We don’t wish to complain, but if there’s any one genre of logo design that we’re absolutely tired silly of seeing, it’s that of the coffee producer or manufacturer. Now, that does not mean that we’re tired of seeing these companies spring up in our town: We’re rather attached to coffee, and we like the surplus. But if we see yet another cafe-colored bean logo produced by some designer other than ourselves, we’re going to murder someone. So make us happy, and use the following tips to ensure that your next coffee-inspired design is not only good but great!

  1. Don’t Use Browns: Whatever you do, resist the urge to use some kind of brown in your coffee-based logo. We know it’s tempting, and we’re also aware of the fact that your client is likely pushing pretty hard for it. However, whatever you do try to avoid using these base tones. The reason is pretty simple—everyone else is doing it! And after all, you hardly want to be doing the same thing as every other designer on the planet, do you? No, we didn’t think so. Use something interesting like a bright tone or perhaps something not typically coffee related, like a smooth blue. Shake up the pitch and create something wholly unique.
  2. Don’t Use Beans: Also, try not to use imagery that directly translates to drinking coffee. This means mugs, beans, heat vapors, or anything else of the sort. We’ve seen more than enough combinations of these props, and you’re just not going to get an original design out of the whole mess. Trust us, you’re just not going to see it happen. What you should do instead is work to create some kind of mascot or image that is associated with that specific shop or retailer. Think about Starbucks: It doesn’t use coffee items anywhere in its logo. This is a brilliant move, as people don’t see “coffee” in the logo, they instead see Starbucks. In this way, you can encourage brand recognition and increase sales.
  3. Be Quirky: Coffee drinkers are often quirky people. As such, don’t be afraid to produce a design that’s well beyond the average box size. Seriously. Go where you thought you might never go before, and then push it even further just to see what happens. Test your limits and reap the benefits.