Zenchef

Creating a new category: Dining Out Technology

    Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Digital Design

Craving authentic connections, Zenchef created a recipe for booking and planning your next dinner that is as heartfelt as it is high-tech. We cooked up an identity, merging Formitable, Resengo, and Zenchef together, that’s not about pixels and platforms but about people and their palates, because dining out isn't just about food and tip.

Flavorful foundations

Where others see tables and menus, Zenchef sees stories and connections. Taking this as our foundation, we created a brand that’s authentic and easy to understand. Because in the end, it’s about giving everyone, guests and restaurants alike, a digital experience that hits the spot.


Walking through a Saturday market, your eyes light up with colors: fresh greens and earthy tones. We’ve brought these same colors to Zenchef’s palette, crafting a visual experience that’s as appetizing as the culinary journeys their platform facilitates. And just like the market caters to guests and chefs, we created brand guidelines for both Zenchef’s audiences.

Visual feast

From kitchen polaroids to handwritten notes and playful dish illustrations, Zenchef captures the soul of dining out: a celebration of taste and tradition, making every online moment feel as personal as a chef’s signature dish.


Yet, the digital realm remains Zenchef’s Front of House. One in which we blend traditional hospitality with a dash of digital zest. Their brand icon, a stylized Z, symbolizes the unique fusion between taste and tech, of personalization and digital efficiency.

Savoring simplicity

Just as a menu sets the tone for a meal, our typography for Zenchef sets the stage for its digital presence. From a typeface with elegant, high-contrast strokes to one characterized by clean, minimalistic design, each of them tells a story of a brand that’s as approachable as it is sophisticated.


When navigating Zenchef’s website, every click is a step closer to a memorable experience. From booking to planning ahead. We ensured the platform is as delightful and intuitive as exploring a well-curated menu. One click to reserve, one clink to cheers.

Zenchef 404 error page styled as a paper receipt on a bright blue background, reading 'Page not found' with an apology message and a 'Go to home' button.
Photo of hands holding a Zenchef card at a restaurant table, headlined 'Welcome to Zenchef's Top Voted Restaurant of 2023,' with an overlaid mock receipt, amid wine glasses and a white tablecloth.
Zenchef restaurant-booking app mockup over a photo of wine being poured, showing a 'Good evening, Lily-anne' greeting, a search bar, and a 'Top 10 restaurants' listing with available booking times.
Mockup of an olive green Zenchef tote bag with a line drawing of two hands toasting with wine glasses, hanging in front of a stocked wine rack.
Person seen from behind wearing a white Zenchef t-shirt that reads 'Your table is ready' with a line drawing of a hand holding a serving tray, in a wine bar setting.
Zenchef graphic on brown with a hand-drawn plate-and-cutlery illustration trailing stars, the tagline 'Where tables are more than reservations,' and the zenchef.com URL.
Overhead mockup of a person holding a phone showing the Zenchef confirmation 'Your table at Night Kitchen is booked,' alongside two takeaway coffee cups in a tray, on a sidewalk.
Animated white-on-blue Zenchef line illustrations cycling through labeled restaurant scenes
Four Zenchef app screen mockups on cream: an olive cover reading 'The heart of dining out,' a blue 'Newly added' restaurant guide, a brown 'Little Collins' detail page with a 4.6 rating and 'Reserve a table' button, and a grey 'Your table is booked' confirmation.
Mockup of a device dock over a mountain wallpaper, showing the App Store, Mail, and the olive-green Zenchef 'z' app icon.
Mockup of the Zenchef restaurant reservations dashboard on blue, showing a sidebar menu and a Thursday booking timeline with colored bars labeled by guest name and a 'Create booking' button.
Mockup of an olive-green Zenchef billboard on a corrugated street wall, headlined 'Your table is ready.' with collaged photos of food, wine, and a mock receipt, and the zenchef.com URL.

Collaboration