Bronze Graphic · 2026

Lao Huotang Brand Identity

by Bi Cheng Zhong

Bronze A' Design Award 2026 in Graphic
Estimated Number of Design Views: 6,696
Verification code D3E85DA74A · Verify this award

View at A' Design Award Press Release

Colors

About Lao Huotang Brand Identity

Lao Huo Tang is a brand identity for a hot pot restaurant in Taiwan. The logo shows a cast iron pot held by a single hand, with a rising steam line that suggests slow simmering. The Chinese characters are drawn with flame shaped brushstrokes and paired with modern typography. The palette layers boiling red, orange red, brick red and warm beige, guiding the eye from stove to table. White is used for the logo and lettering to improve clarity. The identity is applied to signage, menus, business cards and printed materials.

About the Bronze A' Design Award

Lao Huotang Brand Identity is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Lao Huotang Brand Identity is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Lao Huotang Brand Identity splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: The logo shows a cast iron pot held by a single hand, symbolizing the artisan's careful control and devotion to slow-cooked broth. Steam rising from the lid evokes simmering charm. The Chinese characters of 'Lao Huo Tang' feature brushstroke flames, reflecting the stove's flicker, paired with modern typography for professionalism and approachability. This cohesive identity spans signage, menus, business cards, and DM materials.
Dimensions & Packaging: The project required rebuilding brand identity and spatial perception on an existing operational base. Visual design had to adapt to limitations such as signage not extending to the second floor. Instead, the designer enhanced visibility with strategic color use and lightbox signage. Brand elements were incorporated into placemats, soup ladles, and sauce dishes-transforming every detail into a statement of culinary discernment.
Tags: Hot pot, Cantonese soup, cast iron pot, flame, warm color palette, rebranding
Production Technology: The visual palette centers on red (C34M100Y100K0), representing boiling broth and the passion of craftsmanship. It is complemented by saturated orange-red (C0M73Y92K0), brick red (C34M54Y80K0), and warm beige (C5M32Y18K0), forming a gradient from fire to table. White is used in the logo and typography to enhance clarity and modernity. Applications on red backgrounds, menu covers, and digital media enhance recognizability. Materials include matte foil stamping and spot UV finish, aligning with the brand's 'refined within affordability' philosophy.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was the site's physical limits and repositioning the brand. With a low storefront ceiling, vertical signage was impossible, so recognizability relied on a vivid red lightbox and precise color system. Simultaneously, the design needed to convey the artisanal, slow-simmered identity within a space historically perceived as a budget hot pot chain, elevating the brand without expanding its physical footprint.
Research: The redesign transforms hot pot dining perception by making flavor layering visually expressive, centering the identity on the cast iron pot and artisan hand. Swirling steam evokes slow simmering, while flame-inspired typography animates 'LAO HUO TaNG.' A palette of boiling red, brick, and warm beige evokes heat from stove to table. The refreshed identity feels 'adorable yet professional,' boosting recognition, social sharing, and establishing a new classic within Taiwanese hot pot culture.
Inspiration: In Taiwan's competitive hot pot market, Lao Huo Tang emphasizes 'broth as the protagonist,' rooted in Hong Kong and Macau Cantonese soup traditions. The brand revamp challenges low-cost hot pot stereotypes, highlighting the sincerity of slow cooking. The designer crafted a visual identity that conveys depth and layered flavor, blending tradition with innovation to establish a distinctive, atmospheric presence within Taiwan's hot pot industry.
Project Duration: The project finished in July 2021 in Taiwan.
Operation Flow: Following its launch, the brand's refreshed look drew attention from both loyal and new customers. The design was praised as 'adorable yet professional,' memorable, and full of sincerity. Customers noted that every detail-from the red visual theme to the white logo-reflected thoughtful design. The owner shared that many guests photographed and shared the restaurant on social media, commenting that it 'understands both soup and design.' The result: affordable, yet anything but ordinary-truly classic.'
Image Credits: Amazing Design