STEEP
ESPRESSO HOUSE
ROLE
Creative Director, Brand Strategy, Photo Editor, Product Designer, Motion Designer
SCOPE
Curated and developed a comprehensive branding system, including visual identity, environmental design, video and print advertisements, and branded memorabilia for company.
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Lightroom
STEEP is an all-day espresso house — or in other words, a coffee bar by day, an espresso martini bar by night.
The idea for STEEP came after I spent many hours in my favorite coffee shop, sipping an iced latte all day, only to meet up with my friends for a happy hour deal on espresso martinis later that night.
So why not put it all in one place?
PROCESS
Like all branding projects, every system starts with a logo concept. I developed three distinct ideas:
Concept one uses the “T” glyph to emulate an espresso machine brewing over a mug.
Concept two focuses on the day-to-night idea that STEEP embodies in its concept.
Concept three pulls from art deco design and combines a coffee mug and a martini glass in one symbol.
Eventually, I decided to move forward with concept three and dive into a speakeasy, art deco aesthetic. I was excited to explore how I could design for both daytime and nighttime experiences.
The final logo is a simpler version, with thinner strokes and a different primary typeface.
ADVERTISEMENTS
For a series of advertisements, I included darker imagery with a simple yet elegant type treatment. I specifically chose coffee-related words to play into the day-to-night aspects, showing there is a variety for all types of customers.
COASTERS
Part of STEEP’s branding is a double-sided coaster with the intention that they are flipped when the restaurant transitions from day to night.
In-Store Digital Screen Display