Koto rebrands restaurant discovery platform Franki

Koto rebrands restaurant discovery app Franki with vibrant typography and playful characters

Global creative studio Koto has unveiled a new visual and verbal identity for social restaurant discovery platform Franki, designed around the core idea of making time dance.

Founded by Eugene Varricchio and Nick Bennett, Franki began its rollout in Austin in 2020 before expanding across the US. The platform brings together short-form video recommendations, personalised discovery, and cash-back rewards, connecting local diners, content creators, and hospitality businesses. For venue owners, Franki provides a performance-based alternative to traditional advertising by charging businesses only when content leads directly to a real visit and transaction.

Gone are the days of apps designed for millennials. Video-led is the new norm, and in an already competitive market populated by long-established platforms such as Google, Tripadvisor, and Yelp, as well as a growing wave of other video-led discovery apps, Franki required a brand identity with a cohesive visual language to communicate the value of its app-only experience before users cross the download barrier, while encouraging long-term community participation.

Make time dance

Koto developed the brand around the idea “Make time dance”. Framing time as the primary currency of the experience economy, the identity positions Franki as an insider guide that offers a shortcut to knowing where to go, when to visit, and what is worth sharing.

The language draws on the Jester archetype, using a warm, witty, and open tone of voice that replaces traditional authority and exclusivity with accessible, honest recommendations. Every contribution within the app is framed as adding value to the wider dining community.

Gerald Torto, senior strategy director at Koto, said, “Franki is trying to solve a very human problem: how to spend more of your time doing things you genuinely enjoy. The opportunity was to make that utility feel joyful rather than transactional. ‘Make time dance’ gave the brand a clear strategic role, but also an emotional one. Franki helps people find their own beat, then invites them to share it with everyone else.”

Typography, colour, and character-led design

The thematic visuals include vibrant colours, curvy forms, and energetic motion. Bright Yellow and Gold dominate the colour palette to signal optimism and movement, complemented by Light Yellow, Off White, Pure White, and Charcoal for contrast and functional flexibility.

The Franki symbol is in tandem with the visual cues of quality wares and influential societies, acting as a shorthand for being in the know. Beyond functioning as a brand mark, the symbol acts as an active character across the interface, pointing to URLs, highlighting locations, and guiding users through the product experience.

Typography is led by Diatype Rounded, which introduces warm, friendly letterforms across headlines, in-app moments, and campaign collateral. Motion design incorporates bouncy type transitions and lo-fi details to keep the digital experience warm and approachable.

Melissa Baillache, executive creative director at Koto, said, “The identity needed to move with the same energy as the product. The logo became more than a signature. It morphs into a character that can guide, react and celebrate, giving Franki a clear emotional language across the product. Around it, type, colour, motion and imagery work as one lively system, making every interaction feel warm, intuitive and unmistakably Franki.”

Candid art direction

The brand’s art direction focuses on unscripted, candid photography that captures the spontaneous energy of eating out. Images feature warm lighting, natural colour, energetic framing, shared plates, and open laughter to mirror real-life social encounters.

The updated identity spans Franki’s entire digital product, content channels, and communications. It also informs the Franki Social Club, a creator programme that rewards users with cash back when their restaurant recommendations inspire visits from others.