Zhivar is the name of a café inspired by the atmosphere of a specific region in Iran; one rooted in Kurdish culture. The owners of the brand are of Kurdish heritage, and they wanted their cultural identity to be reflected throughout the café experience. For the visual identity design, we turned to their Kurdish roots as well as the café’s name, which itself is a Kurdish word meaning “Life.” We studied the ancient art history of the region expressed through early engravings, pottery, local crafts, and later woven into the traditions of handmade carpets that have evolved over centuries and reached us today.

We curated a collection of these traditional forms, modernized them, and incorporated them into a series of illustrations as part of the visual language we determined for the brand. These included motifs inspired by plants, dance, musical instruments, singing, as well as birds and horses symbolizing freedom and strength. Our goal was to build a meaningful bridge to the cultural origins of the brand. We also aimed to present the products offered by the café in a contemporary visual style that would feel engaging and appealing to the audience.

For the brand’s color palette, we selected hues drawn from the natural landscape of Kurdistan: shades inspired by mountains, local plants such as henna, and the earthy tones characteristic of the region. In typography, we incorporated Kurdish words and terms rooted in Kurdish culture and written in expressive calligraphic forms to enhance their beauty. These key words referenced concepts such as the beginning of the day, freedom, and other culturally rooted phrases. We went beyond the literal meaning of these words and expressed their essence visually, through form. In certain parts of the project, we used concrete poetry techniques, creating imagery sculpted through the arrangement of words.

The interior design of the café was developed in alignment with the visual identity as well. With the cohesive aesthetic formed through branding and spatial design, Zhivar quickly became a popular and distinctive gathering place; one that not only provided a pleasant experience but also invited visitors to connect with the culture of the owners. In essence, Zhivar was not only a brand identity design; it was the integration of an entire value system, beliefs, traditions, and the historical memory of a culture into a core identity. Its design embraces eclecticism, combining diverse cultural references with contemporary artistic expression, making Zhivar both profoundly cultural and strikingly modern.