java + ink Branding
java + ink is a fictional coffee shop that offers a space to drink coffee and experiment with letterpress printing to a large, varied audience in Seattle, Washington.
This project was nominated for Design Excellence at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University for the class Technology for Design 1 (GRA 321) in the fall of 2019.
All liquid elements were animated by hand
Illustrator / RoughAnimator / After Effects
The Challenge
Given a random combination of either letter/letter, letter/number, or number/number, I was challenged to design a symbol and create a fictional company that connects the norms of that industry with the look and feel of the symbol. The branding would then be translated to various collateral for the company.
The Symbol
The combination of the geometric forms “j” and “i” inspired from the typeface Futura, helps java + ink to appeal to modern coffee and print enthusiasts (including yours truly). The shades of brown and layering of the two letterforms within the symbol convey the intersection of two very different industries: coffee and letterpress printing.
The Animation
In conjunction with the symbol, an animation was designed to invite fellow coffee and print lovers to drop by the shop. To add a handcrafted feel to the animation, I animated each drop that moves around by hand. This motion sequence helps to abstractify the qualities of coffee and ink as playful drops of liquid.
The Method
There was no specific criteria imposed on the symbol design other than combining them to create good form. So, my drawings started out exploring the characteristics of each letterform. I drew inspiration from the simplicity of lowercase “j” and “i.” Especially focusing on a geometric approach, the lines of the letterforms could easily apply to other company collateral as patterns or texture.
