Bandit
Valenlim Studio• Date added
• Date added
Bandit is a cafe in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that specialises in specialty coffee, artisanal breads and pastries.
Kuala Lumpur-based graphic design and illustration studio Valenlim Studio worked closely with the cafe's founders to create a fresh new look for the brand that focuses on their selection of baked goods, particularly their signature shokupan, a type of Japanese milk bread.
Client
Bandit
Year
2022
Designer
Valen Lim
Hammam Hidayat
Illustrator
Valen Lim
Typefaces in Use
Bandit is a cafe in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that specialises in specialty coffee, artisanal breads and pastries.
Kuala Lumpur-based graphic design and illustration studio Valenlim Studio worked closely with the cafe's founders to create a fresh new look for the brand that focuses on their selection of baked goods, particularly their signature shokupan, a type of Japanese milk bread.
The cafe's raccoon mascot is a playful nod to the cafe's name. The character has a friendly and approachable appearance, encouraging customers to join in as partners-in-crime. If you look closely, you'll notice that the black mask worn by the mascot is designed to mimic the silhouette of a freshly-baked loaf of bread.
"If you look closely, you'll notice that the black mask worn by the mascot is designed to mimic the silhouette of a freshly-baked loaf of bread."
To add an element of play for customers, the menu was designed to incorporate interactive elements that unfold into eye masks with strategically-placed cutouts.
The earth tone colour palette was chosen to create a warm, vintage, and forest-like atmosphere. To give the impression that the raccoon mascot is hiding in the woods, the studio carefully selected a colour system of light green, dark green, beige, dark brown, and a hint of yellow, which complements the wooden materials used throughout the cafe.
Grenette by Colophon Foundry served as the main logo and header. The typeface has a friendly and welcoming personality and worked well with the mascot design due to its quirkiness. Greed by Displaay Type Foundry was used for the body copy in the menu and lightbox signage. The narrow proportions of the san serif font gave a modern look to the brand.
The mascot's size and scale were used in a bold and unconventional way within the interiors, along with a series of raccoon mascot graphics depicting the character doing funny activities such as relaxing with coffee and passing bread to one another.
This was the first time Valenlim Studio worked with Polli Objects, their friends who specialise in interior design. The two teams worked closely together from the beginning of the project.
In Malaysia, it is common for clients to hire graphic and interior design studios separately, which can sometimes result in mismatched designs. The teams discussed how to extend certain applications to ensure that the brand was applied consistently to all visible signage and other elements within the cafe in order to avoid this issue.
Valenlim Studio
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Valenlim Studio is a graphic design and illustration studio with experience in various fields including brand identity, print graphics, typography and illustration. With works heavily influenced by local heritage emboldened by a modernist flair, their signature style is bold, vibrant, yet executed with a fluid touch.
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