Ai Izakaya
Logo, Style Guide
2023
Role
Art Direction, Brand Design
Brief
Create a logo for a restaurant and lounge built in the French district of Hanoi, at 77 Tho Nhuôm. This street used to be the dyeing shops street, back in the old days. The logo should feel connected to that aspect somehow.
At a glance
Situation
The restaurant was under construction and the future owners had a concept in mind (Fusion Japanese & Vietnamese food, whisky lounge on the 1st floor) but almost everything else had to be created from scratch.
Insights
Placed in the heart of Hanoi, the restaurant had to reflect its distinctive vibe: profound, a bit mysterious, but still homey.
The Japanese inspiration had to be clear but not stereotypical.
About the name
靄
The name ‘ái’ is a wordplay combining elements of love—’ái tình’ and ‘luyến ái’ in Vietnamese—with the Japanese word ‘ai,’ meaning love, and ‘aizome,’ the traditional indigo dye.
The clients chose the name and asked me to play with it. We decided to connect the Japanese terms with the Sino-Vietnamese (Hán Nôm) system, which felt natural given their shared roots. The chosen Hán Nôm character evokes the idea of a ‘peaceful love,’ with imagery of cloudy air and fog. It captures the atmosphere the restaurant aims to create.
Offered Solution
Creative Intent
I envisioned placing indigo-dyed fabric at the entrance, as it is a common feature in Japanese restaurants, and on some interior walls to help create a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
I was also supposed to have further discussions with indigo dye artists to finalize fabric patterns, but those plans have been postponed indefinitely.
Another idea was to hang a neon version of the logo at the entrance as a statement piece.
Outcome
The selected logo is inspired by the stamps used by the mandarins and important figures in the ancient times.
For the color palette, we went with an indigo that leans green, rather than purple, with some gold highlights.
