Sidecar

Brand Identity / Art Direction / Motion Design

+ Role: Graphic Designer | Passion Project
+ Date: October 2025
+ Tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Firefly, and Gemini Nano Banana

Background

I developed a brand identity for Sidecar, a bar and lounge dedicated to reviving the spirit of 1930s cocktail culture and encouraging in-person connections. I created a visual identity system that seamlessly adapts to both their online and offline touchpoints and aligns with the bar’s vintage interior.

Research & Direction

Research showed that many vintage-themed bars use modern sans serif fonts and lack illustrations, creating a disconnect with their ornate interiors. To avoid this, I designed a visual identity for Sidecar inspired by 1930s bar interiors and graphic design trends, ensuring a cohesive brand experience that stands out from competitors.

Design & Rationale

I built a brand identity system that would fit their bar interior, print, and digital assets.

Logo System

I drew reference from the Art Deco period, which streamlined practical, handcrafted designs. This ideology aligns with Sidecar’s mission to encourage friends to return to basics and connect in person.

The ‘C’ in the logo mimics the top view of a sidecar cocktail. I brought the idea to life by animating the alphabet into a cocktail glass filled with liqueur and topped with an orange twist, recreating the classic cocktail “sidecar.”

Colour System

I chose an anchoring brilliant crimson red, two accent greens, an ash blue, a dark cherry red, and neutrals as the brand colours. They are extracted from European graphic designs and moodboard photos of bars and lounges decorated with velvet sofas and bright neon signs in the 1930s.

Graphics

I illustrated the signature brand graphic as a funnel-shaped pendant light, echoing both the silhouette of an upside-down cocktail and the warm ambiance of vintage bar lighting.

I designed two geometric patterns inspired by vintage floor tile craftsmanship, reflecting Sidecar’s back-to-basics brand philosophy.

Outcome

In two and a half weeks, I delivered the full visual identity system, along with social media content, menus, coasters, and napkins.