CASE STUDY
Sassy, Retro Classy Desserts: Qweenoa Bakery Brand Identity
Qweenoa Bakery approached me with a fully-formed dessert concept that required the right visuals to bring it to life. The name “Qweenoa” comes from “quinoa,” which is a unique selling feature of Qweenoa Bakery, as well as the term “qween,” which is a part of drag culture. Qweenoa Bakery creates gluten- and lactose-free desserts with quinoa that please the gluten- and lactose-sensitive and meet the desired flavour expectations of gluten- and lactose-eaters. Also, as a queer-owned business, creating a concept inclusive to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies was essential–thus, a drag persona Qweenie the quinoa qween, was born.
LOGO DESIGN
It was important to design logo variations that included Qweenie and ones that focused on the name to bring attention to the bakery first and foremost. Therefore, within the logo designs, the colours are from Qweenie’s attire, the fonts represent a stylized chef’s signature, and confectionery decorations are incorporated whenever appropriate. The result is a collection of logos that look good enough to eat.
It was also important to create a Pride version of the logo. For this version, I made the cake Qweenie is holding a rainbow-tiered cake.
Mascot
The Qweenie mascot demonstrates support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and inclusivity to patrons of Qweenoa Bakery. As a drag persona, Qweenie is a sassy retro classy pastry chef with a kind heart and style: one part 50s pin-up and one part cooking show icon. All characteristics of the illustrated mascot are directly related to the baker’s real-life alter-ego drag persona because it was important to make a visual connection so they’d be recognizable outside of the bakery setting.
Design Elements & Mockups
The graphic elements for Qweenoa Bakery help to add character and illustrate the fun and flavourful desserts on offer. In addition, they provide reusable visual components that can be mixed and matched for further brand expansion.
Mockups show the possibilities for apparel, car decals, postcards, stationery, shirts, shopping bags and stamps.
∧ CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR EXAMPLES ∧
BEST VIEWED WITH YOUR PHONE TURNED SIDEWAYS.
THE RESULT
The visual brand was well received and added to the excitement of the bakery launch. Designs reflect the brand promise and messaging (not shared on this page) of an inclusive bakery that caters to gluten and lactose allergies.