Above image and all photography credit: Karon Photography

Multi-displinary studio Projects of Imagination has led the charge in the design of Yo-Chi Frozen Yoghurt’s newest addition at 2 Ballarat Street, Yarraville. Co-directors Dion Hall and Nick Cox seem unstoppable after designing the interiors of Yo-Chi’s first two stores, as well as some of Melbourne’s most popular eateries, including the Builders Arms Hotel, Chin Chin and Trunk.

POI carved out a clear aesthetic for Yo-Chi’s first two offerings in Balaclava and Carlton, with clear emphases on strong, white interiors, framing the use of natural wood finishes for all the points of customer interaction. But for Yo-Chi’s newest addition, POI has deviated from the expected, while maintaining a connection to the major themes of the brand’s existing identity.

Blackbutt furniture and joinery are positioned against the wall-to-wall graphics created in collaboration with renowned international artist Andy Rementer, whose nostalgic and colourful visuals bolster the playful side of the Yo-Chi brand.

The same wheel-spoke inspired detailing at the counter is maintained, while the iconic Yo-Chi bear, the store’s unofficial mascot, is given a definite neon bent, in keeping with the store’s electric feel.

Just as Yo-Chi’s delicious yoghurts and smoothies are trialled, tested and of the highest quality ingredients, the design of the Yarraville store is precise to the smallest detail. While the customer is transported to a colourful cartoonish world, the user experience is not sacrificed in the name of quirky design, but instead supported by it.