Avesso is in a nice cosy corner of Esposende, Portugal, working as a multifaceted establishment with a restaurant strongly focused on Portuguese and vegetarian food, a bar with a wide variety of foreign beer and wine, and a gallery — dynamic and full of surprises.
In Avesso (Portuguese for inside-out, opposite, different) everything is handmade with care, with a very intimate approach to the customer and yet keeping a classic/nostalgic tone to their image.
When I was invited to develop the communication, logo, and graphic identity for this new space, the invitation came with a clear and unique statement. Something like, “We want to make this business our home.”
From the beginning, the project briefing was set upon the combination of three essential elements. Three axes in which the logo and consequent graphic identity should rest.
The first was tradition, or the sense of cultural preservation, translated to the engraving (or engraved-looking illustrations) regarding old objects, animals, and some cultural references.
The second was personality, or an indie look showing the handmade, personal, and young character of this small local business, translated through the lettering.
And finally, the third was diversity, a gallery, a restaurant, and a bar combined into a multifaceted business. Therefore we have an ever-changing logo with more than 30 different illustrations.
Several other communication products were made to reinforce Avesso’s concept of everchanging space, always letting people know that this is a place to relax and enjoy, full of peculiar and unique things, with a personal touch in everything made there.
So each new identity product, from warning signs to event posters, became a manifestation of care and respect for the concept of the space. Every product carefully crafted and corrected until it felt right.
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Comments
What a beautiful interior to a cafe. I think the branding fits in so nicely within that space.
Love the overall feel to this, but I don’t understand the upside-down illustrations… am I missing something here?
Yes. The name of the place — avesso — which in Portuguese means “upside down.”
The branding fits very well with the overall look and feel of the interior and exterior of the cafe. At first I was a little taken back but then after seeing more photos and reading more it brought the reasoning behind the design choices that were made.
Hi ID, thanks for the feature and nice feedback from ID subscribers. :)
And most of all thanks for the important help in selecting the photos and content of this post, some of the photos you added to my selection, came out to be essential to the understanding of the project and ambiance of the space.
Addressing James’s question regarding the use of upside-down illustrations, sorry for not expanding the explanation of this detail in the description, this is a matter of language, in Portuguese the word “Avesso” means inside-out/opposite/different — something is in it’s “Avesso” when it is turned into the opposite, or has become something different, or even if it’s upside down.
So for the logo, the way to go was to show the illustration in “Avesso” with the lettering.
Hope that has helped explain more of my project, and once again, thanks for the feedback and appreciation and for the flattering feature!
Cheers, Rui
Thanks for answering James, Rui, and it’s a pleasure featuring your project. Keep up the great work.
Beautiful work. The illustrations are wonderful and everything comes together perfectly. I love it.
Thanks for the explanation, Rui, that now makes sense. Great work… keep it up.
I love the drawings and the personality conveyed by the interior, but what a shame the branding couldn’t have been extended to outdoor signage.
Yes that’s true. In part that’s my fault for not figuring a low cost way to expand the identity to the outside. Now that the space is in conveyance, waiting for a new owner, there’s little I can do, but maybe in the near future I’ll fix that flaw.
Thanks again for the nice feedback!
Hi Rui, thank you for taking the time to reply. I would love to see you extend branding to signage in the future but think you did a great job on what was covered by the brief. Cara
I love the drawings, they’re simple and clean but I’m sorry to say that Avesso in Portuguese means inside out and not different or upside down, for example, wear a jumper inside out. Which is a shame because you did an awesome job. Upside down in Portuguese means “with head down”.
Hi Ana, thanks for taking part in the appreciation and discussion of this project. I believe that in the previous comment I’ve explained more and somehow in a better way this issue. But yet, the option of placing the illustrations upside down only resulted from the horizontal orientation of the lettering “AVESSO”, so by turning the illustrations upside down I would be making them “avessas”, in an opposite or even different position to the lettering. Not a forced option but more as an consequence.
Maybe our opinions on the translation of the word “avesso” may diverge due to my use of the word “different” that should be replaced with the word “contrary”, but still, I don’t think it affects the outcome or it’s explanation.
I hope that I was able to explain more efficiently my use of all the upside down illustration and hopefully rectify the meaning of the word “Avesso” :) And thanks once again to all, it’s been nice having my projects brought to the discussion among active fellow professionals, appreciating and questioning some of my progress and decisions, getting opinions and feedback!!
Hope that I can join this awesome network more often.
Cheers, Rui
That photo of the hand holding the swallow had a very strong portlandia vibe to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHmLljk2t8M :)
I am nicely surprised by the rest of the work, well done Rui.
Hi Matt, thanks for the kind works and reference :)
Nice to know that this post/work still produces feedback!
I find this incredibly interesting – my 21 yr old daughter is named ‘Avessa’ which is the feminine form of ‘avesso’ — her father named her and passed away when she was two — she has always used a black swallow as her symbol of him and she is obsessed with rabbits and always has been — on my journey to discovering the meaning behind her name I stumbled across your project and couldn’t believe how much it personified her!
Avessa’s father named her and I don’t think even he could have predicted just how fitting it would be for her — she is always adverse and contrary, as a gymnast she is always upside and inside out! I feel that you have captured the essence of this word — and my daughter — in your campaign. Congratulations!
Hi Kerri, it is lovely to read your comment and somehow find more layers of joy in the making of this project, return to it and find new views on it, new ideas and even meet new people because of it.
Your daughter sound lovely and i hope this project may bring a bit more of happiness and joy onto her way of living life, upside down, inside out, upstream or avessa.
Thanks!!!