Tommy's Pizza started during the fourth semester of my undergraduate program. It was my first Independent Study so I had full control over what I worked on. It was also my first-ever branding campaign.
After that Spring 2023 semester, I was disappointed with where the brand was left. I felt I did not reach my full potential as a designer. I designed a logo, business card, and menu however I felt the logo mark was playful and fun but the typography was too serious and professional. The logo did not match the type and it left the project looking unbalanced and confused.
When I turned in the brand at the end of my Independent Study, I knew I wanted to redesign the entire brand identity before I graduated. This is where the brand was left...
Original Design Sketches
Original Designs
By the time I got around to redesigning Tommy's Pizza, it was my last semester of college in October 2024, a whole year and a half had passed since I originally worked on the brand. I knew I wanted the typography and style to match the fun and playfulness of the pizza logo. I also felt the pizza in the logo was too literal so that is where I began my focus.
I decided to remove the pizza from the logo entirely and create a word mark as the logo instead. I felt the chef's hat was a good way to incorporate the original design without being too literal.
While looking for a new typeface, I wanted a fun yet functional font. I landed on "Milky Coffee" as it is readable yet very fun and playful.
The slogan "Fun for the Whole Family" was added to reinforce the idea of the restaurant being for all ages.
This redesign became one of my favorite brand campaigns I've done. I love the playfulness of the colors, fonts, and graphics. It is very simple yet it works very well for the brand identity. I have not done much illustration in my designs since I work more with photography but I stepped outside my comfort zone and I think it really paid off.
