Andrew Lee is an Art Director specializing in branding and visual systems.
Work, Studio, Info, Store
YEAR2024-2025
PROJECTasim
scope OF WORKBranding, Print, Digital, Unreleased Work
Client: Ralph Hsiao, Andrew Marco, Avish Naran
Art Direction & Design: Andrew Lee
Ralph and Marco (Open Market, RiceGuys, and RCTNGL) were aiming to open their first sit-down restaurant offering Filipino comfort dishes. Asim, meaning “sour” in Tagalog, alludes to the underrated, yet important acidic notes found not only in Filipino cooking but in food around the world. Particularly within Filipino cooking, these sour profiles are added through use of either citrus, leaves, or white vinegar. Due to external challenges, the project ultimately wasn’t realized but it offered a great opportunity to examine what a Filipino establishment could look like.
REFERENCESAs a starting point, we drew references from traditional Filipino elements such as rattan weaves, binakul patterns, bahay na bato (Spanish colonial-era stonehouses), and also Paula Troxler’s illustrations in The Noma Guide to Fermentation. These would help inform the visual language.
Solihiya, a traditional handwoven rattan pattern resembling a sunburst 
Dizzying binakul patterns that were believed to ward off evil spirits
Traditional stonehouses that blended Spanish and Chinese influences
Paula Troxler’s illustrations for The Noma Guide to Fermentation

TYPOGRAPHYDisplay
During my research, I stumbled across Jad Maza, a type designer based in the Philippines who’s passionate about Filipino type. I used Maragsâ Display due to its traditional yet modern characteristics and its versatility with diacritic glyphs, commonly used in Tagalog.

Body
Taking cues from bistro menus and opting for legibility, I used ABC Favorit Mono Variable. Paired with the display type, this would contrast nicely as a clear-cut way to communicate Asim’s offerings.


CUSTOM  TYPEWanting to incorporate a deeper, traditional element, I made custom logotypes of asim (ᜀᜐᜒᜋ᜔) in Baybayin. I explored what this pre-colonial Filipino script could look like through a modern take, even adding some graphic elements inspired by geometric patterns of the binakul.

ILLUSTRATIONThumbing through the pages of Noma’s Guide to Fermentation, I admired the ink illustrations that Paula Troxler had done throughout the book. I took a brush pen and made some still life drawings of the calamansi fruit to pair with the branding, adding a human element.

LOGO EXPLORATIONS

PRINT COLLATERAL
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