Coffee Shop Design

This project involved the collaborative development of a complete brand identity and design system for a fictional coffee shop concept based in Berlin. The concept centered on a brutalist-inspired café, blending the stark, utilitarian qualities of brutalist architecture with the expectations of a modern, inviting coffee experience.

The primary challenge was reconciling two potentially conflicting ideas: the raw, minimal nature of brutalism and the warmth and accessibility typically associated with café environments. As a team, we addressed this by carefully balancing visual austerity with thoughtful design choices that maintained usability and approachability.

Our process included extensive ideation and alignment on brand strategy—defining the shop’s voice, message, and target audience before translating those ideas into a cohesive visual system. We developed a full suite of brand assets, including logo design, typography, color palette, and supporting graphic elements, all rooted in a stripped-down, grid-driven aesthetic inspired by brutalist principles.

To ensure consistency and scalability, we built a structured design system that could be applied across multiple touchpoints. This required solving for clarity within minimalism—using hierarchy, spacing, and contrast to guide users without relying on decorative elements.

This project demonstrates the ability to collaborate effectively, translate abstract design influences into functional brand systems, and solve the challenge of creating a distinctive yet usable identity within a highly constrained visual style.