Common Groundz was my home for more hours out of the day than my own house. When they first opened I was so excited there was a big, accommodating coffee shop right next to my house that I literally did my best to stay from opening to closing. Eventually the owners and I developed a relationship with one another and we started bartering services. I designed this identity system to represent the modern interior, simple food and quirky attitude you get as soon as you walk in the door.

Above, you can see the variety of sketches that were reproduced in Illustrator.

In this case it was important to find a type face that matched the atmosphere. The guys, aka the owners of Common Groundz, informed me they wanted the logotype to be the primary form of communication.

The Type

Halvorsen Extra Bold by The Australian Type Foundry was the font of choice because of its clean lines, modern feel and barely-noticeable quirks. Instead of going with black on white, as pictured above, I decided a nice flat black on white would make the design feel more professional, as pictured below.

The Mark

The mark for Common Groundz was definitely the hardest part. How do you pull in all the experiences you have at a coffee shop and encase it in one image? I went back to the roots. Common Groundz was originally established as a place for recovering addicts to come and enjoy away from life’s temptations. I wanted to show it was a place of healing, unity and recovery. The problem was every mark I came up with did not convey the idea effectively.

The Result

The final product was nice and simple. Combine the C and G to form a coffee mug. Don’t make it too obvious. Make sure it reads “coffee mug” first and “CG” after a second. The image above was the first sketch of the idea. The image below is the final draft.

Initial Collateral

The initial identity system Common Groundz had set up used Ambient, a free, widely available typeface. Before I finished the identity system, I was asked to do an ad for RVA magazine for Common Groundz. The below image is the result of using their identity system with RVA’s aesthetic.

Further Collateral

After the identity system was complete I worked with the guys to produce some materials that could be used for promotions as well as in-store materials. Below you will see 4-up handbills, business cards, frequent flyer cards and free coffee cards.

Web Site

Honestly, in this case there is not much to show or say. I built a web site for Common Groundz based on a free template from Blog Oh! Blog. I kept it updated with the latest information, but it did not go much further than that. They just needed something that was online, easy to update and had all their current information. I was happy to oblige.

Conclusion

This was a great project to work on because the owners trusted me enough to let me have some freedom to explore some different options. After finalizing the design of the identity system I merely had to keep the printing in their budget.

Despite all of this, Common Groundz has decided to close their doors in May 2009. They will be sorely missed as they provided companionship and coffee of which there is no equal. I wish Mark and Scott well in their endeavors as they move forward. I would also like to congratulate Heather and Scott on finally getting engaged.
Common Groundz on Behance.net