“Krolik Mechta”
Fall 2021
Project Overview For this project, I was challenged to design a conceptual restaurant inspired by a randomly assigned country: Russia. Drawing heavily from Russian folklore, I created a "rabbit hole" narrative of interwoven stories that reflect the country’s rich cultural identity. This comprehensive project allowed me to showcase a diverse skill set, spanning from branding and custom illustration to spatial curation. Named "Krolik Mechta" (Rabbit Dream), the entire concept is a dedicated tribute to my own pet rabbit. 🐰
Mood Board
Researching this project was an incredibly inspiring process, uncovering captivating folklore and brilliant Russian artwork. I was particularly struck by the intricate attention to detail in traditional Russian design, which sparked my initial concept: creating a profound, immersive sense of pattern throughout the restaurant.
Branding ElementsRelying on a deliberate tension between tradition and modern structure. The branding elements needed to showcase this balance by utilizing Balalaika, Poraro Serif, and Metropol 95 to mirror the project's blend of folklore and structured organization through a layered typographic system. Complementing that hierarchy is the intentional color palette inspired by rich, organic tones and balanced by functional neutrals. These colors anchor the typography, turning abstract narrative depth into a tactile, immersive brand experience.
Wordmarks
Balalaika was used to reinforce the brand’s immersive narrative, adding a sense of history, rhythm, and authenticity that aligns with the broader visual language of pattern and illustration.
Wordmark v1
Wordmark v2 - Stacked
Wordmark v3 - Stacked w/ Caviar
Custom Pattern
I felt this restaurant really needed a pattern to have as an accent in certain settings. I saw a lot of amazing patterns in my research and challenged myself to create a pattern from the russian spelling of the name, “Krolik Mechta.”
Rabbit Illustrations
The illustrated rabbits in this design are inspired by my beloved rabbit, Louis V. I've always wanted to put him into a design, and I saw this as his perfect opportunity to shine!
Illustrated Mandalanspired by the ornate patterns and symbolic storytelling found in Russian folklore and traditional decorative arts, this mandala reflects the restaurant’s narrative system as a cohesive visual language, combining depth, rhythm, and mysticism to serve as both a decorative element and a conceptual anchor across applications.
Logo
I mainly use just the wordmark throughout this project, but the mandala in the background captures the embellished style of old fairy tales I wanted to convey with this resturant.
Menu
Developing a cohesive color palette for this menu required meticulous refinement, but the final result proved to be a turning point in my career. In fact, presenting this specific piece during my interview led directly to my hire at The Take Out Times, where I designed menus for restaurants. While my current expertise makes me want to tweak some of the original spacing and experiment with different text alignments, this project laid the vital foundation for my professional career 💫
Front
Back
Business Cards
Letter Head
Store Front
I wnted this building to be able to stand out on any block and the green paint with a gold plated door would certainly do the trick to get customers attention.
Web Presence
Instagram Mockups
Merchandis
T Shirt v1 - Front
T Shirt v1 - Back
T Shirt v2
T Shirt v3
T Shirt v4
To-Go Bags
T Shirt v4
To-Go Bags
A.I. MockupsTo bring the concept into a more immersive context, I developed AI-generated mockups to visualize “Krolik Mechta” across real-world applications. These explorations helped extend the brand into environmental and experiential settings, reinforcing its narrative through architecture, signage, and applied branding within a believable restaurant space.
