Sweet Beijing is a collaborative branding and UX project developed with college design students in Beijing as part of an international design initiative. Our team worked together to create a culturally-driven campaign that promotes traditional Beijing pastries through modern digital experiences. The concept was designed to engage both local residents and international visitors, with a focus on pastries commonly associated with seasonal events.
Challenge
The main challenge was to create a campaign that felt authentic and meaningful to locals while remaining accessible and engaging for tourists.
Research & Collaboration
As an international team, we conducted surveys to better understand the preferences, behaviors, and cultural interests of people who might visit Beijing. Our research focused on how seasonal foods connect to holidays, nostalgia, and cultural identity.
Strategy & Solution
While research was conducted collaboratively, we all independently developed creative direction and deliverables for our own campaigns. Based on our shared insights, I designed a brand identity system, static and digital advertisements, and a mobile app prototype. The concept reintroduced Beijing’s seasonal pastries through emotional storytelling and modern UX, allowing users to explore the history, significance, and locations tied to these traditional foods.
Brand Identity
Marketing Graphic
Mobile App & Prototype
Login & User Profile
The login screen introduces users to the Sweet Beijing experience with bold cultural motifs and a custom logotype. The profile screen continues the visual identity with decorative borders and vibrant color blocking, allowing users to manage their settings, access FAQs, and view personal information in a branded environment.
Home Feed & User Dashboard
The homepage showcases featured storefronts, seasonal pastry categories, and trending items. Bright seasonal tags make browsing intuitive and festive. The user dashboard screen lets visitors quickly access saved pastries, liked posts, and favorite storefronts, reinforcing a personalized, app-like shopping journey.
Storefront Detail & Community Feed
These screens introduce specific pastry shops like Fuhuazhai, blending business info with rich history and images. The community tab mimics social platforms, allowing users to post experiences, share reviews, and ask questions to create a space for food-based conversation and cultural exchange.
Festivals & Featured Pastries
The seasonal feature introduces events like the Lantern Festival, tying each holiday to relevant foods and traditions. Paired with a visual carousel of highlighted pastries, these screens combine visual storytelling with clear navigation and discovery.
Pastry Detail & Cooking Method
These screens showcase a featured pastry, such as Aiwowo, with cultural background information and a step-by-step guide to how it’s made. The layout combines storytelling and educational content, helping users learn about traditional foods in an engaging, approachable way.
Search & Notifications
A clean search interface helps users find specific pastries, like mooncakes, with quick access to where they’re sold. The notifications tab supports ongoing engagement, surfacing activity across posts, storefront updates, and community interaction.
Outcome & Takeaways
The final concept blended tradition with modern design to reintroduce Beijing pastries as cultural experiences. It strengthened my skills in research-driven design, cultural branding, and building meaningful UX for diverse audiences.
