After Work Bakes : an artisanal organic microbakery that grew on word of mouth

Designing a microbakery’s brand and business from scratch, from the name and Mei Mei to the packaging, photography and market stalls, to earn the trust of Kuala Lumpur’s organic community.

Project overview

Role:
Co-founder, brand and visual design
Team:
Brendon, co-founder and baker
Year:
2024 to 2025

What I worked on

  • Naming and brand identity
  • Mei Mei, the mascot
  • Packaging design
  • Product photography
  • Market stalls and events
Hands shaping sourdough into a floured proofing basket.
A round sourdough loaf, scored and dusted with flour, held in a linen cloth.
Black sesame bagels on a wooden board.

KL’s organic community had just lost its sourdough baker. We had to earn their trust with no ad spend.

A beloved artisan had retired, and nobody else was making naturally fermented bread with 100% organic ingredients.

My partner and I started a microbakery in Kuala Lumpur to fill that gap. Our customers were organic-conscious parents who want authentic, handmade bread they can trust.

Hands shaping a round of dough with a bench scraper, banneton baskets stacked behind.

The approach

The design concept for After Work Bakes is a warm, artisanal interpretation of home bakery aesthetics, blending hand-drawn typography with playful illustrative elements. The rounded, organic letterforms of the primary typeface ground the brand in approachability and gentle whimsy, while the hand-lettered “bakes” script adds a personal, crafted touch.

  1. Primary typeface

    Rounded, organic letterforms ground the brand in approachability and gentle whimsy.

  2. Script

    The hand-lettered “bakes” adds a personal, crafted touch.

  3. Mascot

    Mei Mei, a chubby doodle character perched above the wordmark, brings a child-like friendliness that appeals to families.

  4. The smiling ö

    Smiling gives it a fun edge and accentuates the friendliness of the brand.

  5. Palette

    Warm taupe #C4B8A8Soft cream #F5F2EDCharcoal #2D2D2D

Applications across different mediums

We kept the packaging raw, authentic and handmade: glass jars and mahjong paper, wrapped by hand. Packaging that looks made with care is what earned our customers’ trust.

A glass jar of gingerbread men, tied with a “jolly bread man” tag and a red After Work Bakes label.
A Christmas card: Mei Mei in reindeer antlers in an armchair, “Merry Christmas” in red script.
Gingerbread men on a wooden board beside the red After Work Bakes Christmas collection label.
Sourdough loaves and bagels in a basket by a window, with hand-lettered words over the photograph: 100%, vegan, handmade with love, healthy, slow dough.

Mei Mei, the brand mascot

The mascot embodies After Work Bakes’ child-like, comforting appeal: a chubby, huggable character with marshmallow-soft proportions that evoke warmth and approachability. The snail companion serves as a visual metaphor for slow living and the slow fermentation process central to the brand’s sourdough craft.

Mei Mei drawn in black line: a chubby round character with a snail on her head, hugging a loaf.