Obsidian

Full brand identity built around narrative. Blackletter wordmark with ornate flourishes. Typography system: gothic primary, modern sans-serif contrast.
Colour system in purple, crimson, and black.
Assets across packaging, merch, café interior fit-out direction. 

after

Coffee should feel like a small sacred act. The brand needed to borrow from gothic influences, lino print, and local references. It also needed to feel modern enough that customers could dine-in without feeling like they are in a medieval theme park. Heavy blackletter typography. Deep purple and crimson palette. Every touchpoint had to carry "dark roast. darker ritual". 

objective

A coffee concept rooted in one of the most dramatic geological stories on the planet. The Taupō Volcanic eruption was so powerful the skies turned red as far away as China. Obsidian: the volcanic glass left behind. Dark, ancient, impossibly smooth. The brief had a clear creative tension: build something that felt ritualistic and gothic without tipping into gimmick.

before

Taupo, New Zealand

location

Brand Strategy | Brand Design

project scope

you need a brand system that works

you don't need another logo

let's talk