East Side Pies:

Brand Identity & Signage Redesign

Get to the good part!

GOALS

1

Clarify

Reduce or eliminate user confusion when reading and ordering from the menu, improving the point of sale experience overall.


MORE

2

Modernize

Implement QR codes and other technology that connects the user with the online ordering system via smartphone, removing the need for in-person ordering.


MORE

3

Endure

Create a modular signage system that can be easily modifed to account for future price changes and updates to social distancing policies.


MORE

PROCESS

WHAT AN EYE OPENER!

Developing
a new design language.

I implemented an "eyelash" type system which warps text around the existing eye logo as an interesting and fun solution for labeling specific areas of the redesigned menu. Mockups were made to show this new style on various products in hopes of translating the intitial vision.


More Visuals
eye set

MOCKUPS

banner

Mockup

White Shirt

sides

Mockup

PIZZA BOXES

main

Mockup

Pocket Logo

sides

Mockup

Sticker

main

Mockup

Black Shirt

banner

Mockup

Sticker

banner

Mockup

Distressed Eye Tee

banner

Mockup

Sticker

IDEATION

Adaptation & Efficiency

An early goal was to minimize the wait times while ordering at the window. This was partly due to the pickup area being quite small at this location and crowding only exacerbated the problem I was attempting to solve. It was also really important to make the ordering process more efficicent due to pandemic related policy changes and the safety of the restaurant's guests. I created a custom QR code which was printed directly on the menu, scanning the code with a smart phone sends the user to the online ordering system.

Cleaning Up & Future Proofing

Pricing was removed from the majority of the printed menu which played a key part in giving such a large collection of information some breathing room, it also helped future proof the menu for a longer perioud of time (price changes would be made much easier if they are only displayed on the website). Parts of the menu are removable and interchangable to ease the trouble of updating signage for new policies/menu changes. I was made aware that the establishment might obtain a license to sell alcohol in the near future and I wanted to give the owners a pain free solution for updating that visual information going forward.

Segmenting & Simplifying

The old versions of the menu often attempted to display a ton of information crammed into one area, which left ample opportunity for confusion. I decided to split the signage into two separate elements, one being the welcome/sides menu and the other being the main pizza menu. The main menu is off to the side, away from the pickup window to avoid crowding in that area. The sides menu is right next to the pickup window to remind the user about non-pizza items like drinks that are available.

REAL WORLD

DESIGNS


Main   Menu

It was fun to see this come together. It was my first time working on a project where there was so much information to organize. As time passes and I continue looking at the final work, I'm still satisfied at my accomplishments when dealing with this difficult visual task. Having said that, I also see the tiny modifications and spacing issues that slipped through the cracks and made it to print and wonder how often something similar happens to other designers. This was also my first time implementing a QR code into a printed design and I worried about the quality and scannability along the entire project, after much testing pleased to see it working exactly as planned.

...


Welcome   &   Sides   Menu

The second menu came about as a way of both the need to divvy the vast amount of information and a desire to experiment with customer line control and user experience. I decided to place this menu near the pickup window where guests could get a second glance at the side items, serving as a friendly reminder of the other side of the menu and also to introduce an impulse purchase opportunity. The main menu was placed off to the side so that the user could take time reading the menu and scanning the QR code without interfering with the pickup line. My hope is that these decisions will lead to an eventual increase in sales and higher operational efficiency over time.

...


Modular   Awning   Banner

This was a simple design and a small part of the project overall, it's funny that it ended up being the element that I am most proud of. In the ideation phase, there were a lot of discussions with the client around the potential changes to the business that could become a reality in the near future. We discussed the future quite a bit and that led me to focus on how the design could change over time. I initially planned on designing and printing a 23 foot vinyl banner for the awning signage and later this changed to a weatherproof and modular four piece design that could be modified and reprinted for menu changes or any other message the client wanted to add to front of the shop. Whether featuring a new item or physical damge, with the modular design, a single section can be removed and replaced relatively easily.

...

FINDINGS

  • Keeping the user informed

    After a year of operating without the sale of individual slices, the client states that the modular banner has successfully gotten the word out that slices are back on the menu. Customers now seem more informed overall at the point of sale and the client is elated at how simple the process of updating the banner signage will be going forward.

  • Designing for a new normal

    The more an individual interacts with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. Strategically placing these menus apart, the main menu mounted a safe distance from the pickup line and implementing a QR ordering system has increased the overall safety of the customer and staff during the pandemic.

  • Maintaining the culture

    East Side Pies is a company with a really great vibe and energy. I had the pleasure of designing for a crew of creative, music-obsessed punk rockers and I couldn't have asked for a better client. This meant that updating their brand identity while maintaining the existing culture was a high priority, allowing me to make some wild design decisions in order to keep this local Austin
    pizzeria weird!

  • Lessons learned going forward

    Designing a restaurant menu was a fairly new concept to me at the start of this project. I learned so much about working with space, and that there is almost always a better way to utilize it. My big takeaways were learning to enjoy the process as a whole, taking the extra time to ideate and sketch and idea out and appreciating the hurdles as they occur.