The Rice Hat Rebrand
The objective of this project was to rebrand an existing restaurant and its packaging to be inclusive to people who may have disabilities. This was a group project was multiple components so I handled some tasks while my partner completed the others.
We selected The Rice Hat restaurant in Portland, Texas that serves both Vietnamese and Chinese food.
My role in this project was to develop iconography, packaging mockups, a menu, mobile app, and restaurant imagery rendering.
(I have only included my components and branding relevant to my process)
Deliverables
Disability-Friendly Rebrand
Rebranded restaurant identity with disability-friendly enhancements for inclusion
Mobile App
E-commerce website for purchasing beverage
Menu
Product promotion video
Packaging Designs
E-commerce website for purchasing beverage
Opportunities
Upon visiting The Rice Hat in person, my partner and I discovered that there were opportunities by fixing design accessibility issues such as small type on their designs and color contrast. For physical accessibility issues we proposed that we would reduce the amount of decoration clutter and enhance the overall dining experience of the restaurant itself.
Concept
Our redesign concept was inspired by Vietnamese and Chinese artwork and geometry. We chose this graphic stylization because we wanted to develop an authentic dining experience for customers that tied back to their menu items. After much research, we discovered that Vietnamese and Chinese culture are very tight-knit. This is because they are in very close proximity to each other geographically and have taken pieces of each others' cultures through historical events.
My partner developed the majority of the brand identity while I had given some input. She created several logo variants for different applications and utilized a textured logomark, like a stamp, paired with more authentic feeling typography. The color system leaned into traditional Vietnamese artwork and was adapted for color contrast for those who may have a form of color blindness.
Brand Identity
I developed a set of geometric icons to be applied to both the menu and the mobile ordering app. This would include an audio feature icon for the hearing impaired on the app and a set of allergens and menu customization options for customer awareness.
(Top left to right): Play menu audio, home page, profile, order, bag
(Bottom left to right): Vegetarian, can be made vegetarian, contains nuts, contains eggs, spicy, contains shellfish, contains milk
Menu Development
Menu Design
After experimenting with different menu designs, I developed a style that utilized the brand patterns and applied them lightly so the customer wouldn't feel too overwhelmed. I organized these sections based on starters, Chinese classics, noodle dishes, rice dishes, Vietnamese specialties, beverages, a new dessert menu (paired with sister company Chat3), and an add-on section.
These would have the icon system I developed so customers could feel safer and more aware of the ingredients that were used in the dishes.
On a separate note, I created a regular menu and a braille option for people who are blind. (And it is fully translated.)
Restaurant Ambiance
After my partner and I conducted several interviews, customers had reported that the clutter of lanterns on the ceiling felt overwhelming to them. To fix this, I removed many of the smaller lanterns and added colored light ambience based on on brightly-lit Chinese lanterns for different times in the day.
(From left to right): Untouched image, midday ambience, evening ambience
Packaging
The packaging design was kept minimalistic with high contrast for an upscale, sleek appearance to match the high-quality dishes.
Soup Packaging
The Rice Hat doesn't currently have any branded packaging items, which is why I developed a soup cup design, as their pho is a very popular menu item. The left image is with the English brand descriptor applied on one side while the right image has the translated Vietnamese and Chinese brand descriptor on the other side.
App Screens
Many of The Rice Hat's customers are hard-working individuals with little free time, which is where this app comes in handy. The Rice Hat mobile app that I developed includes a scheduling option that allows customers to pick up as soon as possible or schedule in advance.
Some of the app's other features are that it has a past orders section, favorites list, dish customizations, allergen awareness with a filter button, and an audio button that reads the selected screen aloud.
Mobile App Walkthrough
This rebrand was created for a project and is not associated with The Rice Hat. Any images, logos, names, or any other copyrights featured in this project are the property of The Rice Hat. Our work is not in any way officially associated with these copyright or trademark holders, nor do we declare any affiliation or endorsement with this brand.