Abigail’s Grove
Brand Identity & UX Design for Pop-up Restaurant
Overview:
Pop-up restaurants are a way to test an inventive idea with relatively low risk. The goal was to build a strong and consistent pop-up restaurant experience that is inventive, memorable, and adaptable that communicates to a specific audience, specifically the our clients, the Philadelphia Zoo.
Through this intensive process, I researched and grew consistent branding through design research and the principles of effective systems design.
This project was displayed in the Tyler School of Art Restaurant Show exhibition in Spring 2020.
Role: Research, Graphic Design
Art Direction: Abby Guido
GOAL
Design a strong and consistent brand for a pop-up restaurant that is inventive, memorable, and adaptable with a compelling hierarchy that communicates to a specific audience, specifically our clients, the Philadelphia Zoo.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
The brand should be adaptive and designed to embrace a specific audience. Our team began our process by obtaining formative research on the target audiences.
RESEARCH
We divided specific tasks to collect areas of research regarding significant historical, cultural, and formative features of the Philadelphia Zoo. The research was framed in order to justify creative decisions to concept an ideal pop-up restaurant. Through connecting with our clients, the Philadelphia Zoo’s creative staff, we were able to enhance understanding of these factors that attract a diverse audience nationally as well as their pain points.
INSIGHTS
November through March are much less popular times of year to attend the zoo.
Zoo staff is seeking a solution to attract visitors other than the most common demographic, families with children.
Embraces Zoo’s mission statement of connecting people with the environment through education, conservation, and emersion with nature.
Incorporates elements of Zoo’s overlooked historical features.
Grab and go type of pop-up, where visitors can buy warm beverages and walk around the zoo.
USER PERSONA DEVELOPMENT
The user personas were developed to embody the needs and expectations of our target audiences and users through user-centered design. From data collected from our research, these individuals were modeled after a variety of findings:
The zoo creative staff emphasized that November and March are much less popular attendance times for the zoo, due to colder and uncomfortable temperatures.
They are seeking a solution to attract lifelong visitors of urban professional demographics, rather than the more common demographic of families with children.
In addition, they sought a solution that promotes the foundational mission statement of connecting people with the environment through education, history, conservation, and emersion in nature.
DESIGN INSIGHTS
Initially, my concept was highlighted overlooked historical elements of the Zoo’s Victorian roots with warm herbal drinks.
This lead to the development into a modern, upscale and elegant style for my brand: soon to be Abigail’s Grove. After narrowing a list of keyword associations such as “Upscale” “Garden” and “Dining,” Abigail’s Grove were picked..
FINAL RESULTS
To enrich the brand, collateral and environmental design relating with the experience of an upscale restaurant were incorporated into the brand. This involves an elegant hand cloth display, utensils, a welcoming card and fresh herbs are wrapped. Each of these would be unified within an upscale interior. The menu is displayed in this architectural space. Ultimately, these elements are unified within an interior space. Highlighting the upscale treatment within the setting is key.
DESIGNING USER FLOWS FOR WEBSITE
Features photos of warm and light overlays, scenic views, and decadent food.
The imagery of the scenic zoo space is captured in a vertical path through the site.
The reservation function is more interactive with the intention of retaining the user’s focus through an engaging and simple format. This ensures the reservation process is accessible and easily understood.
Within the side menu, areas of value are organized in an accessible hierarchy.
The story and location pages highlight the setting and depict the open space near the fountain area of the Philadelphia Zoo’s 42-acre Victorian-style Garden.
The story page entails more key details about this indoor, heated pop-up and the ingredients within each upscale quality dish.
The mission statement of connecting people with the environment and ethical local sourcing of ingredients is encouraged through these pages.
User flow video of Abigail’s Grove site.