Brief
Create a restaurant identity from scratch for a menu of vine leaves, stuffed cabbage, kibbeh, sambousek and sauces prepared in the Levantine tradition.
Brand identity & packagingCase 03
Grape Paper
Art direction, brand identity and packaging built around the tradition of sharing Levantine food.
Project note
Target
The client wanted the brand to celebrate the heritage behind these dishes, particularly the custom of sharing and gifting food. The positioning was accessible to mid-market, with an authentic character expressed through contemporary design.
Audience
People in Saudi Arabia choosing food for everyday meals, gatherings and the pleasure of sharing a dish.
Challenge
These dishes often appear as supporting items on larger restaurant menus. At Grape Paper, they were the entire offering. The identity needed to give them that same importance: a recognisable story for people choosing food for everyday meals, gatherings and the pleasure of sharing a dish.
01The idea & original presentation
Food carries a story.
The insight
I built the concept around the social rituals surrounding the food: inviting someone over, gathering around a meal and offering a dish as a gift.
Where simple has origins.
The client chose the name, referring to grape leaves. I wrote the approved brand line, “Where simple has origins,” to connect those familiar dishes with the traditions behind them.
02Illustration & local audience
A shared story, drawn as one mural.
- I selected simple compositions, translated them into outlines and brought them together in a single mural. The figures wear Saudi clothing, making the scenes familiar to the local audience while the food story remains rooted in Levantine traditions.
- A single-colour treatment lets the illustration read as one connected narrative across the background.
03Logo construction & lockups
A gateway into the brand.
- I designed the logo in the same outline language, taking its shape from the old gates of Damascus. Inside the arch, the name, brand line and illustrated dishes come together. The mark acts as the foundation of the wider mural: the same story condensed into a recognisable emblem.
04Colour & typography
Warmth, with clarity.
Art direction
I chose calm, warm colours to create a feeling of comfort and welcome. Strong, readable typography gives the identity clarity alongside the illustration. Together, these choices give the heritage a contemporary expression while keeping the brand approachable.
05Packaging & brand applications
One scene across the experience.
The food, packaging and environment images shown in this case study are AI-generated presentation visuals.
- The shared mural carries across food boxes, bags and brand communications. Its composition provides a consistent visual connection between formats. I designed the packaging and prepared its dimensions and dielines, carrying the direction through to production.
Independent Art Director & Brand Designer
- I worked independently across the concept, brand line, logo, illustration, colour palette, typography, packaging and wider brand applications.
- My focus was turning the story behind a simple food offering into a visual identity that could express hospitality, preserve its roots and feel relevant to its audience.
- Brand identity & brand line
- Logo & illustration
- Colour palette & typography
- Food boxes & bags
- Packaging dimensions & dielines
- Brand applications
The brand work was delivered to the client and implemented. The food, packaging and environment images shown in this case study are AI-generated presentation visuals.
- Art direction, concept, brand line & design
- Ahmed Sallam
Have a project worth making properly?
yasas77889@gmail.com ↗