The Project
Client: Coffee Emporium
Deliverables: branding / packaging / retail / merch / web design
This brand redesign heroes playful typography and illustration in a cohesive system that celebrates Coffee Emporium's commitment to people and coffee.
The Impact
This rebrand raised the bar in terms of Coffee Emporium's perception. Having been a Cincinnati favorite since 1973, they already gained their community's love and trust through their expertly-roasted coffee and cozy cafés. But this new design system primed them for growth through cohesion, clarity, and brand recognition. Sales across the board increased after its implementation, including in-store, online, and through the brand's retail partnerships, even contributing to a 40% increase in conversion rate.
The Process
Background
I started the process by diving deep into the brand, both as it currently stands and where the client was hoping to take it in the future, using that information to develop a strategy. I interviewed all three decision-makers, asking things like brand mission, audience, and what sets them apart from the competition. I also asked some fun questions like "If your brand was an animal, what would it be?" Questions like these help clients to think outside the business side of things and help me to get a feel for the brand's personality and inform visual direction.
Competitive Audit
I looked at how other coffee brands were positioning themselves and how that comes across in their branding. This gave me context for what's working (and not working) for other brands, what's already out in the world, and, most importantly, what doesn't exist yet. This process defined the space where Coffee Emporium exists and that gaps it can fill. In a world with a lot of highbrow, elevated coffee brands, Coffee Emporium is dedicated to approachability. They wanted connoisseurs and novices alike to feel confident when choosing their product, even offering education to meet each customer where they are.
Inspiration
I took inspiration from color, patterns, and packaging to establish a style that would cue specific products and illustrate what was unique about them and the brand itself. This process also helped establish the illustration style. I chose examples that offered both hand-drawn imperfection and structure that would help create a system unique to Coffee Emporium that could be applied across their wide range of product offerings.
Sketches
Coffee Emporium offers only ethically-sourced fair trade and relationship coffee, which was something they wanted to come through in the branding. So I started down a path of creating patterns inspired by traditional art in the places that each coffee comes from. It ended up being a great exercise in learning about the coffees' sources, but not a direction I could ethically move forward with, especially as a White designer from the Midwest. This was an important learning experience for me as a young creative and a turning point for me in my understanding of inspiration versus appropriation. The more I learned about each culture and their art, the more I realized how little I knew and that I had no business making these types of designs. I went back to the drawing board to create the current designs that use shape, repetition, & color inspired instead by the landscapes, flora, & fauna of each of these regions.
