Zizzi
Zizzi is a UK-based casual dining brand known for its Italian-inspired menu and playful, contemporary personality - something I brought to life daily as their Senior Designer. I worked across everything from campaign ideation and art direction to illustration, packaging, social content and email design. Whether I was sketching pasta patterns or directing food photography, my role was all about serving up bold, flavourful design that felt as fun and fresh as the food itself.
Art Direction
One of my key projects at Zizzi was leading the art direction for a major menu launch. With the business increasing from three to eight menu updates a year, it was essential to present new dishes clearly and cohesively within an already extensive offering. I managed and art directed all associated food photography, working closely with our photographer, marketing, and food teams to ensure each dish was captured with creativity, clarity, and appetite appeal. This content was then rolled out across in-restaurant menus, POS, and digital channels to ensure a consistent and engaging customer experience.
Zizzi at Home
Zizzi’s frozen range, designed by Design Hawks, brings restaurant-inspired favourites - including award-winning pizzas, pastas, sides and desserts - to supermarket shelves nationwide, stocked in Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose. I art directed the front-of-pack food photography, collaborating with our photographer and food team to create bold, appetising visuals that reflect the quality of the dishes and help them stand out in the frozen aisle.
Packaging
At Zizzi, I led the design of key packaging projects that spanned both the in-restaurant and retail experience. From refreshing the Out Of Restaurant (OOR) range for Uber Eats and takeaway to supporting the art direction of Zizzi’s frozen line in supermarkets, my focus was on creating packaging that not only stood out visually but also aligned with brand storytelling and commercial goals. Whether enhancing shelf presence or elevating the unboxing experience at home, each piece of packaging was crafted to connect with customers and reflect Zizzi’s playful, modern take on Italian food.
Emails
I designed a wide range of email campaigns for Zizzi, supporting everything from new menu launches to seasonal promotions and competitions. Each week, I produced up to three emails targeting an audience of 1.5 million customers, ensuring designs were both visually engaging and aligned with Zizzi’s fun, food-loving brand identity. One of the key campaigns I worked on was Win A Slice - a promotion designed to increase sign-ups to the Zillionaires’ Club. I created a custom digital safe graphic that became the hero asset across emails and social media. Working closely with the marketing and CRM teams, I ensured the campaign was cohesive across all channels and drove strong customer engagement.
Campaign Ideation
As Zizzi’s Senior Designer, I was responsible for the end-to-end visual direction of major campaigns - from initial ideation through to execution across all customer touchpoints. Working closely with cross-functional teams including marketing, food, and operations, I developed campaign concepts that not only aligned with brand strategy but also supported commercial goals. My role involved bringing these ideas to life through cohesive visuals, clear storytelling, and considered brand application across digital, print, in-restaurant, and various channels. Each campaign was crafted to engage customers at every stage of their journey - whether launching new menus, driving app engagement, or increasing repeat visits.
The More, The Merrier
I developed the full creative direction for Zizzi’s The More, The Merrier Christmas celebration, strategically crafting it to enhance the customer experience and highlight Zizzi’s core values of fun and togetherness, while maximising revenue during their most financially crucial season. I created a cohesive suite of materials, overseeing the project from initial concept to art directing the shoot and executing the final designs across multiple channels.
To add a playful touch, I illustrated custom elements like pepperoni baubles and chilli ornaments, giving the campaign a fun, food-inspired twist.
This comprehensive creative leadership brought Zizzi’s core values to life and maximised engagement during their busiest season.
