Northbound Coffee
Project Scope: Brand Identity & Design Direction
Industry: Coffee Brand
Completion Date: 12.2024
Introducing Northbound, a coffee supply company for the adventurous spirit. The entire brand design is based on the feeling you get when exploring North America. You could say that the brand is inspired by rugged terrain, dense boreal forests and cold waters. All aspects of the design aim to motivate coffee lovers to get up and and go, while not compromising on a quality cup of joe of course! The design is both playful yet familiar, using customized typography for a distinctive appearance while remaining grounded by borrowing themes from signage in small mountain towns and old school paper maps.
Brand Strategy
Northbound Coffee is a coffee supply company for the adventurous spirit. Their target market is working adults that are outdoor-centric, sustainably-minded and health-conscious. The brand’s tone of voice is inspirational, casual and motivational. Everything about the brand’s identity encourages their community to meet the day ready for an adventure. This is coffee for the weekend warriors, the explorers and outdoor enthusiast that value craft, quality and artisanal products.
Brand Illustrations
Custom icons, patterns and illustrations were created for the brand package. The pattern and icons are inspired by vintage maps, road tripping and exploring North America’s northern regions. Meanwhile, the topographic illustration borrows its curves from a ridge in Canada’s West Coast mountain range.
Brand Collateral
Northbound’s branding applied across their collateral including poster adverts, social media campaigns and product packaging. All elements lean into the the brand’s inspiration and motivational tone, conveying a sense of playfulness and encouragement.
Design Process
A look at the design process. These illustrations and moodboard acted as the project’s North star, guiding each and every design decision to ensure the brand design aligned with the overarching design vision.
