The Brew
Coffee House
Branding Project
In this project, I need to create a primary logo, a secondary logo, a packaging design, a menu card, and some additional items of my choices (optional). The cafe was founded by two friends and they opened it in the old town near by an ocean shore in Altea, Spain. They want timeless, minimalist, and modern branding with a cozy vibe.
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• Developed a cozy and modern branding
• Provided the deliverables within 4 weeks
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• Came up with a style that is timeless yet intriguing and represents the business background
• Designed patterns using Adobe Illustrator for the first time
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• I did several sketches after researching and came up with a coffee bean silhouette with a hidden wave in the middle. The variations of browns in the logo to represents the types of coffee they sell.
• Watched a couple videos on YouTube outside the class lecture to gain more information on how to create patterns on Adobe Illustrator.
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Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate.
Behind the Concept
Research
The average annual salary in Altea is €32,900, slightly above the national average of €30,655. As of 2023, Altea has a population of 24,020, with individuals aged 18–64 comprising 62.7% of residents. The town’s most notable landmark is the Church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, located at the highest point of the Old Town. While black and white are traditionally associated with timelessness, warm neutral tones such as browns and beiges can convey a similar sense of longevity, as well as feelings of comfort and security.
Competition
Altea hosts several small coffee shops—including D. Origen Coffee Roasters, De Sabors, Rosa’s Café, and Chocolatería Valor—most of which offer desserts like pies and croissants, in addition to appetizers such as nachos and calamari. These establishments generally fall within the mid-range price category.
Target Audience
According to the brief, the brand should feel modern and timeless. Combined with demographic data showing that adults aged 18–64 represent the largest portion of Altea’s population, the target audience is defined as young adults through middle-aged individuals.
Sources :
https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/area/spain/alicante
https://www.statista.com/statistics/419513/average-annual-wages-spain-y-on-y-in-euros/#:~:text=Over%20this%2023%2Dyear%20period,ranked%20fairly%20low%20in%202022.
https://www.citypopulation.de/en/spain/comunitatvalenciana/alicante/03018__altea/
https://mhanational.org/surroundings/color-psychology-explained
The Brand System
The Brew is a coastal coffee shop located in Altea, Spain. The bean icon represents the product they offer, while the wave element reflects their seaside location. For typography, I selected Cochin for “The Brew” and Bodoni 72 (in all caps) for “Coffee House.” Cochin’s smooth, elegant curves complement the wave motif, and Bodoni 72 adds a timeless serif contrast.
The color palette draws from various coffee tones. I initially explored adding blue, but once applied to the mockups, it gave the brand a resort-like feel, so I removed it. I also customized the tail of the “R” in “The Brew” to mimic a wave, aligning it with the first wave in the icon to create visual symmetry. The icon features four shades ranging from light beige to deep brown. I then developed several variations for secondary logos and icons. The original square icon was redesigned into a circle for better adaptability on social media profiles.
For brand patterns, I incorporated coffee beans and selected one variation as the primary pattern. Additionally, I illustrated two symbols—Nuestra Señora del Consuelo church and seagulls. The church is a well-known landmark in Altea, and the seagulls reinforce the brand’s coastal identity.
