Project Type: Visual Identity - Bar/Restaurant
Role: Art Direction, Visual Identity Design
Scope: Concept Development, Identity System, Signage, Environmental Graphics
Utopian Tailgate is a bar and restaurant concept developed in collaboration with The Second City Art Department, Barker Nestor, and Fifty/50 Restaurant Group. I led the development of the visual identity and helped guide the visual execution of the space.
Utopian Tailgate was a finalist for Eater Chicago’s 2019 Restaurant Design of the Year
The Goal was simple: create a rooftop bar with games.
Our team developed three concepts tailored to the venue’s audience and connection to The Second City. Our favorite concept, The Perfect Tailgate, centered around a casual atmosphere inspired by classic Midwestern tailgate culture.
Check out the Pitch Deck here
The Challenge was honoring the location’s history while creating something distinct within Chicago’s crowded rooftop bar scene.
At the time, many rooftop bars leaned heavily into luxury and minimalism. So, we chose to emphasize playfulness - both visually and experientially - as a point of differentiation.
The Result was a playful, visually immersive experience that didn’t take itself too seriously.
The final identity system combined psychedelic color, vintage Americana, and playful typography to create a cohesive visual language that informed everything from signage and menus to environmental graphics throughout the space.
The rooftop was widely praised for its whimsical atmosphere, immersive design, and emphasis on fun, ultimately earning recognition as a finalist for Eater Chicago’s 2019 Restaurant Design of the Year.
Check out what folks have to say about the space:
