Crossroads Cafe & Roastery
DV3000 Visual Communication III, 2018 Semester 1
NTU School of Art, Design and Media
DV3000 Visual Communication III, 2018 Semester 1
NTU School of Art, Design and Media
Project: Brand Conceptualisation and Identity Design
Rationale
In a relatively overcrowded contemporary market, most cafes whether independently operated or as part of larger chains, offer a similar experience that does not differ much from each other. Picture Starbucks in your mind - large, colourful glass food displays, industrial machines churning out espresso shots one after another, comfortable seating and dining environment, soothing elevator music.
With the explosion of what we now know as modern cafe culture, the experience (whilst yes, still comfortable) has become arguably ordinary and insipid.
Concept development
Historically, coffee has played a big part in many major cultures across the globe. In the Mediterranean, the Ottoman Empire had Turkish coffee which uses finely-ground coffee beans, that are brewed by bringing to a boil and drunk unfiltered, grounds and all. Closer to home, the Nanyang/Kopitiam coffee culture uses sock-brewed coffee that consists of Robusta beans (which are said to be stronger and more bitter than the Arabica variety) roasted with sugar and margarine and is a familiar sight in local coffee shops in Singapore and Malaysia. These are not unlike rituals, which are highly defined experiences based upon invariable and traditional concepts.
All of this contrasts with the modern, highly commodified cafe culture that is growing with increasing globalisation.
With these in mind, it was intended to create a coffee experience that brings together coffee cultures from across the world into bite-sized rituals that customers can participate in. The brand aims to build multisensory experiences that customers can see, touch, taste, smell and hear.
Crossroads are intersections and junctions - they are also meeting places for people, and by extension where ideas and cultures can be exchanged. From this, the Crossroads brand came to life.
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Packaging system based on monochromatic pattern, allowing for ease of application. Spot UV treatment creates a visual and tactile contrast with the matte material.
A direct mailer kit was conceptualised to reach out to potential customers. Serving as a form of below-the-line marketing, it offers an interactive experience, as the kit comprises a do-it-yourself foldable coffee filter holder and a set of disposable filters. Simple instructions are provided for the user to put together the filter holder. Different variants of ready-to-brew ground coffee can be provided for the user to sample.
