Wildfire Coffeehouse
In 2019, I assisted my family in opening a local coffeeshop in Kaukauna, Wisconsin named Wildfire Coffeehouse. While the process of how the business started up is another story in & of itself, I found that my experience studying graphic design was quite helpful in creating a distinct look for the place.
For the logo, I initially wanted to create letterpress prints of the words “Wildfire Coffeehouse” with different typefaces & structures, as we wanted our shop to have a rustic yet modern feel to the interior design & a logo to match. When I found out that letterpress was not going to be an option due to time constraints, I decided to utilize a more handmade looking font & add some texture to it, helping to achieve a similar look. We also decided collectively as the co-founders that adding the “Est. 2019” would help to solidify the look of the design, calling to mind classic labels & logos from the 1900s.
The flame section of the logo turned out to be much more challenging. I wanted the flame to be distinct as well as simple. Not only that, but there was also the task of capturing the fluidity of fire. After I looked at many sample images of fire, I created the basic shape of a flame, then reversed the same image, made it smaller & colored it yellow. To top it all off, I added a couple of flourishes to the orange flame & a bit of texture.
Aside from the logo, I have also helped with Wildfire’s website setup, designing the printed menu, screenprinting t-shirts & hoodies with the logo, creating business cards & reward punch cards, designing labels for our retail coffee bags, flyers for upcoming events as well as several designs for our social media posts.
While the task of branding a small business felt slightly stressful at times, I feel like it was my most rewarding design work. This is especially true with the logo itself. Being able to see my work on a light up sign, mugs, t-shirts, gift cards & packaging labels, let alone outside of the computer, is really exciting for me as a designer, as it makes me feel that my hard work has payed off.