Sessions had a playful vision for Backstreet Bowls, one that could cheekily nod to the Backstreet Boys but touched on their unique food offerings. An idea was sprung - Five distinctive characters, each with a rice bowl for a head and traits inspired by the Backstreet Boys themselves.

With a tight deadline and a comprehensive list of deliverables, I wasted no time diving into the project.

A single character design logo is a balancing act. Narrowing down detailed and personable characteristics that reflect the brands values and aims, whilst managing to be recognisable, sleek, scalable and easily printable as a brand stamp. Fitting five individual characters into one logo and having them all clearly readable and recognisable, without overcrowding the piece was a joy to see through to the end. 

Illustration Research

To give life to these characters, I embarked on a journey to define a distinct style that would permeate every aspect of Backstreet Bowls’ brand identity and be ubiquitous through all of their platforms. Would it be hand drawn, with sketchy, imperfect pencils/ paintbrush lines and mottled, patchy colouring? Or would it be sleek, perfect edged line work, with block colouring with more of a geometric, clean feel? Would the characters have bulging, anime eyes or simple dots? Would we want heads only or bodies and limbs, which could be useful for Merch and promotion (characters interacting with the world around them i.e. holding signs, eating or pointing). These were just some of the many queries to be answered and through research and experimentation, I plunged ever deeper, and nearer to a refined design.

Drawing inspiration from some of my favourite artists; McBess, Mighty Short, Timbasmits, Cuphead, who are known for their bold cartoon mascots, innocent yet wily characters and classic early 1900s animations. I sketched a range of ideas and these initial hand-drawn concepts were then refined through vectorisation. 

Type

Choosing the right font style was crucial. Should we lean towards either an Asian themed, brush calligraphy style or something inspired by the late 90s/early 2000s boy band album covers. Backstreet Bowls embodies both elements - the boyband vibe and Asian cuisine. Given the food-centric nature of the business, it made sense to emphasise the Asian aesthetic in the font choice. We want the service (food) to have more presence in the logo than the wink-and-nod of the boyband slant. To meet the tight deadline, I opted to customise the existing font “Feeltrips,” adding to it a hand-painted, calligraphic touch.

AJ

Flexing the Brand & Logo Creation

An exciting optional approach emerged - to tie menu items to each character’s personality traits. For instance, a spicy dish could be “The Hot One,’ with a picture of smouldering Kevin, while a milder dish could be “The Cool One,” featuring AJ’s iconic sunglasses and rebellious hairstyle. This strategy transformed the initial challenge of having multiple characters in one logo into a playful way of integrating their personalities into the business model. Sessions would be free to use this suggestion in their own time, which they seemed delighted to entertain.

I presented two logo drafts: “The Cluster (1.0)” showcased the characters’ personalities but felt somewhat busy, while “The Walkmen (1.0)” was clean and versatile but lacked individual character expression. Combining the strengths of both, I crafted version 2.0 of each. These new designs retained the visual essence of the Backstreet Boys while ensuring each character remained distinct, readable, and adaptable. It was this final iteration of “The Walkmen” that sang to Sessions and became Backstreet Bowls’ official logo.

The project extended beyond the logo, encompassing patterned greaseproof paper, delivery packaging, and circular and rectangular stickers for sealing bags. I also delivered image files in various formats and sizes, ensuring Backstreet Bowls could shine across different social media platforms and print formats.