Research
Analyzing Cinnabon's signature look
I conducted a comprehensive brand analysis to build a strong foundation for the redesign — this allowed me to brainstorm directions we could take the brand
What does cinnabon feel like?
Irresistible, quality, magical, iconic, old-timey
What could we highlight?
Nostolgia, lush, whimsy
The why
“Our mission is to spread warmth — not only in our Bakeries, but also in our community”.
The market
Caucasian females age 30-35 are the largest segment. Cinnabon's attracts through freshness, and smell, with many sales due to impulse or craving.
Discovery
Exploring possible directions
Our research showed that Cinnabon's value proposition was the experience and nostalgic story.
I imagined directions we could go in...
Trashing & treasuring
Competitive and market analysis ensured our design wouldn't be too similar or too out there.
Through this process, I observed that removing too many elements from a brand's identity renders it unrecognizable, while retaining too many elements leads to negligible change.
With this in mind, we decided which elements to remove, which to keep, and which to update.
The redesign
Welcome to the new Cinnabon
What are my most important takeaways?
What are my most important takeaways?
What key decisions led to our solution?
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Taking the leap on new themes
Use of a squishy, indulgent and whimsy wordmark gives off friendly and sweet vibes.
The goal was to create a logo that mirrors the irresistible tastiness of the delicious product.
Going back to our roots
The cinnamon swirl icon is a callback to the old-school logo from 1985. Cinnabon highly values community, warmth and family values.
By referencing the brand's roots, Cinnabon accentuates and embodies their history
Imperfection
A key focus for the design was creating an imperfect logo to match the cinnamon buns and the playful tone of the brand.
It's squishification!
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Epilogue
Refreshing what's stale — the reason for the remake
Our redesign keeps Cinnabon competitive in modern times, with a strong value proposition, while building on core values.
If implemented, it would be key to gauge user feedback on socials, especially within our target audience. It would also be crucial to measure growth and engagement to see which channels are effective, and focus marketing efforts effectively
I want to design an easier way for students to connect, optimized for serendipity and face-to-face engagement.
What did I learn?
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What are my most important takeaways?
What are my most important takeaways?
A sturdy backbone
When designing materials for the brand I would often exhaust my mind thinking through Cinnabon's personality and target market.
The way I wanted people to feel when looking at my designs led my decisions. Without a strong idea of the brand and its goals I could never have put myself in another's shoes.
No stone left unturned
Giving our right brains the freedom to wander led us down paths that would never be apparent when we started the project.
Don’t be afraid to take a shot in the dark or experiment. It’s how the most ingenuities ideas form.
Show me, I'm not listening
The common “show, don’t tell” storytelling principle holds a ton of merit in brand design. During competitive analysis I noted that great brands aim for branding to match their real product's personality
Think McDonald's and simplicity, IHOP and friendly, Cinnabon and alluring indulgence.
Never just tell your story. Show and wow.
Next project ☟
