Food plays a big role in my life, it represents community and shared experiences between family, friends and strangers. Thats why when asked to design a Deli Brand, I wanted to encapsulate an experience. A french picnic is the idyllic afternoon meal. I designed Méli Mélo Deli with the idea of a family or friends grabbing a selection of fine foods and coming together to enjoy life. The orange color, typeface and illustrations are all chosen with the hopes of creating a warm, soothing experience of quality food with history and meaning.

I was inspired by my time travelling in Italy. The juxtaposition of ancient architecture and art in comparison of modern day soceity was something that excited me. Thats why when I sat down to create this deli, I wanted to challenge myself to create this same juxtaposition with my design. The color, typeface choice and subtle illustrations are my twist on traditional design. I also had a lot of fun creating the name of brand. Méli - Mélo literally means, " hodge podge " in french. French delis are centered around the classic charcuterie plate, which is a quintessential a hodge podge of different ingredients. The name felt fitting.

Adobe Illustrator. Adobe InDesign. Adobe Photoshop. Inkjet Printer. Laser Cutter. All of the boxes, hangtags, fabrics, bags etc are all handmade. The rest I purchased and then made it my own. This was a very tedious process but the overall endpoint was worth it all. Design continues to challenge and surprise me in ways I didn't know possible.

People responded very positively to my work. They could immediately tell that it was a modern day french deli. They enjoyed the clean lines, subtle textures and overall mood of the work. I learned that history plays a big role in my design work and that the hardest part is finding a way to design for people who might not know about some of the things that I am passionate about. I also learned that most people respond well to designs that have some context and a storyline. The story sells it all.

Briana Van Koll

a human who loves design, pottery, photography and the blockchain.

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