Kikli
Brand Identity & Extension
OVERVIEW
Located in the heart of Connaught Place, New Delhi, Kikli is a Punjabi restaurant that explores the vibrant food culture of a lesser-known, ancestral Punjab. The identity is shaped by chef Amninder Sandhu’s journey to trace a living inheritance of culinary traditions, shared lineage, and cultural identity, approached with curiosity and a contemporary lens. At its heart, Kikli celebrates food and community, especially the love and generosity that define how people cook, feed, and gather together. Rooted in Gurmukhi letterforms, phulkari motifs, and family archives, the visual language honours memory, heritage, and the enduring bond between food, culture, and kinship.
SCOPE
Brand Identity Brand Extension Signage
CREDITS
Project done at Studio Design Brew Client - Kikli Images - Team Kikli Instagram link - https://www.instagram.com/kikliindia/?hl=en
STRATEGY
Heirloom Punjab : A contemporary lens on the vibrant inner lanes and homes of Punjab
The brand repositions Punjab through a refined, contemporary lens, moving beyond familiar tropes of loudness and kitsch to reveal a quieter, deeper cultural truth. It draws closer to the roots, uncovering the richness of everyday life, inner spaces, and inherited rituals, while preserving the region’s innate vitality and warmth. Anchored in heirloom food traditions, shared lineage, and cultural memory, the strategy brings a living inheritance into the present with nuance, relevance, and enduring resonance.
VISUAL SYSTEM
The visual language is a contemporary reclamation of heritage, reimagined for the present.
Kikli’s identity system moves beyond regional stereotypes to explore Punjab through a non-streotypical, contemporary lens. The visual language is built on a modern interpretation of Phulkari artistry, extracting geometric motifs and a vibrant color palette from a craft that historically used daily life as its central theme. This concept of "lost and found" is reflected in the typography, where a custom headline face featuring an intricate stitch pattern is balanced by a clean, functional sans-serif. The system is completed by an archival imagery style that mirrors family records, grounding the modern design in personal history and the enduring bonds of kinship.
APPLICATION
A modular system designed to scale across tactile and digital touchpoints.
Kikli’s applications function as a living archive, where heritage is reimagined through contemporary craft. The brand system utilizes high-contrast typography and geometric motifs to create a consistent visual rhythm, ensuring that whether through fabric-inspired coasters or apholsetry or digital storytelling, the brand remains rooted in the spirit of community and kinship.
