I think it’s every designers bucket list project to create a coffee brand, so I was excited when the folks from Buildings and Food reached out about a coffee concept they were working on. It was cool to be involved from the very early days of the project, they hadn’t even settled on a name for it yet, to help shape the idea. This was a branding project from the ground up (no pun intended), but it was also a packaging project designing coffee bags for retail and wholesale, and a subscription box. They had some very out of the box ideas in terms of visual, and an abstract brand that needed to represent something high-end and approachable. They also needed help sourcing a print and packaging vendor that could meet their needs for the packaging.
Moodboard
Concepts
We played around with a bunch of ideas, since there were a lot of concepts they wanted to represent with the logo without being overbearing. Obviously the whole peristyle walled garden from the name, we also tried day and night and were able to include it in a subtle way in the final version. Overall the look and feel is very retrofuturism but in a classical way, not the neon purple and pink, Y2K aesthetic, typically associated with the style.
Brand Traits
- Delightful and unexpected but not cute
- Embellishments but not excess, no “junk”
- Should be Intentional, ritualistic, but not burdensome
- Should reflect good craft
- Tongue-in-cheek humor
- Sun/Moon; Morning Coffee and Restaurant after Dinner Coffee
Color Palette & Fonts
Logotype
Primary Logo
Alternative Logo
Statue
Logo Usage
Retail Coffee Bags
The retail bag designs were created in each colorway. The favorite that they ultimately went with for the initial run was the black and gold. The entire bag was design with the brand in mind, to look unique on shelves.
Subscription Boxes
The subscription boxes are designed to contain a bag of coffee, with the potential for other items (mug, scoop, etc…) and more information about the coffee including suggested preparation. The square format is again, unique and fits with the branding nicely.
