I’ve really enjoyed the reclamation of Art Nouveau typography and experimental typography. Stemming from an era where the sans-serif simplicity reined supreme, this new movement brings forth beauty and life. Crisol is another example of the daring and smart typographic design that’s leading the charge today.
Crisol is an empanada restaurant and food brand based in the Netherlands. Their goal is to bring authentic flavors from Argentinian empanadas to the Dutch people. With a brand identity like this, they definitely have a head start in getting attention.
The identity involves a slightly off white color with a deep, navy blue. That’s it. This limited palette allows the typographic solution to shine and take center stage across the suite of touchpoints.
The type’s forms are so strong, in fact, that in some cases it pulls attention away from the purpose of the piece it adorns. A good case in point is the menu design. The menus have a simple layout, but one has a difficult type pulling the eye away from the masthead logo. Elsewhere the power is naturally broken up with folds and or color bars.
Overall, this is gorgeous brand. I do think the team needs to figure out how to build from the core logo instead of having it overpower other compositions. This is a good challenge to have!
