On this page:
Summary
Brigadears is a concept bakery selling Brazilian brigadeiros in Park Slope.
Inspired by retro Brazilian print and architectural design, this brand identity captures bright, friendly, fun — tinged with a slight nostalgia. The circular pops of color double as references to the brigadeiro as well as the tricolor Brazilian flag, while the main typeface family pays homage to Latin American vernacular lettering.
Created for
Coursera UX/UI Design Specialization via CalArts
Duration
First sprint: June – July 2018
Second sprint: May – June 2022
Roles
Graphic Designer
Web Designer
Strategy
Concept
Brigadears is a fictional bakery selling Brazilian brigadeiros in Park Slope. The small truffle-like desserts, typically made with condensed milk and chocolate, are highly customizable — popular variations include coconut, lime, dulce de leche, pistachio, strawberry, and so on. As a quintessential Brazilian childhood treat, brigadeiros feature heavily in birthday parties, often arranged in a mesmerizing table display of dozens or even hundreds of units. Brigadears aims to bring this delight to Park Slope parents, while also catering to dessert-loving foodies and nostalgic Brazilian expats across New York.
Target Audiences
By Role
– Parents — focused on delighting their children
– Foodies — motivated by trying new foods and flavors
– Expats — hoping to get a taste from hole while enjoying life in New York
By Demographics
– Gender — more female than male
– Occupations — office workers, freelancers, and/or stay-at-home parents
– Ages — parents to children under 12; 15 to 35 year-old foodies; expats of all ages
By Psychographics
– Personality & Attitudes — trendy, friendly, food adventurous
– Values — open-minded, multicultural
– Lifestyles — busy, active, family-oriented
User Personas
Amy, 37
– Owns a brownstone in Park Slope
– Married to a financial analyst, mom to two young children
– Works part-time as a freelance artist
– Highly involved in the local community and schools
– Meticulously plans birthday parties, holidays, vacations
Julie, 19
– From California, came to NYC to study photography at Pratt
– Shares an apartment with roommates in Bed Stuy, works part-time to afford rent
– Posts food reviews and photography to her growing following on Instagram, TikTok
– Eager to be the first to try a new spot in town
Mariana, 28
– From Belo Horizonte in Brazil, came to NYC for graduate school, studying business at Columbia
– Loves exploring the city and making new friends
– Lives on the Upper West Side and often feels homesick
– Looks for Brazilian restaurants as a way to reconnect to home
Brand Design
In sourcing design inspirations, I looked for references in Brazilian print design and architecture, as well as tropical motifs and the iconic image of the brigadeiro itself — resulting in the following moodboard:
The final brand sheet features cheerful versions of the tricolor Brazilian flag as pops of color, round like the brigadeiro. Ed’s Market serves as the main display typeface in a nod to Latin American vernacular lettering, with Helvetica Neue as a contrasting body typeface for the website. Brand collaterals include a window sign, employee name tags, box packaging, to-go bags, and gift cards with a consistent look and feel.
Web Design
Scope
To guide the process of designing the prototype website, I defined its scope and requirements, resulting in the following sitemap:
Content
Text, images, video that the user will be looking for.
– List of flavors with photos and details for each
– Contact information including phone, email, social media, and other pickup info (hours, map)
– FAQs about the products/services, such as allergens, catering/delivery info, etc
– Background on the restaurant/owners
Functionality
Systems that will allow the user to accomplish tasks.
– Products list — by flavor or by preset mixed boxes
– Add to cart/checkout flow — selection for pickup/delivery, adding billing information, reviewing and confirming order
– Catering requests — form submission for larger orders, including event/contact info
Wireframes and Mockups
Landing Page
Flavor Detail
Box Detail
Order Review
Catering Request
Tina Solo 