k e v i n w i l s o n

Dim Joy Monologue part I

Dimjoy logo

A Branding Project

To capture the essence of this authentic Cantonese dim sum restaurant, a bright auspicious red, contrasting black together with an off-white/cream were chosen for the colour palette. Bold calligraphy strokes (painted by an outsourced calligrapher) and the English translation “Dim Joy” were set in a vertical arrangement which echoes the age-old way in which Chinese is read from top to bottom. A pair of chopsticks reinforces the nature of the establishment as a restaurant and its oriental origins. Finally, a distinctly Chinese decorative border is added to give the logo its shape.

The Joys of Discovery

I hand-drew some rough-edged illustrations to accompany stories of the origins of ancient Chinese traditions. The idea here is to enlighten and at the same time educate diners on the finer points of yum cha and dim sum dining.

When fed with these tidbits of information, you can’t help but respond with, “How interesting!” or “I never knew that!”

Dim Joy Monologue part II

Dimjoy menu (left)

The red logo peeps through a window in the sleek black cover. From the feel of the cover to the colour of the paper, this sensual menu is elegantly simplistic. The riot of colour that is food photography, usually unavoidable in a menu, is hidden under a fold, and can be viewed at the diner’s whim.

The client’s only gripe was that the diners held on to the menus and took far too long to order. This was an unforseen issue, and has yet to be dealt with.

Chopsticks & napkin placeholder (right)

A fresh pair of chopsticks and a white napkin sit within each of these eye-catching placeholders, impressing upon diners the cleanliness of the utensils. The proper way of holding and using chopsticks is taught with the aid of illustrations.

The restaurant opening hours were printed on the reverse side when diners were observed pilfering them after their meal.

Teapot label (right)

How to brand the existing teapots?

The idea of a sticker was considered but soon discarded as these would become tattered and peel in an unsightly way when the teapot was washed. The solution is this cleverly economical paper disc. It sits snug, and can be inserted and removed with ease.

Like garnish to a dish, it adds a fresh dash of “Dim Joy” red to white porcelain.