The inventors of the Pandoro
The characteristic star-based pyramid molds were a creation of Domenico Melegatti - a brilliant Veronese pastry chef, who with his creativity gave life to a new iconic timeless product. The star-shaped cake immediately became a great success and in a short time, it contributed to the rapid expansion of Domenico Melegatti’s business. Today Roberto Spezzapria and his family protect the integrity and the Italian character of this brand that has made the history of the leavened bakery world.
Choosing the visuals
A priority was to ensure that the overall design would grab attention from a distance and stand out among the crowd without becoming visually overwhelming. This should be achieved by focusing on the image of the Pandora cake - a truly compelling visual meant to draw attendees closer. It is also the product that is characteristically linked with the Melegatti brand underlining its heritage and Italian tradition. To enhance the Italian character of the brand a stamp was added to the graphic showing the "Product of Italy" label. By request from the brand, I included the iconic year of 1894, when the brand was founded, and Domenico Melegatti's signature to craft a concise and clear message that can be easily understood at a glance, even from a distance. Here it was important to consider, that all elements of the panel had to be moved further up since a representative of the brand would stay before it and the copy's readability and clear visibility of the logo still need to be assured.
Colors and Gradients
After having tried out versions with the original background color of the Pandoro photo, that have been black as well as some chocolate background colors, I had the idea to return to the delegate's signature blue gradient, which you can see on its packaging. After isolating the pandoro and recoloring the background it was placed as a separate layer underneath the copy, logo, and stamp. By applying further signature colors and fonts used by the brand, I ensured brand consistency within the appearance.
Printing for big Panels
I had to work with the given panel size considering adjusting the bleed to 5cm, to ensure nothing was cut away unintentionally and that the background would spread throughout the bleed. At the same time, I needed to ensure that the image, logo, stamp, and signature maintained high resolution and quality when scaled up to the size of the booth panel. Furthermore, the panel was originally intended to be wrapped around the panel wall. Since we were not sure if it still met the requirements of the venue I was told to widen the sides of the design so more space could be used for wrapping or in another case it could be cut away. Later the file was saved for CMYK printing with all colors adjusted to the profile and packaged for the final print.
Afterthoughts
Working on a large panel taught me to consider not only the overall design, but also the installation process, the impact of lighting conditions as well as event-specific regulations, such as size limitations, safety guidelines, and any venue-specific requirements for booth panels. Navigating these challenges involves meticulous planning, collaboration with the event team, and a keen understanding of the audience's expectations and behaviors within the event space.
