Papillon is a Southeast Asian bar and restaurant, serving Manila’s most adventurous characters who aren't afraid of being caught at the scene red-handed. Papillon transports guests to a tropical hideaway; an intimate den where they can rest easily and explore the culinary treasures the region has to offer.

Mild Side partnered with the brand owners, Chefs Fonso and RJ, to create an identity inspired by vintage contrast in Southeast Asia during the 1890s–1920s. There was a sense of secrecy and cleverness seared into the brand, as if dining at the restaurant made you a part of ‘the gang’. We designed several versions of their logo versions to create a feeling of myth and long history, and curated a selection of typefaces and colors that expressed the character of the period, hinting at a bit of quiet opulence and cheeky humor with the use of gold accents, ornamental borders, and custom illustration.

Overall, this was an exciting exercise in storytelling and cramming six typefaces into a brand and making it work.

Cherry Creek Framing is a Denver-based company that was created in 2004. The new owner hired me for a brand refresh. Inspired by the block printing they would sometimes frame, I created an identity that feels classic, with room for experimentation and playfulness. As it is a field that does not evolve significantly over time, I drew inspiration from classic European typography and traditional printing methods.

Wagenstraat, Den Haag

“The Red Squirrel”, Geldersekade 59, Amsterdam

For the lovers of a healthy breakfast and FF Sari.

mymuesli is a Bavarian start-up that offers organic cereals which can be custom-mixed on their website. The available ingredients allow for “566 quadrillion possible muesli variations”. Furthermore, mymuesli offers a ridiculously diversified range of ready-made flavors, too: There is a special mix for bikers and one for hikers. Instead of one “Kids” mix, there is a “Princesses” edition for girls and a “Pirates” version for boys. I can confirm that all those varieties actually exist; I’ve seen more than a dozen of them at the supermarket.

All muesli tubes feature big FF Sari Black paired with confident Futura caps. FF Sari was designed by the late Hans Reichel. It is the improved version of his own Barmeno (originally published as Barmen for H. Berthold AG in 1983). FF Sari was released as FF New Barmen (1999), but had to be renamed soon after due to a legal dispute. If you are curious what Reichel has amended in the remake (apart from adding two additional weights and a wider language support), just compare the ‘e’ in FF Sari to the one in Barmeno.

The special editions for Christmas 2011 and 2012 featured Metroscript. In 2009, mymuesli relied on the even more festive Flemish Script. The “Love Crunch Muesli” was another excuse to deviate from the FF Sari & Futura norm: Valentine’s Day was celebrated with Ministry Script. Other gift specials like the “Thank You Muesli” or the “Congratulations Muesli” use Good Vibrations. Scroll down all the way.

What a weird ampersand! Pretty eccentric, considering that it is quite a crucial glyph in a wedding script. This is Flemish Script (from Bitstream), spotted at Laib & Liebe, a deli/coffee bar in Hamburg-Altona. The ampersand has been tamed down in Monotype’s Flemish Script II.