DATE
April - July 2022
The Alchemist Café Bistro
Brand building for a chain restaurant in Hong Kong
DATE
2015 - 2017
RESPONSIBILITY
Graphic design
Web design
Brand building
Digital marketing
TOOLS
Adobe photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Wordpress
INTRODUCTION
In 2016, The Alchemist Café Bistro expanded to six branches in Hong Kong with a vision to become one of the most successful local brands in the city. As the first and only designer in the marketing team, I was part of a unique café that offered a stage for local music bands, traveller-sharing talks, book exchanges, and other events that made it stand out among other cafes and gradually establish itself as a local brand. The café draws inspiration from the famous novel 'The Alchemist' by Paul Coelho (1988), which follows the journey of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago as he seeks the treasure in his heart. The café aims to bring together travel lovers from every corner of the world.
PROJECT GOAL
Our goal was to bring together travel enthusiasts from around the globe and establish The Alchemist Café as a local brand icon in Hong Kong.
MY ROLE
As the sole in-house designer, my key responsibilities include:
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Creating and designing logos, name cards, packaging, menus, advertisements, and other promotional materials.
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Developing an interface for the café homepage that aligns with the brand's aesthetic and functionality requirements.
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Providing expert advice on the decoration and tone of the café to ensure a cohesive and engaging customer experience.
BRANCH 1 - Princess Edward
The Alchemist Café Bistro
太一
The original and first branch of The Alchemist Café brand has an industrial and raw feel, giving customers a unique and authentic experience. As the oldest branch, it also offers live music and talk shows, adding to the overall ambience and making it a popular destination for those looking for a lively and engaging atmosphere.
BRANCH 2 - Cheung Sha Wan
The Alchemist Café Bistro
長二 (Closed)
The branch located in a local district has a different atmosphere from the other branches, with a cosier and warmer feel. As most of the customers are local residents, the café has a more community-oriented vibe, creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for those in the surrounding area.
BRANCH 3 - Kwai Tsing Theatre
The Alchemist Café Bistro
葵三
The branch of The Alchemist Café located at Kwai Tsing Theatre is surrounded by a cultural atmosphere and has an open catering space. This location offers a unique experience for customers, allowing them to enjoy the café's offerings while being immersed in the surrounding cultural environment.
BRANCH 4 - Tai Wai Shatin District
The Alchemist Mail Café
博四
The Alchemist Café branch located next to a cultural museum has a unique theme where customers can send "slow mail" to their future selves to be received in ten years' time. This adds a personal and reflective touch to the café experience, giving customers the opportunity to connect with their future selves while enjoying the café's offerings.
BRANCH 5 - K11 mall
The Alchemist Creative Coffee
The Alchemist Café branch co-operates with GABEE. café, a Taiwanese café, is focused on making creative coffee. This café has a modern and lively feeling, reflecting its innovative approach to coffee-making.
THE LOGO's
CONCEPT
The main logo of The Alchemist Café features a world map with a traveller's shadow standing on top of the brand name. This design represents a traveller heading out to explore the world, reflecting the café's vision of being a gathering spot for travellers.
ORIGINAL LOGO
The logo of The Alchemist Café contains a pyramid, inspired by the story of the Alchemist. The name "牧羊少年" (the shepherd boy) is made up of the world map, symbolizing the idea of traveling around the world. These elements come together to create a unique brand identity that reflects the café's vision of being a gathering spot for travelers.
LOGO OF THE ALCHEMIST MAIL CAFÉ
The logo design for this particular branch of The Alchemist Café follows the original pyramid design but has been customized to include mail and postcard features. This design reflects the café's unique theme of allowing customers to send mail and postcards to their future selves, adding a personal touch to the overall brand experience.
LOGO OF THE ALCHEMIST CREATIVE COFFEE
To reflect the lively and modern feeling of the creative coffee branch of The Alchemist Café, we have decided to change the original logo into a stylish wordmark. This updated design will better represent the branch's focus on creativity and innovation, while also giving the brand a fresh and contemporary look.
SMALL ELEMENTS
FOR THE BRAND
Small elements can play a significant role in building a successful brand, especially for a café. Packaging and address cards, for example, can have a big impact on brand recognition and customer loyalty. By paying attention to these details, The Alchemist Café can build a strong brand identity and create a memorable experience for customers.
CONNECT ALL BRANCHES WITH AN ADDRESS CARD
Our team's vision for The Alchemist Café is to create a gathering spot for travelers. To connect each café, we plan on using address cards with unique sheep head designs that represent the different themes and feelings of each branch.
TO BECOME A LEAD LOCAL CAFÉ
The Alchemist Café is a local Hong Kong brand with a target market of young people. Our style is energetic, modern, and lively.
BEYOND THE CAFÉ
In addition to being a modern, stylish café, The Alchemist Café also hosts a variety of events, such as music shows, talks, coffee lectures, and more.
WANT TO FLY EVENT POSTER
WANT TO FLY EVENT TICKET
THE COMPANY TRUCK
As the café continued to grow, our team decided to invest in a food truck for transportation. Given the opportunity, I chose to design the truck body in a creative way to help promote our brand in a fun and engaging manner.
COMPANY WEBSITE
Having a website is essential for any modern marketing strategy, it helps to establish a strong online presence and grow the business.
