Visual identity for Sophomore Coffee.

Sophomore Coffee is a cafe founded in Baltimore by my long-time friend and fellow entrepreneur Kris Fulton. Alongside co-founder Ann Travers Fortune, Sophomore set out to transform a small, rustic, sub-street-level space into a quaint, local cafe.

Kris & Ann approached me with several visual thought-starters in the form of textiles, wall patterns and floor patterns they were considering for the cafe interior. Through our research, we jointly fell in love with a pattern of concentric lines. Over time, I was able to pull individual shapes out of the pattern—and by connecting one of the C shapes with its mirrored partner, I was finally able to create Sophomore's iconic S.

The colors and typography are purposefully passive—allowing the physical interior of the space to dominate while the branding has a subtle yet confident voice in the background.