Pinched

May 2024

For the final project in the Special Studio Projects class, we were tasked with creating an interface based on the typeface we developed over the course of the semester. "Pinched" is the culmination of the ideas communicated through my typeface "Cocino," which is a font representing a unification of multicultural visual identity while being clean, modern, and versatile.

Thus, Pinched is a fast-casual multicultural dumpling house serving dumpling iterations from various cultures. The dumpling, a meat-filled savory pastry, has a version in every culture, and Pinched allows us to explore these varieties within a shared space. The name "Pinched" comes from the shared technique most dumplings require, which is pinching the ends closed, and the single pinch logo communicates that action.

Communicating culture and food as an overarching concept was established through specific design choices. The bright red, yellow, blue, and off-white are popular celebratory colors found in many of the cultures represented on the menu and also feel associated with food. Additionally, the border is reminiscent of the pinched edges of many dumplings as well as the edges of a stamp, further connecting these ideas. Pinched's visual identity bridges the traditions of food with the bustling multicultural modern world.

studiorahman.com

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