Blk City Coffee Roasters is helmed by an unyielding curiosity and openness to chance through exploration. They candidly educate self-directed specialty coffee roasters early in their careers about the people and processes involved in coffee production to inspire new perspectives that benefit stakeholders at origin.
Challenge
After two years of operations, Blk City was ready to expand. Playstead was tasked with a rebrand to reposition and promote awareness. Together, we'd distill Blk City's essence to form the basis of its core identity and communication strategy.
Insights
Soft information from close collaboration, in addition to hard data, supported critical knowledge on operations, offerings, and plans, deepening insights efficiently. Honoring specialty coffee's heritage and communicating Blk City's purpose through all expressions would be critical for their audience to find and buy into them as articulate and curious educators inspiring early-career entrepreneurs.
solution
Playstead developed a logo system that adapts to print or digital use down to the favicon that's recognizable despite deconstruction. The symbol's strength comes from its shield—the unifying visual element. The work forms a virtuous cycle leveraging the brand's values to connect and inspire new perspectives that advance the industry to benefit smallholder farmers at origin.
