Bedouin
Contemporary Egyptian Kitchen
In 1999, my father immigrated to the United States, embarking on a journey that led him from washing dishes and working as a line cook to eventually opening and managing his own American-style diners in Central Pennsylvania. Inspired by his story, I envisioned “Bedouin” as an imaginary restaurant where, instead of diners, my father runs a vibrant Egyptian eatery, serving the food I grew up with.
Bedouin’s mission is to introduce people to the authentic flavors of Egyptian cuisine while promoting awareness of our vibrant and unique culture. With a diverse menu that includes traditional Egyptian dishes and contemporary takes, “Bedouin” offers a unique dining experience that transports guests to the heart of Egypt, all while specifically celebrating the rich and diverse heritage of my family.
The process of designing the Bedouin logo involved numerous drafts and extensive revisions.
However, as evident in all my logo iterations, a
bold and distinctive type option remained consistent. In the majority of
my attempts, I experimented with English as the type and Arabic
as the mark. I crafted logos that resonated with me, but the ultimate
and official version best suited the Bedouin brand. I integrated a custom logotype with a mark that combines the Arabic word bedouin with the camel illustration that can be found throughout my brand. This combination aimed to convey the handcrafted, custom qualities of Bedouin and reflect the fusion of cultures that influenced my upbringing.
I wanted the Bedouin brand to use a combination of typefaces and signature patterns to further emphasize the diversity of the culture
and echo the contrast of the Arabic/English language pairing. The
three signature patterns can be found throughout various packaging
and collateral.
It was crucial for me to incorporate Arabic typography into Bedouin’s branding, and I found that hand lettering was the ideal approach to
achieve this. I drew inspiration from traditional Arabic calligraphers
and contemporary type designers, resulting in a unique, custom look
that is exclusive to Bedouin. This approach provided me with artistic freedom to design collateral that is not only visually captivating but
also tangible in the real world.
Bedouin’s menu copy is simply a heart-felt homage to the home cooked meals I grew up with. Crafting the menu design for this project was an immensely enjoyable process, mirroring the dynamic and iterative nature of my logo creation. Much like the numerous iterations in my logo design journey, the menu development involved a multitude of variations, as I
was often adding new pages to my document in order to create a new option. This approach ensured that each menu component resonates
with the spirit of Bedouin.
