North Star Coffee
North Star is a conceptual local coffee and vinyl shop that prides itself on supporting the community to follow their dreams one cup of coffee at a time. My role in this project was project manager, branding, 3D and merchandise designer supported by qualitative and quantitive methods of research to support my design decisions.
Branding and Logo
The name North Star represents a guiding light for creatives to find their target audience- similar to a North Star to a lost traveler.
North also represents the Canadian roots the company has and the star these artists can become with the shop’s support. North Star Coffee prides itself on supporting the arts, a selection of popular and obscure vinyls and a listening bar for those who need to focus while drinking their coffee or working remotely.
The logo was hand-rendered to revolt against the overuse of AI technologies in art spaces to provide an undeniably authentic and flowing logo that communicates personality.
A 31-page brand book was also created to ensure the branding remained consistent with their brand values, voice and touchpoints.
3D Deliverables
For various deliverables Blender is used to create realistic 3D renders to help visualize final concepts. Custom merchandise such as keychains were created. The keychain that would act as a way to allow members to preorder vinyls and come pick them up at their convenience through a locker system to alleviate a pain point that local record stores close early or have rigid hours of operation.
A full store front was also created in 3D to showcase the store and showcase branded deliverables in action. A listed location was scouted in Belmont Village located in Kitchener Ontario and then documented by photo to make an illustration of three floor plans before moving into 3D environments.
Physical Goods
Custom merchandise was created to further push the brand’s reach and general consumer awareness of the coffee shop. Fully illustrated posters, t-shirts, and tote bags show the brand’s lax and playful personality. These would be sold in coffee shops or through online touchpoints and be offered to subscribed customers at a discount.
