Design Problem: The inspiration for this project was a liquor store located in an up and coming neighborhood in Denver with new restaurants, fun bars, and airy coffee shops. The liquor store itself is a beautiful brick building with a great selection of wine, but the sign was so outdated that it makes the store appear that way, too. It used multiple typefaces and had a poor typographical hierachy.
Design solution: I spent a lot of time searching for a strong typeface that would match the brand. I wanted a fun, bold type for the store name that would give the sign an urban but slightly retro vibe. I landed on the typeface Hatch by Mark Caneso from ps Type for each word on the sign, but using different styles. I changed the name of the store from “Uptown Wines, Beer, and Liquor” to “Uptown Brewery” to reflect the trends of the neighborhood and interests of its residents. I expanded the project by creating a custom beer label, coasters, tasting menu, business cards, and a flyer for a block party to celebrate and give back to the community.
Audience: Craft beer lovers and millenials
Software: Adobe InDesign • Illustrator • Photoshop
Design Process
I started this project by simply updating the typeface for the liquor store. Eventually I expanded it to include designs for the beer bottles, tasting menu, business cards, and block party. I took inspiration from the Uptown neighborhood in Denver, which I thought of as a little retro but also seeing a revival. The orange color and clean lines reminded me of the 1970’s skateboard era.
The store sign that inspired this project.
