Papaya Asian Street Food
Brand Identity & Environmental Graphics — Iowa
Papaya was a fast-casual restaurant concept inspired by the energy of Asian street markets — busy, sensory, and a little chaotic in the best way. The brand needed to match that energy without feeling like a costume.
I led the design from the first conversation through launch, building an identity around a hand-drawn wordmark and papaya icon that was loose, textured, and bold enough to own a storefront. The system was designed to be modular from the start — the icon and the type could work independently or together, which meant it scaled cleanly from takeout containers to a full digital menu board to a responsive website. All of it delivered in three months.
Papaya closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a loss — it was a good brand for a good restaurant. But the project is a clear example of what I can do when I'm given a blank page, a real deadline, and a client willing to commit to something distinct.
I led the design from the first conversation through launch, building an identity around a hand-drawn wordmark and papaya icon that was loose, textured, and bold enough to own a storefront. The system was designed to be modular from the start — the icon and the type could work independently or together, which meant it scaled cleanly from takeout containers to a full digital menu board to a responsive website. All of it delivered in three months.
Papaya closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a loss — it was a good brand for a good restaurant. But the project is a clear example of what I can do when I'm given a blank page, a real deadline, and a client willing to commit to something distinct.