Cortado Coffee & Cafe
I created a logo for a new downtown Iowa City coffee shop and cafe. Cortado is a metropolitan-inspired, fast-paced, European style espresso bar specializing in properly prepared, high quality espresso drinks and drip coffee. They offer an assortment of freshly baked pastries and unexpected Mediterranean-inspired, nutritious sandwiches, salads, and soups. They provide an alternative to the “good enough” status quo found at similar businesses in the area.
They wanted brand distinction – Cortado is very different from, and superior to, their competitors and their logo needed to reflect the experience and quality they provide.
The overall look needed to be urban, European, fresh, light, bright, airy, efficient and energetic.
The symmetrical mark is comprised of four different objects.
1. A drop of coffee
2. The shape made when you pour a cortado drink
3. A dove (a bird that holds sentimental value to the husband and wife who own the shop)
4. A coffee bean
The mark was created with these objects in mind but it’s not imperative that the customer knows they are in the logo. They just need to know the logo stands for damn good coffee!
