also be applied to fun promotional deliverables such as stickers shown above.

EL

HARISSA

EL

HARISSA

EL

HARISSA

Stamp

Stamp The incredible blue’s and iconic logo created for El Harissa can be used to easily stamp on various paper packaging such as bags, papers and boxes.

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Packaging The iconic signature pattern, brandmark and logo can become a trademark of El Harissa and used across packaging such as the coffee cup & coaster (shown above) and gelato cups (shown right).

Packaging

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north african + mediterranean cafe & market

Customer Apparel The iconic signature pattern used across the brand deliverables will serve as walking advertising with the bright colors of the sweatshirt and canvas tote bags (shown right).

Apparel

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El Harissa 1516 N. Maple Rd Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103