Happy Lion Cafe, branding and illustrations

Happy Lion Cafe is a neighborhood coffee spot with a mission: serve the best breakfast sandwiches and espresso drinks in a space that feels like home. This branding captures their community-first energy through character-driven design, bright colors, and a handcrafted touch.

We were inspired by playful brandings – mixing cheerful hand-drawn characters with simple backgrounds and soft color pops. The moodboard direction focused on creating a warm, handcrafted feel, combining cartoon energy with real food imagery and squiggly, artistic accents.

My creative process always begin with pencil and paper – trying to capture the spirit of Happy Lion through quick, expressive sketches. I explored different personalities and postures to find the one that truly felt like “home”.. These early drawings laid the foundation for a brand identity that’s both inviting and full of character, then I developed some of them, and presented to the client online.

The result

After client feedback and testing logos across signage, packaging, and merchandise, I refined two final logotypes:

Primary Logo: A cheerful lion walking with a steaming coffee cup – not just a Happy Lion, but happy having his coffee. Perfect for cups, bags, and signage.

Secondary Logo: A close-up lion savouring coffee – cozy and compact, great for round formats and small layouts, labels and stickers.

The logos are designed in black and white, allowing consistent use across various surfaces and materials.

Event visuals included a banner, feather flag, A-frame, and tabletop menu – all highlighting “Coffee & Breakfast” with friendly typography and custom illustrations. I created custom illustrations, where our Mascot is paired with the product he loves: burritos, cookies, and iced coffee – creating instant recognition and charm. Soft pops of pink, blue, yellow, and green give life without overwhelming.

To ensure consistency across all visuals – from menus and signs to digital media – I created a detailed brand guidelines document. It outlines logo usage, typography, color palette, custom illustrations and key applications like business cards and event signage. The system balances flexibility with clarity, making sure every touchpoint feels unmistakably Happy Lion: warm, playful, and cohesive.

It was a true joy to work on this project – thoughtful, playful, and full of heart. Collaborating with this client was a pleasure from start to finish. Projects like this are exactly why I created my Behance portfolio in the first place. I’d be happy to take on new commissions – feel free to reach out!