NUSHI: A Playful and Stylish Take on Vegan Sushi
The Opportunity: Filling a Gap in the Vegan Sushi Market in London.
London’s sushi scene is polarised—some brands lean into a deeply traditional Japanese aesthetic with calligraphic logos and heritage-inspired design, while others take a sleek, minimalist approach with refined typography and muted tones. This leaves an opportunity for a brand that brings a playful yet stylish approach, adding personality and storytelling to the experience.
NUSHI bridges this gap, taking inspiration from Soho’s independent eateries—where creativity thrives—to craft a bold, character-driven brand that blends style, fun, and quality.
Insights: Research That Shaped the Brand
I conducted a deep dive into over 70 vegan and non-vegan sushi brands in the UK, and abroad analysing their branding, market positioning, and customer engagement.
Market Positioning → Luxury sushi brands are often hyper-minimalist, while casual brands lack character-driven storytelling.
Competitor Analysis → Vegan sushi brands focus on wellness but miss the chance to be bold, fun, and shareable.
Cultural Influence → Instead of drawing from Mayfair’s exclusivity, I built NUSHI around Soho’s creative, street-style energy.
These insights led me to develop NUSHI as a visually striking, youthful, and Instagram-friendly brand that brings personality and excitement to the vegan sushi space.
Bringing NUSHI to Life: The Design Execution
1. Brand Identity & Personality
NUSHI is a playful, stylish, and personality-driven brand that reimagines vegan sushi with a fresh, engaging identity. Instead of the ultra-minimalist or hyper-traditional aesthetics common in the sushi market, NUSHI embraces a bold, character-driven approach that makes the experience more fun, inviting, and culturally relevant.
The brand voice is vibrant and expressive, positioning vegan sushi as something exciting, shareable, and full of personality.
2. Logo & Typography
Designed a custom logotype with a hand-drawn, slightly irregular feel to enhance the brand’s playful yet stylish identity.
Integrated sushi-inspired iconography, including a sushi roll in place of the "I" for instant recognition and brand recall.
3. Illustrated Mascot
Created a character-driven mascot to serve as the heart of the brand, reinforcing a strong sense of personality and storytelling.
The mascot brings warmth, laughter, and emotional connection, making NUSHI feel more like an experience rather than just a food brand.
