Zé Delivery: Digital and Vernacular Walk into a Bar
Together with FutureBrand, we found in woodcut — the vernacular printing technique — the inspiration for the typeface design of the app that sets the scene for the Brazilian hangout.
Zé Delivery believes that the most fun hangout is spontaneous and improvised. It’s even a trait of “Brazilianness” to plan less and go with the flow more. We improvise. On the street, flip-flops become goalposts for soccer, and anything becomes a bar table. It’s a comfortable place not because of the plastic chairs, but because of sincere friends.
For a world with less “let’s schedule something?” and more “let’s go!”, we drink from woodcut, which is part of our popular graphic imagination. With art carved in wood and used as if it were a stamp, this printing technique became popular for being accessible, but is still used today for its uniquely Brazilian, handmade, and unparalleled aesthetic.
The Gelada (“Ice Cold”) font has irregular straight strokes, and the breaks in the counters recall this handcrafted printing process. The high waist of the uppercase letters brings the design closer to the vernacular, street universe; it conveys improvisation and adds a lot of personality.
In addition to usual italics, we have reverse italics on the menu; like that agile waiter who weaves between crowded tables, they materialize the promise of quick delivery, without spilling a single drop of the brand’s identity.
In a digital context where so many apps look the same, Zé Delivery stands out easily and authentically, slamming its brand identity on the table. And to balance expressiveness and functionality, the typeface family has a version with specific design adjustments, improving readability in small sizes.
“I want to highlight the client’s courage in trusting the process and approving an impactful typographic path. Creating standout brands requires boldness not just in words but in decisions. We have here the ingredients for a striking identity, prepared and mixed together with their internal design team and FutureBrand, which will differentiate Zé’s communication from all others in the market. Cheers to that!” — Fabio Haag
Fabio Haag Type: Ana Laydner, Sofia Mohr, Henrique Beier, Eduilson Coan and Fabio Haag.
