Cookies & Dreams
Logo Redesign, Branding, Brand Strategy, Art Direction, Environmental Design
Everything starts with a dream
Successful restaurant owners of Baked Beer & Bread, Stephanie and Bill, slowly offered rich, thick and filling filled cookies as dessert options in the front of their restaurant. What started as a small dessert option, quickly grew into a new venture to start a cookie shop in the Quad Cities. The mastermind behind the cookies, Stephanie, wanted to warm the hearts for everyone who came into their shop doors. ​​
Redesigning the Logo
Cookies & Dreams was developed as a playful and modern cookie shop identity that captured both Stephanie’s personality and the spirit of her cookies. While the original logo was created by a family friend, it needed refinement to work seamlessly across digital and print applications. To preserve existing brand recognition, the circular shape and whimsical typography were retained, but the design was elevated with stronger weight, improved legibility, and added meaning.
The final logo playfully combines the chips of a cookie with the craters of a moon—visually bringing together the ideas of both cookies and dreams.
Concepts and mockups for the initial brand strategy.
Large image of the updated Cookies & Dreams logo
Cookies & Dreams logo with color palette
Collage of all the elements and some extra ones
Large image of the updated Cookies & Dreams logo
Store Interiors that were created for expanding locations
Naperville Coming Soon Graphics
Coming Soon graphics for the Oak Lawn Location
Another potential artwork for a selfie spot next to the Tough Cookie definition.
Naperville Coming Soon Graphics
Guiding the Brand Beyond Its Initial Vision
I was later hired on as Creative Director, where I guided the brand through its next stage of growth. As we continued to expand, it became clear that the initial strategy needed to evolve to fully capture the warm, cozy side of cookies. I worked to refine the identity, update key touchpoints, and ensure the brand conveyed both its playful energy and its inviting, comforting atmosphere.
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Key goals for the brand evolution included:
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Expanding the warm, doughy color palette while phasing out underutilized colors
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Incorporating more repeatable patterns to strengthen brand recognition
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Developing a secondary horizontal logo for added flexibility
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Creating modular brand elements that can be reused in infinite combinations, supporting store expansion
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Positioning Stephanie as a central brand champion to highlight authenticity and personality
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Keeping select elements flexible and playful to adapt for special occasions and holidays
Mixing Up a Sweeter Strategy
To evolve the brand, we introduced new “ingredients” that better reflected the warm, cozy personality of Cookies & Dreams. The updated strategy expanded on the doughy, inviting color palette while removing underused tones, ensuring a more consistent and crave-worthy look. We added playful, repeatable patterns and a secondary horizontal logo for flexibility across both print and digital spaces. To support store expansion, we created modular design elements that could be mixed and matched in endless combinations, while also keeping room for seasonal and holiday variations. Most importantly, we brought Stephanie—the heart behind the brand—forward as a visible champion, making the identity feel even more personal and authentic.
Sprinkling the Finishing Touches
From digital screens to store interiors, every element of the brand comes together in harmony. Thoughtful color choices, playful patterns, and versatile logos combine to create an engaging, cohesive, and unmistakably Cookies & Dreams experience.
