Jaden Of Spades

Senorita Margarita Bar - A functional Bar Prop

For a 40th birthday celebration, I was initially commissioned to create an A5 invitation. However, a month later, the project evolved into designing a large-scale functional bar prop resembling a “food van.”

Overview

Client: Thomas Armstong

 

Scope: Print Design, Digital Illustration

 

Outcome: Create an illustrated music festival inspired invitation and a full scale “food van” to be built and displayed outside as a prop for the bar.

 

Critical Issue: The Margarita Van will host the bar and bartenders behind – produce a design that will hide the table, their feet and be tall enough.

Specifications

Size: 5.80m x 2.40m landscape

 

Imagery: Must include original illustrations. Handwritten lettering. Featuring a Mariachi character and Mr. Armstrong’s Spanish designed house.

 

Keywords: Mariachi, Spanish, Day of the Dead, Costume party.

development

I began by researching food van measurements but quickly realized that standard dimensions wouldn’t suit the prop’s specific functional purpose. Instead, we developed custom measurements, scaling it up from 4 meters to 5.8 meters in length. During this process, I carefully accounted for practical details like table height, length, and the bartenders’ working height to ensure functionality and comfort.

Final Solution

When I first designed the invitation, I used raster layers, not anticipating the need to scale up the imagery. Fortunately, the bar’s name, Señorita Margarita, allowed me to reimagine the character as a vector illustration. I redrew the design, adding a feminine hairstyle for an extra touch of charm.

To hide the bartenders’ feet and provide storage behind the bar, I took inspiration from food trucks that use “skirts” to conceal wheels. I created a hedge-like element for this purpose, which blended seamlessly with the garden beds at the event location, adding a cohesive and natural flow to the overall design.

 

This project was an exciting challenge, transforming a simple invitation concept into an immersive and functional centerpiece for the celebration.

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