Pop-Up Identity & Illustration System
Sincerely X Sauced
Client: Sincerely, Sophia Davila
Venue: Sauced Nashville
Scope: Visual Identity, Illustration, Menu Design, Social Media Assets
Year: 2025
Venue: Sauced Nashville
Scope: Visual Identity, Illustration, Menu Design, Social Media Assets
Year: 2025
A visual identity inspired by a chef’s stage in Oaxaca, created for a one-night tasting menu in Nashville.
Project Brief
Chef Sophia, also known as @sincerely,sophiadavila on Instagram, wanted a unique visual identity for her latest pop-up with Sauced Nashville that authentically reflected her experience in Mexico while appealing to Sauced Nashville’s established brand and audience. Marketing would exist solely on Instagram with an extremely tight timeline, so the assets had to work on social media, and the identity had to be eye-catching and stand out from her other content. She’d need a physical menu that could be produced quickly and affordably on the day of the event.
Goal
For this one-night collaboration between chef Sophia Davila and Sauced Nashville, the goal was to create a visual identity that fully captured and communicated the sensory richness of her Oaxacan-inspired tasting menu.
More than simply promoting an event, the identity needed to translate a deeply personal culinary experience and appreciation into a visual language—one that reflected warmth, vibrancy, and the cultural influence on Sophia. The final system included custom illustrations, promotional assets for socials, and a printed menu, all designed to work together as a cohesive experience that extended the story of the food beyond the plate.
Process
o find a unique angle for this event, I worked closely with Sophia to understand her time in Mexico. The inspiration for these illustrations came from a beautiful embroidered tapestry in Mexico City.
The embroidered tapestry utilised a traditional Mexican visual language called Tenangos. Tenangos is characterised by its expressive depictions of flora, fauna, and daily life, rendered in vibrant colour and rhythmic composition.
While researching this style, I noticed that most of its visual storytelling focused on the natural environment and people, but rarely on the culinary experience. This presented an opportunity to explore the Tenangos visual language through a culinary lens—creating illustrations that emphasised food, drink, movement, and celebration. This approach allowed the identity to feel culturally referential while remaining unique to Sophia’s personal experience and the free-spirited, intimate setting of Sauced Nashville.
Final Outcome
The final visual identity successfully and clearly conveyed what guests could expect from attending the pop-up. The illustrations established a distinctive, recognisable presence across social media, standing apart from her other content at a glance. In its physical form, the printed menu felt simple yet sophisticated, reinforcing the immersive upscale atmosphere.
Despite the accelerated timeline, the identity successfully captured the emotional and cultural influence of Oaxaca while seamlessly integrating into Sauced’s environment, leaving my client incredibly happy and eager to use these illustrations again. The night ended with good food, good wine, and a little bit of salsa dancing.
