The Cheese Salon
Project Context
The Cheese Salon is a cheese shop in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, created with a playful and characterful point of view. The identity needed to make cheese feel less formal and more social, approachable, and memorable within a retail experience.
Design Approach
I created a visual identity that treats each cheese as its own character. Curvy typography, tomato red accents, and whimsical illustrations bring humor and personality to the brand, while subtly connecting the shop to The Storage Room, the hidden speakeasy within the same space.
Brand Identity
Art Direction
Illustration
Packaging
Signage
Printed Materials
Logo
The logo uses soft, curvy typography to give the identity a warm and expressive personality. The letterforms feel playful and slightly indulgent, echoing the softness and richness of cheese without becoming too literal.
Brand Color
Tomato red was used as the main brand color to bring appetite, energy, and memorability to the identity. It gives the brand a bold presence while keeping the overall feeling warm, casual, and food-driven.
Illustration System
The illustration system gives each cheese its own character. By showing cheeses sipping wine, cocktails, and whiskey, the visuals add humor while subtly connecting the shop to The Storage Room, the hidden speakeasy inside the space.
Cheese Characters
Each cheese character was designed to feel social and full of personality. The illustrations make the shop feel less like a traditional specialty store and more like a playful salon where every cheese has its own attitude.
Connection to The Storage Room
The Cheese Salon shares a world with The Storage Room, the hidden speakeasy tucked inside the space. The cocktail-drinking cheese illustrations act as a small visual hint, creating a quiet connection between the cheese shop and the bar behind it.
Interior / Retail Experience
The identity was created to support a warm and playful retail environment. From signage to packaging, each touchpoint adds character to the experience without overpowering the product itself.
Printed Collateral
The printed pieces were designed to feel casual, witty, and collectible. Small moments of illustration and typography help extend the brand voice beyond the shop interior.
The Cheese Salon balances specialty food culture with a playful Seoul sensibility. The result is a warm, memorable identity that makes cheese feel approachable, social, and full of character.