In 2010, Carl’s Jr., the famous American fast food burger chain, was looking to implement itself in the Chinese market.

In this effort, it was openly seeking a partner to assist in the design of a more localised store concept to implement nationwide. From our understanding, a first pilot was envisioned in Shanghai prior to rolling the concept out.

Multiple Shanghai based studios pro-actively pitched for this scope of work.

Though DG2 associates mostly specialised in corporate interiors, it saw my profile, including my prior experience at Levi Strauss & co, as an opportunity to showcase interest in this pitching process.

I was asked by the studio’s associates to single handedly come up with a conceptual idea. First, I was tasked with conducting research on the current retailer’s branding, communication campaigns and store design concepts internationally. From there, I would head the design process with the support of colleagues, most notably a visualiser.

The associates would then create a pitch presentation to present to the local head of Carl’s Jr.

My first task was to identify a brand relevant and locally appealing story for the store concept. Based on my research I identified a notable contrast in the brand’s communication strategy between its traditional chargrilled burger offer and the rather “in your face” advertising campaigns running at the time, most notably that featuring Paris Hilton in a swimsuit. Based on this unique mix, I suggested a design applying visual codes traditionally associated with American diners but addressing them in a more explosive manner.

Based on my local experience, I felt that a modern take on the American diner experience would appeal with the Chinese audience. Especially if it also integrated some digital content referencing the video ads.

I initially sketched my ideas to present to our studio’s creative directors. With their sign-off, I then went on to design a set of standard plans: furniture, ceiling, floor finishes, elevations and shopfront. From there, I constructed a Sketchup model which served for a teaser video and for our 3D assistants to produce finalised renders.

All of these elements were combined in a “short and sweet” pitch presentation shared with the client.