When longtime friend and collaborator Tyler Abts reached out to Erickson Design Co about Cuesta Coffee, his new coffeehouse in a modern gallery space in Door County, Wisconsin, it was bound to be special. The space is shared with an AirBnB at the very northern tip of Door County, Gills Rock.It is the northern-most coffee shop in Door County. The area is prime vacation territory within the Midwest, with a vast and varied natural landscape, inspiring an outdoor lifestyle whether on the water or in the woods. A Cuesta is a ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other, which is what makes up the landscape on the peninsula of Door County. The coffee shop is of the place, and builds a community around the outdoors.
The new concept needed an identity that reflects the dynamic, beautiful landscape and outdoor lifestyle of the area. The identity system was created to be synonymous with the place, centered around a core monogram mark which symbolizes the layers of earth, water and sky and the waves of Lake Michigan. A custom logotype and supplemental display typeface was also developed, designed to be familial with the core mark and inspired by the bold geometry of the modern building that hosts the coffee shop. The custom typeface hosts communications in a proprietary branded way and visually gives the brand its own unique voice. A simple color palette was influenced by the area and harkens to the past in a nostalgic way. The identity is both graphic and ephemeral, symbolizing a special place in an equally special location.
CREDIT
- Agency/Creative: Matt Erickson
- Article Title: Cuesta Coffee Brand Design by Matt Erickson
- Organisation/Entity: Freelance
- Project Type: Identity
- Project Status: Published
- Agency/Creative Country: United States
- Agency/Creative City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Market Region: North America
- Project Deliverables: Animation, Art Direction, Brand Creation, Brand Design, Brand Experience, Brand Guidelines, Brand Identity, Brand Mark, Brand Strategy, Brand World, Branding, Creative Direction, Design, GIF Animation, Identity System, Illustration, Logo Design, T-Shirt Design, Type Design, Typography
- Industry: Hospitality
- Keywords: coffee, wisconsin, door county, usa, nature, outdoor, branding, brand identity, monogram, logo, design, outdoors, coffee shop, illustration, custom type, logotype
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Credits:
Creative Director / Designer: Matt Erickson
