Trust the Loki Fellowship
Overview
Trust the Loki is a social enterprise committed to fostering inclusive culinary communities and empowering individuals who share a deep passion for food and an inspiring culinary dream. Co-founded by Loki Madireddi, an accomplished Chef and former Masterchef contestant, and his wife, Ishani Chattopadhyay, an investor and entrepreneur, their flagship project is the Fellowship – a culinary scholarship and mentoring program that has been making a significant impact since its inception in 2019. The inspiration behind the Fellowship stems from Loki's personal culinary journey, highlighting the pivotal role that timely support, mentorship, and encouragement play in one's life.
Loki and Ishani had a successful year in 2019 and wanted to make 2021 a big one. They approached me to help them deliver a new brand identity that could promote their culinary scholarship and collaborative pop-up.
My contribution
Brand design, Logo Design, Content Marketing, Event Photography
The team
Solo designer
Year
2021
Process
Brand exploration:
We began with a comprehensive brand discovery survey, to get a sense of the client's objectives and understanding their company's core values. Loki, with a keen interest in the Enso ('circle'), a profound symbol from Japanese Zen philosophy, found that it encapsulated various meaningful concepts: the beauty within imperfection, the art of releasing expectations, the continuous circle of life, and the power of connection. This symbolism perfectly resonated with the essence of the fellowship's mission. Subsequently, the original logo was crafted using the Enso, but it encountered challenges in terms of legibility and web accessibility.
Logo exploration:
The logo design had three mandatory requirements: the Enso, Japanese-inspired elements, and adaptability.
Final Logo:
We settled on the incomplete circle variation to symbolise the beauty of imperfections and the art of letting go of the notion of perfection. The ‘Trust The Loki’ seal’ represents their company’s entity and can be used independently from the circle.
Content Design:
Branded Uniforms
Loki wearing a Trust the Loki branded chef’s uniform at the Hyatt Hotel in Chennai, India.
Pop-Up Visual Assets:
To promote the launch of the Fellowship, Loki and Ishani partnered with Swadist restaurant and Kaapi Coffee to host a culinary pop-up. Visuals designed for Trust The Loki's Culinary Pop-Up at Swadist restaurant. The pop-up drew inspiration from the scenic Kanyakumari Express route in Tamil Nadu, incorporating a train theme into the menu. Each course was thoughtfully crafted to represent the flavors and cuisines found at different stations along the journey.
Event Photography:
I had the privilege of photographing their launch event with the former Masterchef judge, Matt Preston as their guest star.
