Enso
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Intro
Representing cyclical spiritual growth through design.
Called upon to conceptualize the branding and peripherals for a chef’s table dinner, I collaborated with a team of designers to craft our culinary counterparts’ interpretation of spirituality throughout the human life cycle.
Johnson & Wales Spa Cuisine
Matt Guay
Providence, RI
2019
Opportunity
Holistic Development
Expanding on their thinking behind the event, our clients explained that the theme was based on the idea that spiritual growth is a cyclical journey that occurs throughout one’s life. They would represent this message through the food they prepared by taking guests on a journey of refinement as each course of their meal builds upon the last. To complement this, we would brand the narrative symbolically by utilizing Enso, a Buddhist mark that expresses a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. This would lay the foundation for the brand voice while also affording us the opportunity to expand on its aesthetic through the use of type, color, and illustration.
Staying true to the literal interpretation of Enso, we based the logo on the iconic circular brush stroke that is most commonly associated with the ideology. For illustrations, we focused on that of a pomegranate–a component not only being utilized by the chef team but also as a vehicle for the narrative of growth. Serving as the perfect storytelling device, we incorporated depictions of the fruit at various stages throughout the menu, each correlating to a specific dish. This focal point would be accompanied by deliverables that serve a dual-purpose for both guests and staff alike, promoting the cross-utilization of assets and an intentional, zen-like immersion.
Solution
Introspective Dining
The efforts of this brand’s development, along with the execution of the culinary portion of the project as performed by the chef team, culminated into a successful night for the Enso chef’s table. Equipped with branded invitations, table tents, interactive centerpieces, menus, coasters, comment cards, to-go boxes, and a seven-course meal, the event served as a considerate evening in which guests could take time out of their day to relax, interact, and dine.
All assets and imagery designed exclusively for Sprout Studios and client.
