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BANGLA AND BEYOND

BANGLA AND BEYOND

the brief

the brief

the brief

Bangla & Beyond is a conceptual restaurant brand that reimagines Bengali cuisine through the lens of curiosity and exploration. The objective was to create an identity that honors Bengali heritage while making it approachable and engaging for a primarily non-Bengali audience.

Bangla & Beyond is a conceptual restaurant brand that reimagines Bengali cuisine through the lens of curiosity and exploration. The objective was to create an identity that honors Bengali heritage while making it approachable and engaging for a primarily non-Bengali audience.

CLIENT

CLIENT

Personal project

Personal project

YEAR

YEAR

2025

2025

INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY

Food

Food

Creative vision

Creative vision

I wanted to create the restaurant branding to reflect the following :


Approachable

Interactive

Intriguing

Conversational

Cultural but modern

The client wanted a deliverable that focused around the following keywords :


Luxurious

Premium

Trust

Stress-relief

Self Care

deliverables

deliverables

Brand Identity and Menu Design

Brand Identity and Menu Design

primary insights

We had 44 participants pan-india and we asked them about their perception of the bengali cuisine to test everything from their awareness to stereotypes. What came out was an interesting set of opinions, and what it could mean for Bangla and Beyond, confirming the market gap I had already suspected : Bengali cuisines need to be more than just the feeling of homecoming to those who no longer live in Bengal.

93%

of respondents associated Bengali cuisine with just sweets and fish : revealing a massive awareness gap around the cuisine's true depth and diversity.

36.4%

preferred authentic flavours amongst an almost evenly split response, the rest 31.8% wanted modernised adaptations signalling an appetite for a brand that can honour both.

20%

cited the perceived lack of vegetarian options as a barrier to trying Bengali food, despite the cuisine's rich tradition of plant-based dishes.

72.7%

72.7% first discovered Bengali cuisine through friends and family, social media and branding barely registering, making this a cuisine that lives and dies by personal recommendation.

Tone of voice

With the MVP in place, I defined how the brand should sound and feel. Bangla & Beyond isn't a museum of Bengali food, we don't want one to just look and nod. We want the non-bengali audience to wander a little, taste with curiosity, and walk away with their own story about what the cuisine means to them. The tone sits leaning expressive and exploratory, a gentle hand on your back rather than a finger pointing the way.

Expressive
Sophisticated DIning
Modern / Experimental
Traditional / Authentic
Playful
Serious
Exploratory
Guided
Niche
Mainstream

brand house

With the research insights and target audience needs clearly defined, I mapped out everything the brand stands for - its beliefs, promise, and the benefits it delivers both rationally and emotionally. The brand house brings it all into one cohesive view, ensuring every pillar of the brand works together to make Bengali cuisine feel inviting, discoverable, and culturally rich for anyone who walks through the door.

.

Bangla & Beyond

Our Beliefs

Everyone deserves to experience the warmth and stories of Bengal, to explore its culture in their own way, create their own interpretations, and savour it one plate at a time.

Our Promise

To bring Bengali culture and cuisine closer to everyone through a space that feels inviting, modern, and full of discovery.

Rational Benefits

Guided Culinary Journeys

Inclusive and Diverse Menus

Immersive Cultural Dining

Authentically Modern Experience

Emotional Benefits

Comfortable and Welcomed

Approachable yet Intriguing

Curiosity and Discovery

Our Values

Exploration driven

Traditionally

Modern

Open to All

Prioritise Hospitality

CONCEPT 1 : Bong and Beyond

CONCEPT 1 : Bong and Beyond

CONCEPT 1 : Bong and Beyond

This direction explores the integration of structural elements from Bengali typography into a custom Latin wordmark. Key motifs such as curved terminals, ornamental swells, and rhythmic strokes were extracted from Bengali letter anatomy and reinterpreted within a modern, readable Latin type system.

The goal was to create a mark that subtly references Bengali script while remaining accessible to a non-Bengali audience. The result is a contemporary wordmark that feels rooted yet inclusive, balancing cultural nuance with clarity and approachability.

This direction explores the integration of structural elements from Bengali typography into a custom Latin wordmark. Key motifs such as curved terminals, ornamental swells, and rhythmic strokes were extracted from Bengali letter anatomy and reinterpreted within a modern, readable Latin type system.

The goal was to create a mark that subtly references Bengali script while remaining accessible to a non-Bengali audience. The result is a contemporary wordmark that feels rooted yet inclusive, balancing cultural nuance with clarity and approachability.

CONCEPT 2 :

Bangla and Beyond

CONCEPT 2 :

Bangla and Beyond

This direction explores a refined wordmark built around the name Bangla & Beyond. The shift from “Bong” to “Bangla” strengthens phonetic clarity and visual flow, creating a more balanced and cohesive typographic rhythm. The letterforms retain soft curves and ornamental gestures inspired by Bengali script, while maintaining modern proportions and legibility. The result is a confident, fluid identity that feels rooted in culture yet contemporary in execution.

This direction explores a refined wordmark built around the name Bangla & Beyond. The shift from “Bong” to “Bangla” strengthens phonetic clarity and visual flow, creating a more balanced and cohesive typographic rhythm. The letterforms retain soft curves and ornamental gestures inspired by Bengali script, while maintaining modern proportions and legibility. The result is a confident, fluid identity that feels rooted in culture yet contemporary in execution.

Primary colours

Primary colours

SECONDARY colours

SECONDARY colours

BRAND ILLUSTRATIONS

BRAND ILLUSTRATIONS

Rooted Modernism

Rooted Modernism

Rooted Modernism

The illustration style reinterprets the visual language of Jamini Roy. Human faces follow a structured stylisation, while animals and birds are simplified with exaggerated proportions to introduce playfulness and memorability. Paired with calligraphic strokes this is a cultural but contemporary style.

The illustration style reinterprets the visual language of Jamini Roy. Human faces follow a structured stylisation, while animals and birds are simplified with exaggerated proportions to introduce playfulness and memorability. Paired with calligraphic strokes this is a cultural but contemporary style.

The illustration style reinterprets the visual language of Jamini Roy. Human faces follow a structured stylisation, while animals and birds are simplified with exaggerated proportions to introduce playfulness and memorability. Paired with calligraphic strokes this is a cultural but contemporary style.

Heritage Palette

Heritage Palette

Heritage Palette

A limited colour system, red or green outlines with off-white fills, ensures cohesion and recognisability. The restraint keeps the illustrations elegant, adaptable, and scalable across packaging and communication.

A limited colour system, red or green outlines with off-white fills, ensures cohesion and recognisability. The restraint keeps the illustrations elegant, adaptable, and scalable across packaging and communication.

A limited colour system, red or green outlines with off-white fills, ensures cohesion and recognisability. The restraint keeps the illustrations elegant, adaptable, and scalable across packaging and communication.

the audience

the audience

the audience

Brand elements are subtly integrated within natural curves and negative spaces, allowing them to feel organic rather than imposed. This keeps the visuals minimal, distinctive, and deeply connected to the overall identity system. individuals who need a break.

Brand elements are subtly integrated within natural curves and negative spaces, allowing them to feel organic rather than imposed. This keeps the visuals minimal, distinctive, and deeply connected to the overall identity system. individuals who need a break.

Brand elements are subtly integrated within natural curves and negative spaces, allowing them to feel organic rather than imposed. This keeps the visuals minimal, distinctive, and deeply connected to the overall identity system. individuals who need a break.

Brand motifs

Brand motifs

Brand motifs

The brand motifs are inspired by Alpona, a traditional Bengali folk art known for its rhythmic and symbolic patterns. Reinterpreted in a minimal, contemporary style, these elements introduce a cultural layer to the identity while remaining versatile across applications. The motifs function as borders, accents, or integrated elements within illustrations, adding continuity and visual texture to the brand’s language.

The brand motifs are inspired by Alpona, a traditional Bengali folk art known for its rhythmic and symbolic patterns. Reinterpreted in a minimal, contemporary style, these elements introduce a cultural layer to the identity while remaining versatile across applications. The motifs function as borders, accents, or integrated elements within illustrations, adding continuity and visual texture to the brand’s language.

menu design

menu design

A study of Bengali restaurants across India revealed gaps in clarity, accessibility, and guidance, especially for diners unfamiliar with the cuisine.

Menus often assumed prior knowledge or lacked contextual storytelling.

This informed a user-centered menu system designed to simplify navigation and enhance confidence. The menu functions as a guided experience, introducing Bangla cuisine with clarity, warmth, and structured storytelling.

A study of Bengali restaurants across India revealed gaps in clarity, accessibility, and guidance, especially for diners unfamiliar with the cuisine.

Menus often assumed prior knowledge or lacked contextual storytelling.

This informed a user-centered menu system designed to simplify navigation and enhance confidence. The menu functions as a guided experience, introducing Bangla cuisine with clarity, warmth, and structured storytelling.

LEARNINGS

LEARNINGS

LEARNINGS

  • Balancing culture with modernity: Translating structural elements from Bengali typography into a Latin wordmark was a challenging process, requiring careful abstraction to ensure the identity felt culturally rooted while remaining modern and legible to a wider audience.


  • Building a cohesive visual language: Ensuring that motifs, illustrations, layouts, and other visual elements aligned consistently with the logo, concept, and brand vision was crucial in creating a unified and believable brand experience.

  • Balancing culture with modernity: Translating structural elements from Bengali typography into a Latin wordmark was a challenging process, requiring careful abstraction to ensure the identity felt culturally rooted while remaining modern and legible to a wider audience.


  • Building a cohesive visual language: Ensuring that motifs, illustrations, layouts, and other visual elements aligned consistently with the logo, concept, and brand vision was crucial in creating a unified and believable brand experience.

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