Double Take
Located on Wilshire Blvd, Double Take bridges Westwood and Beverly Hills with a modern restaurant and bar rooted in L.A. history. A clever merging of materials and textures, crafted by provocateur Dawson Design Associates, creates an environment of high-style with low-pretension. The experience is inspired by the spirit of independent filmmakers—those who ply the craft of film by day and seek well-crafted food and cocktails after hours.
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A Dual Name With A Singular Identity
It began with a name exploration to capture the sense of duality behind the concept, celebrating the maverick spirit that emerges from the backlot of independent films to turn heads around the world. The ensuing identity plays the part of the two-sided mirror, allowing for reflection and voyeurism simultaneously. The flipping of the L and A invoke a new perspective—an understated nuance that elicits the name and acts as a reminder of filmmaking’s artistic sleight of hand.
Making an Understated Statement
To further embellish visual interplay, the full collateral suite adopts the same understated, yet strikingly dynamic, color and compositional arrangements of words and invisible sightlines. From heavily-trafficked touchpoints, like menus, pastry case cards, tables numbers, to a tertiary presence in business cards, postcards, stamps and stickers—the varying layouts cohesively demonstrate the strength of a pattern developed from the primary mark’s main provocations. They invite inspection, interaction, and, ultimately, a connection.
The Story’s on the Menu
With the logistical dilemma of generating attention without infringing upon legibility, a suite of menus balance asymmetry and visual wayfinding. Tilted layouts require attention to detail and a physical unfolding to get the full story. Content is interrupted by design, yet design draws attention to content through the same tactic. Clipped together, the menus elevate their counterpart’s content via lines that direct sight to individual headers. It’s a cohesive demonstration of pattern that may feel like anything but upon first glance.
Digital Reflection
Taken digitally, Double Take’s design is approached through an un-balancing act. Imagery and type never quite align, and text boxes are always a little too close for comfort. Usual patterns are purposely broken, strategically funneling energy in one corner and subduing it in another, much like the restaurant space does. Comprehensively, the brand paradox becomes a more focused experience through intentional distraction.
