YummyColours Case Study
Challenge
The COOP, founded in 1882, has a strong 150-year legacy, originating as a community staple that provided Harvard students and locals with affordable necessities. It was a place where alumni built fond memories and shared experiences, creating deep emotional attachment and pride—so much so that members often remembered their membership numbers by heart. Over time, as transportation and technology brought more visitors and tourists, the COOP shifted into a highly lucrative, transaction-driven business—a bookstore that sells merchandise. The organization now seeks to return to its original purpose: serving its core community of students, faculty, and alumni.

Solution
YummyColours was brought on as a creative and strategic partner to help craft the next evolution of the brand and guide its return to its founding mission. The process began by reclaiming the original name, Harvard Cooperative Society, reimagined as a society that reflects today’s inclusive ideals and provides mutual assistance to the Harvard and MIT community. Strategically, the approach shifts from transaction to curation by redefining membership and deepening engagement across its retail stores, venues, programs, content, and digital platforms. The vision positions the COOP’s eight stores and two buildings as transformative spaces for interaction, exchange of ideas, inspiration, well-being, fun, and leisure.

The Shift
When YummyColours partnered with The Harvard Cooperative Society, the goal was to bring the COOP back to its roots as a community-first society. That meant reclaiming the idea of membership, mutual benefit, and belonging. Instead of thinking of the COOP as simply a retail destination, we reframed it as an open and dynamic hub for students, faculty, alumni, and neighbors—a place designed for exchange, curiosity, and connection. Across channels, everything was streamlined into a clear, cohesive system that feels intentional, welcoming, and built for the future.

Visual Identity System
The logo evolution started in the archives. We studied historic materials closely, then carefully refined the wordmark to preserve their authority while making it clearer and more versatile for today. The typography was modernized, the color palette expanded, and a flexible design system was built to support everything from signage to social media. The result feels timeless, honoring the COOP’s heritage while giving it the dynamism and desirability needed to serve a new generation of members.

The Game: Rivalry and Legacy
The COOP’s story is inseparable from campus tradition, especially the legendary Harvard–Yale football rivalry that has shaped generations of memories.
 That spirit of pride and shared identity became a key part of the evolution. The COOP reconnects with what has always made it special: not just selling merchandise, but creating moments people carry with them long after graduation.

The Coop Vintage Logo
 We looked deeply into The COOP’s history, spending time with the vintage marks that generations of members remember so fondly. We refined the type and proportion of the iconic wordmark so it feels clear and confident today, while still rooted in the character that makes it memorable.