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Brand Identity Campaign

932 A Main Street

Worcester, MA

Acoustic Java is a small, independently owned and operated coffee shoppe in the bustling city of Worcester, MA. I will be redesigning the current logo of the cafe to meet the standards of the quality business it conducts among the top ten coffee shops in Worcester. The improved identity for Acoustic Java will attract coffee and music lovers to the little corner of Main Street it owns. 

The Starting Process

CURRENT LOGO

Acoustic Java is currently represented by the logo pictured below - a simple coffee cup enclosed in a triangle with a music clef rising with the steam. Sometimes the name itself is included at the base of the triangle.

 

Although it is a basic design, I believe there is a better way to advertise the success of the establishment in a design more suitable to the coffee shoppe and entertainment-orientated atmosphere.

Brainstorming

INSPIRATION

As you have seen, I looked into traditional coffee shoppe icons of a coffee cup as well as musical connotations like that of notes and and guitars. You may have spotted familiar logos, such as that for Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks - this are appraised, highly successful, and widely recognizable by most individuals, which is why I chose to add then into the collection. It is important for a designer take cues from others in order to build someone great himself.    

All great ideas are born from one another -- for this project, I researched logos and other great forms of inspiration to help brainstorm a new concept. Outstanding logos seamlessly tie the business to its concept, and subtle enough to suggest the intentions of the company so not as to be overbearing. Below are some examples that I can extract ideas from.

WORD LIST & COLOR SCHEME

Conceptualizing calls for listing your ideas and the components you have in mind for the project. A word list of terms that come to mind from the name "Acoustic Java" are provided. In addition, the initial color scheme is in line with those related to coffee itself -- brown, beige, and cream.

Coffee                                 Guitar                             Performance  

Hipster                               Sound                             Entertainment

Vibes                                  Comfortable                   Relaxed         

Beat                                    Coffee Cup                     Casual

Below is the selected color scheme I've chosen to incorporate into the logo design. They are simple and easily recognized as the hues for coffee. Underneath each color I've included the respective hex color value.

#8F562E

#D1C3AE

#F2EFED

#2F2E2E

Sketching it Out

THE SKETCHING PHASE

The beginning stages call for fleshing out your ideas. Below are sketches I've drawn up from the ideas I found in my research. Check them out!

Refining the Logo

#9A4C28

#4F3121

SETTLING ON IDEAS

The next step requires the artist to choose a direction of the most effective-looking logos from the sketchbook. Below is an outline of the one I chose to continue working with; it has been digitized from final sketches and outlined in Adobe Illustrator. Here I've played around with font choices and changed the selected color scheme as well.

As a designer comes closer to finalizing the logo, the set color scheme is determined as well. This is the color palette I've settled with for the final version, with only two hues that contrast each other wonderfully and retain the connection to a coffee shoppe.

The Final Logo

PRESENTING THE FINAL LOGO

The final design for a logotype must be simple, timeless, versatile, memorable, and lastly, appropriate to the business. My design has become simplified to the suggestion of a guitar - check it out below!

In this final version, the "O" of "Acoustic" is the soundhole of the instrument yet also a symbolic coffee cup as well. Six lines, reminiscent of both guitar strings and sound waves, extend from the cup while two sweeping lines outline the shape of the guitar. The letters have added depth using the font CORE CIRCUS.

Above is the original logo for comparison to the newly designed one by yours truly. While the current logo for Acoutic Java is not terrible, mine offers a look more refined look that is in tune to the atmosphere of Acoustic Java, both to the coffee and music aspect of the establishment. 

There you have it! Through trial and error behind the scenes, the redesigning process for a brand logo is completed. However, there is more to do for a designer - known as the brand guidelines in which logo is assigned to a set of rules that explain how the brand works. To see what I mean, click on the button below!

The End

Acoustic Cafe
The Starting Process
BRAINSTORMING
SKETCHING IT OUT
REFINING THE LOGO
THE FINAL LOGO
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