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Stellar Café

Texas State University

Roles: Branding, Packaging, Web, Digital


Creative Objectives
My creative objectives for this small business rebrand were to modernize the brand while keeping the playful art deco elements. In addition, I wanted to create a logo and visual feel that would stand out from other coffee shops in the San Marcos area.


Brand Elements










Digital sketch studies based on historical sources. Most promising iterations based on visual research.


Logo:

The sleek line work that frames the constellation allowed for a little flair while the modern Mr. Eaves logotype balanced the decorative elements of the logomark.

Color Palette:
Colors were pulled straight from NASA imagery, making sure to pick a dark base blue and a gold color.




Pattern Palette:
The pattern palette was created to balance out themes for different brand touchpoints. If something needs a more contemporary feel, add the shooting star pattern or the planetary pattern . If a touchpoint needs a more substantial art deco
presence, add the shell pattern. These patterns came in handy for the packaging design and the web site.

Type Palette:
Headline:  Quicksand Bold
Subhead:  Mr. Eaves OT XL Bold
Body:  Mr. Eaves OT XL Regular

The headline type, Quicksand Bold, was chosen to mimic the line quality of the logo. Mr. Eaves XL has similar letterforms to the typefaces used in silent movie intertitles. The large x-height enhance readability and made a historical reference look contemporary.


Process: Illustration style ideation.

Illustrations:
The illustration style uses gradient shading and large, simple shapes to create the images. A grainy texture made the illustrations unexpectedly dreamy instead of worn, which fit the brand personality.





Touch-points

Packaging
In my initial interviews with baristas that worked at Stellar, a great emphasis was put on the value of technical expertise. Packaging for their Toddy cold brew concentrate, tea blends and ground coffee highlighted the commitment to craft that Stellar Café staff was so proud of.


Signboard Menu
The infographic illustrations highlight the unique red espresso drinks the café was known for.

Web
The landing page for the website prioritized the hours open, social media links and featured an illustrated navigation menu for the specialized drinks on offer, divided into “Iced Toddy”, “Espresso” and “Mochas.”  The intended effect was to remind seasoned patrons of the hours without scrolling and clicking through menus, and for new patrons to explore and build excitement for the drinks menu.



This project has a storied history and withstood challenges both creative and personal. I have written about this journey in more detail here.

Move-In 2017


Texas State University - Department of Housting and Residential Life

Move-In is an annual event that the DHRL at Texas State University organizes to welcome new and returning residents to the university residence halls. The DHRL Marketing Department was given a few choices for the theme and accepted my proposal for 2017; Infinite Possibilities. Infinite Possibilities alludes to the power residents had to remake their space. 

CalHearts

Pro bono project

I used custom script typography and a flat style to update the early 2000’s game aesthetic that I wanted to reference for this logo. The logo is for a visual novel to be uploaded soon to itch.io. The game features true-to-life rendered backgrounds of the CalArts campus and popular student hangs. Currently, the project is in beta-testing, and updates will be forthcoming


Process




are.na/cantara-naja/my-heart-skips-a-frame︎︎︎

I knew the target audience was CalArts students, aged 19-26 so I gave myself permission to play with more trendy approaches.

I did comparative research on visual novels uploaded to itch.io. and compiled them on are.na.

Out of about 20 thumbnails, I made roughs of four, that I presented to the team as 2 directions.


APALA End of Year Report 2019

Freelance Client : Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance

APALA asked me to design their 2019 End of Year repor. I focused on the readability of the text content and showcasing the powerful photography that was provided to me. White space was used for rhythm, to ease the amount of text. The report is available as an interactive PDF online on APALA’s website, as well as print copies on request.

Click here for the full document online.
A soft cover booklet against a light blue background flattened to show the front and back covers of the APALA 2019 End of Year Report. Same booklet against a light blue background showing an inside spread of the report. There is two full color photos with text and a blue band of color across the top of the page where the title sits. Booklet opened to show an inside spread of the report about the APALA 15th Bienniel Convention with a pull quote in green text. The booklet is open to show the table of contents on the first recto page. The page numbers are in orange next to the titles in green.