Client Project
Pumpernickels (restaurant/bar)
About This Project
For this project, we had to contact a client of our choice from a business/company/organization and create a type of graphic design piece that showcases what they stand for or who they are and what they offer to get business. This could’ve been a business card, resume, brochure, etc. Throughout the process, we had to contact our client and get feedback based on everything we put together that best represents them.
For my project, in particular, I created a table tent for a restaurant/bar in Saugatuck, Michigan called Pumpernickels.
Creative Brief
Background
Pumpernickels was built in 1851 in Saugatuck, Michigan. It’s located on Butler Street (right downtown) and has been an establishment for many businesses including a hotel and a grocery store. In 1989, Pumpernickels Eatery was open to the public and continued to be for 30 years. It was later closed down due to renovations and reopened in February of 2019 with new ownership.
Objective
Help customers feel at home within a comfortable setting.
To create a logo that represents the restaurant and possibly a table tent piece or handout (includes background information, business information, logo, specials/menu items)
Target Audience
-Individuals who live locally
-New and repetitive customers
-Male and Female
-Aged 35–75
-Well off/middle to upper class
Design Purpose
The overall decor should match with the same color schemes and nothing too bright or different from the rest, as well as using similar decorative items to make it look nice and give it a theme. The venue should also give off a specific feel with the decor (in this case, a “homey” feel)
Competitors
Other local restaurants (in Saugatuck and surrounding areas).
Ex: Wicks Park Bar and Grille, Phil’s Bar and Grille, Mermaid Bar and Grille, etc.
Visual Communication — many other restaurants are very old school, conservative, traditional, and outdated because they’ve been there for so long
Delivery
Handed out/mailed
Sketches
Research/Brainstorming Activities
Rough Drafts
For my design choice, I decided on creating a table tent. Draft 1 shows the weekly schedule that Pumpernickels is open and when specific meals are served each day. It also includes logo, happy hour, specialty drinks, history, and private events. Draft 2 is all dedicated to the drinks that are served at the bar. It includes happy hour and all the specialty drinks available. (Both table tents are pictured twice to show both sides).
Further Explanation
When I first started this project, I wanted to do something different. I was thinking about doing a business card because I wanted to do something easy. When I decided that I wanted to do this project on my aunt’s restaurant, she had told me that she already had a business card, so I decided then that I wanted to do something that you would see in a restaurant or bar. I chose a table tent because I thought it would be cool and fun to put together. The creative brief was created first. When it was completed, my client said:
“This is wonderful!”
For the first draft I wanted to incorporate as much as I could about the restaurant; the events, drink specials, history, etc. But as I did my research, I realized that there weren’t that many specials and that would end up being way too much writing that nobody would want to read. So I ended up leaving the history and events on the backside, adding in a couple of images to make it look eye-catching. For the front side, I decided to create my own logo for the restaurant. At first, I wanted to create the name in big letters and then add a vine moving through it. But in the end, I decided to just create a circle with the name printed on it and a tree going through it. For the original idea, I added small green leaves, but then decided it wasn’t really necessary and removed them for my final logo look. Also included on the front side it shows the weekly schedule that Pumpernickels is open and when specific meals are served each day, as well as happy hour.
For the second draft, I dedicated it to only the specialty drinks that Pumpernickels offers. Happy hour was placed in a box on the front, along with the logo and a background image of the inside of the restaurant with a transparency effect to let the information stand out. The other side had the drink menu and an image of a cocktail.
For my final design piece, my client had told me she would prefer a table tent of just the drinks. She said:
“Love them both but feel the second one featuring drinks is more ‘us’ and fits our branding.”
So, with this feedback, I decided to go for just the drinks. All drafts included colors that represented the restaurant’s theme. The primary colors are brown (light and dark), grey (light and dark), white, and black. I tried to have those be my main color choices for the majority of each draft, including the final. I kept it relatively the same, leaving the happy hour box on the front with the logo and the drink menu on the back. The backgrounds stayed the same (transparent image on the front, brown background for the back). The only difference I really made was adding another cocktail drink with the other and an outline of another.
Final Draft
For the final draft, I basically just took draft #2 and tweaked it a little. Made the happy hour more of a box and more clear to read (the “Saugatuck” in the background higher up) and added another cocktail drink cutout for the back, along with an outline of another for an aesthetic look.
I also had to make the text smaller because I decided to put white strips on the bottoms of both the front and back so that those can be folded under to form the table tent look.
