Stone Creek Coffee Merchandise
Merchandise at Stone Creek changed a lot from 2022 to the present as we defined 3 types of customer briefs. This work began with conversations with Eric Resch + Drew Pond about who our customers are and I developed visual guidelines and constraints for these customer type’s interests. Together, we were able to create more cohesive products for their retail spaces. This work is separated into the three customer types we established together: The Coffee Geek, The Local Loyalist & the Elegant Individual.
Creative Direction:
Drew Pond & Eric Resch
Design Direction:
Angeline Garvey
Product Sourcing and Implementation:
Harmony Krafttakacs
*Product Images provided by Stone Creek Coffee
THE COFFEE GEEK
These items were meant to showcase beautiful moments of growing, roasting and brewing coffee that also serve as educational tools for teachers of coffee to have critical conversations with students of coffee.
Packaging and informational illustrations are illustrated with simple line work for slight visual intrigue while keeping the focus on the information itself. The illustrations don’t overpower the information, but compliments it. The selling point is not color or personality, it is clear understanding and a deeper curiosity.
Miir Flavor Wheel Serpent Mug
This design is a usable tool for coffee geeks to reference a variety of flavor notes as they sip their coffee.
There are also moments of play in here with the flavor notes themselves and the use of a snake to become a continuous wavy flavor wheel instead of the classic circle we all know and love.
B corp long sleeve tee
In 2022 Stone Creek became a certified B Corporation and they wanted to celebrate that and also inform customers of what that means. I illustrated the 5 pillars of impact areas that Stone Creek is committed to.
Including pattern and inverted shapes was my solution to making big ideas and intangible concepts visually harmonious on a wearable canvas.
COFFEE RITUAL MUG
In 2024 we wanted to push the coffee geek merchandise towards the experience of coffee. This thinking led to the coffee ritual mug. This mug is inspired by listening to Eric Resch’s ritual of reflection during his morning coffees that many of us also experience. From the moment the sun rises, to grinding coffee beans and then taking that first sip there is peace and calm before a day of possibilities begins. This cup serves as a reminder to contemplate and engage with self reflection before you begin your day.
FARM TO CUP TEE
“Farm to Cup” tells the story of how Stone Creek directly works with farmers and shares that story all the way to the final brew. Each coffee label features a farm to cup story on the back about the farm and delves into the process that coffee went through that produced its unique flavor profiles. There are many hands involved before Stone Creek roasts green coffee that is important to share along with your final cup of coffee!
sip slowly pint glass & patch
Sip Slowly is a reminder to pause and reflect on your life as you sip. The final stage of the coffee ritual! When there is so much care that goes into your coffee how could you not sip slowly and enjoy?
THE local loyalist
These items are meant to embody the culture and people you find at Stone Creek while celebrating the city of Milwaukee. “Serious Play” comes into the picture far more in this customer type to push forward shared experiences. In 2023 we stared to explore where we could connect with people outside of MKE in this category as well.
Visual interest in this customer type comes from pops of color within a limited palette and often using simple round line work. Illustrative, hand rendered type and texture adds to the experience oriented customers interest. The big question in this collection is: How do we provide a small glimpse of the world of coffee into the city of Milwaukee and allow the space for everyone to identify with it?
Miir MILWAUKEE COFFEE CANISTER
With 47 Milwaukee/Wisconsin symbols this design celebrates Wisconsin from your countertop! Staying true to the Milwaukee people’s flag this design balances a calming blue with pops of bright gold while remaining clean to go with any kitchen.
COFFEE LINE ZIP-UP HOODIE
This hoodie features the “Hero” of each farm to cup story from Stone Creek Coffee’s year round coffee line. From top to bottom this hoodie celebrates Voyager, Ring of Fire, Green Dragon, 3 Volcanoes, Boneshaker, Cream City and Green Bike.
The super Stone Creek fans will recognize all of these coffees that Stone creek has had in cafes over the years.
The only coffee not featured here is Black Sheep …but we figured it deserved its own celebration.
Black sheep pint glass
The coffee aficionado's cold brew glass deserves to stand out in the cabinet! Black Sheep is a unique dark roast coffee from Stone Creek that tastes similar to a caramel medium roast, setting it apart from traditional dark roasts. To celebrate this coffee, it felt right to embellish the glass with an elegant gold sheep, embodying this bold brew.
COFFEE-bara pin set
Everyone's Sleepy Until Coffee!
This pin set features a capybara and a sloth as our sleepy heroes. Designed in soft peach and teal colors, the pins convey a relaxed vibe while the shiny metallic line work adds a touch of bright contrast.
