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EASE Restaurant

Redefining the Chinese dining experience

Our expertise

Brand Identity
Visual Guidelines
Print Materials
Marketing Assets

EASE, a modern Chinese restaurant, combines authentic Chinese cuisine with a contemporary flair, aimed at redefining the Chinese dining experience. The restaurant’s original location, adjacent to a monumental banyan tree, influenced its Chinese name and served as the inspiration behind its ethos – to mirror the tree’s legacy of nurturing community cohesion through a relaxed and sociable dining atmosphere. To visually embody this unique narrative and further advocate the brand’s story, our team was engaged to conceptualize and deliver EASE’s visual identity and brand design.

Modern Design with Deep Roots

The project was set in motion with the goal of melding modern aesthetics with deeply-rooted traditional elements. Our aim was to craft a visual identity that was not only visually arresting but also embodied the historical nuances of Chinese culture and lifestyle. The challenge lay in creating a space that had both depth and appeal, attracting the young, urban clientele without compromising on cultural authenticity.

Understanding Aesthetics

Eastern aesthetics often emphasize balance, simplicity, and the natural world, contrasting Western aesthetics that lean towards complexity, detail, and human innovation. The core of Eastern aesthetics lies in its minimalist approach, celebrating empty spaces as much as filled ones, and embracing irregularity and imperfection – a concept known as “Wabi-Sabi” in Japanese aesthetics. On the other hand, Western aesthetics often focus on proportion, symmetry, and a well-defined depiction of reality.

Our understanding of these aesthetic principles guided us to a design solution that seamlessly integrated Eastern aesthetics with a minimalist touch. This design strategy, while rooted in traditional Asian culture, has been proven to be highly effective and popular in modern designs. The use of white space and simple shapes introduced a calming effect to the design while also ensuring clear, uncluttered messaging.

Every element of the design, from colors to textures, was chosen to be a direct reflection of the brand’s identity. This allowed us to create a dining environment that was not only inviting and comfortable but also evocative, creating lasting memories for diners.

Consistency was key in delivering a powerful brand image. Our design solutions, from advertisements to interior patterns, were applied cohesively, guided by comprehensive brand guidelines. These guidelines included shapes, patterns, textures, and colors that could be utilized across different media, ensuring a uniform brand presentation.

In creating a timeless identity, we decided to veer away from trendy, ephemeral design elements, opting instead for traditional fonts and enduring color palettes. This ensured that the brand would remain classic and sophisticated, standing the test of time.

Our carefully considered blend of modern and traditional aesthetics proved instrumental to EASE’s impressive growth. The restaurant has now expanded to five locations and is recognized in the prestigious Michelin guide. Our consistent implementation of visual identity and branding across all locations and materials has firmly established EASE’s presence in the culinary scene, demonstrating the transformative power of thoughtfully crafted design in creating a resonant and successful brand.

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