I began by researching the location, audience, and competing gelato shops to determine where Gelato Palace could stand apart. While many competitors leaned toward a more youthful aesthetic, I wanted the brand to feel elevated and authentically Italian while still being colorful and approachable enough to appeal to families and a broad audience.

I started the identity in black and white, sketching and refining the logo before introducing color. To create a more distinctive Italian feel, I illustrated the “Gelato” lettering myself and incorporated a palace into the letterforms. Once the logo was established, I developed a primary palette of pistachio green and strawberry pink that felt both sophisticated and inviting.

As the project expanded, the identity became a system I could pull from rather than simply repeating the logo. Details from the palace illustration, including its bricks, flag, curves, and silhouette, became patterns, graphic elements, and layout details that carried across each application.

Each new piece presented a different communication problem while still needing to feel unmistakably Gelato Palace. I continued researching, sketching, and developing concepts for each application, from a “Cones of the Week” brochure designed to create ongoing customer interest to an annual report that transformed brand elements into graphs, page details, and information hierarchy. As the applications became more complex, I expanded the visual system while maintaining the same typography, imagery, colors, and recurring elements throughout.