EARLY WINTER
The owner of “橙黃橘綠時 Café” is a retired Chinese language teacher. The Chinese brand name is inspired by a seven-character quatrain written by Su Shi, a renowned literati of the Northern Song Dynasty, who composed the poem to encourage Liu Jingwen during his middle age reflections:
“荷盡已無擎雨蓋，菊殘猶有傲霜枝。一年好景君須記，最是橙黃橘綠時。”
The poem conveys that although the lotus flowers have withered, the chrysanthemum branches still stand proudly against the frost. It reminds one to cherish the early winter—when oranges turn yellow and tangerines green—as it is the season of ripeness and fruition. The owner drew strength from this verse, believing it symbolized hope for success in starting a business in midlife. Since “橙黃橘綠時” represents early winter, the English brand name was chosen to be EARLY WINTER.
DESIGN ITEMS
┃ BRAND ┃ LOGO ┃ TYPOGRAPHY ┃ GRAPHICS ┃ PACKAGE ┃
┃ DOCUMENT ┃
LOGO DESIGN
EARLY WINTER Café is a unique establishment that blends the elegance of Chinese literary sentiment with the rich tradition of Western coffee culture. In designing the logo, we incorporated elements such as “literary symbols,” “East-meets-West fusion,” “cups and vessels,” and references to “Su Shi” to reflect the café’s distinctive style and atmosphere. For the logo’s color scheme, we deliberately chose black and white to highlight the simplicity of the symbol and the essence of coffee. We developed 16 different design concepts, allowing the owner to select the one that best aligns with the brand’s identity. These designs aim to capture the cultural depth and refined spirit that define EARLY WINTER Café.
TYPOGRAPHY DESIGN
After careful consideration, we ultimately finalized a meticulously designed logo inspired by the image and essence of Su Shi, a renowned literary figure from the Northern Song Dynasty. To complement the logo, we deliberately chose the “Slender Gold Script” calligraphy style popularized by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. This choice not only creates visual harmony with the logo but also enhances the cultural depth of the brand. Additionally, we established a unified typographic system, setting a consistent visual standard for all future promotional materials and packaging.
CREATIVE GRAPHICS
For the creative graphic design, we drew inspiration from a Song Dynasty painting known as a “Literati Gathering.” This artwork depicts a group of refined scholars enjoying a banquet beside a garden pond. In the original scene, an attendant is shown preparing tea at a small table. In our reinterpretation, we cleverly replaced the action of scooping tea powder with the modern act of hand-brewing coffee. This thoughtful design not only highlights the product nature of the brand but also seamlessly integrates the cultural concept of East-meets-West beverage traditions. By inserting modern hand-brew coffee into the elegant lifestyle of ancient literati, we created a richly imaginative scene. This creative graphic not only leaves a strong impression of the EARLY WINTER café brand in the minds of consumers but also reinforces the brand’s foundation in Song Dynasty cultural heritage.
PACKAGE DESIGN
Finally, we integrated the logo, custom typography, and creative graphics into a cohesive identity system. This system will be applied to business cards, envelopes, and packaging, with the aim of enhancing the visibility of EARLY WINTER Café in the market and strengthening the consistency of its brand image. It allows consumers to more deeply perceive the cultural depth and unique character that the brand represents. Through this unified identity system, EARLY WINTER Café will showcase a stronger brand presence across various media platforms, making its image more striking and influential. This integration weaves the brand’s story and core values into every detail, creating a rich and meaningful experience for its audience.
DOCUMENT DESIGN
