Beware Coffee T-shirt line & Identity Development

What began as a collaboration with the store owner to design a t-shirt series blossomed into a comprehensive branding journey, defining the essence of the entire brand. Through strategic dialogue, countless sketches, trial and error, and heartfelt discussions, we embarked on a soul-searching journey to capture the brand of Beware Coffee—a Tacoma-based coffee shop. 

The brand's name and original icon, inspired by a childhood drawing from the owner's middle school best friend, served as the beacon for our exploration. While the owners were ready for a refresh of their brand, they were hesitant to abandon their roots and wanted to maintain the charm of a doodle in a notebook. As a result, we sought to define the brand as humble, delightfully whimsical yet profoundly rooted in personal sentiment for the owners.

The resulting t-shirt series, doubling as employee uniforms and retail merchandise, is more than just clothing—it's a visual encapsulation of the brand's spirit. This newfound identity was a relief to the store owners, who began implementing new messaging and social media tactics based on what I created. After this project, the coffee shop owner told me that just looking at the finished product brought tears to his eyes because he felt that it was so uniquely “Beware.”

Each design spells 'Beware' using a variety of thematic elements, from nature to animals to space. Within each theme, each letter holds many layers of personal significance. The design challenge? The owners wanted “Beware” to be subliminal, an afterthought, hidden like a secret warning. Check out the t-shirt section for a deep dive on each shirt.