Doodle x Shake Shack: Collaboration (Concept)
Aside from the art I create, one of my passions has been food. There is something about food that connects and invites us all to learn more about each other. For me, something I enjoy doing is going to a new restaurant and trying something new. I remember in the winter of 2020, I went to go and try Shake Shack for the first time. I remember walking in, hearing the great music, and seeing the food brought to customers. What got my attention was the artwork that they had on the wall.
Since that first encounter, Shake Shack has always been a favorite place of mine to go to. Whenever it was my birthday, I would get my favorite items along with their Shake and enjoy that as my celebratory meal. As I have grown as a creative, I have been learning to mesh the world of Art and Design into cultivating new ways to tell stories. Aside from other projects I have worked on for school and through clients, I always wondered how people get their art so big on the side of a building. After doing my first mural in 2020, I made a goal that I would try to create murals and have one exist in an environment.
Some of my favorite shots from the time I've gone
So, one of the passion projects I decided to create was a mural for a Shake Shack location. I had a newfound style I had experimented with from a previous project in 2020 and wanted to incorporate similar elements. So, I took inspiration from old and new projects to create something unique.
A Shake Shack located in Rice Village.
Inspiration + Concepts of the Doodles
Concepts from a previous project. You can check it out here: Nike Annual Report Booklet
At first, I didn't have a plan. It was getting thoughts, drawings, scribbles - whatever I could put on the page. Then I got to thinking of the processes I had from my previous work and implemented them here. The goal I had in mind was to create a mural that incorporated elements of Shake Shack while capturing the fun, exciting, and overall mood one would have in Shake Shack. I started adding icons and other elements until I created something I was proud of. When I had finished, I found a mock-up and put the mural on a wall and was happy with the results.
Final Design
Then I thought, how could I take this further?
So, I found more mock-ups and started putting the same designs on boxes, take-out cups, and take-out bags. It was neat to have designs not be limited to just being on the wall. Months go by, and I get news that a new location is being built 20 minutes from where I live. My thinking then switched from having cool designs on different items to creating a grand opening event showcasing these designs on merchandise. I had seen this all the time on Instagram of artists commissioned to do this for different Shake Shacks. After seeing them do it, I wanted to do that too.
First Advanced Concepts:
Further Advancements
Unfortunately, Shake Shack had already found an artist they wanted to work within that location. However, I want this project to exist to see how I can take art and design and create a cool passion project that can inspire other projects I create. Whether it's a mural or a branding project, it shows me how to be strategic and blend art and design to create something I'm proud of. Fingers crossed, I would love to have this project exist in a Shake Shack!
