The moment one steps foot into Cafe Kream’s flagship establishment, located at the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, one is greeted by a welcoming and enchanting ambience. Lush foliage span the entire ceiling, awash with autumnal shades of amber, crimson, orange and yellow, while tall lifelike tree trunks stand tall, interspersed with cozy wooden furniture. These pockets of tranquility and beauty was a refreshing sight to soak in, especially after being overwhelmed by towering blocks of concrete and glass all around Tanjong Pagar area.
At Cafe Kreams Maxwell, one cannot help but to imagine themselves transported away to a tranquil retreat in a Korean garden in the midst of fall.
The meticulous attention to detail in creating a cafe environment that could whisk you away to a dreamlike fairy-tale setting was, without a doubt, no mean feat. Opened in 2020 by a Korean family, many long hours were spent at the start to ensure the ceiling was fully decorated and every corner in the cafe exuded the essence of autumn. Their love for “seasonal beauty” is evident in their other outlet at Duxton, a spring-themed pub operating since 2015 where beer is served under an avenue lined with cherry blossom trees.
Fortunately, their efforts have not gone unnoticed, with this outlet having been heavily featured on social media as well as on prominent local food blogs. Every weekend is always a full-house situation at Cafe Kreams Maxwell. Long queues can be seen outside this popular cafe, with locals and tourists alike waiting in line, eager to get a seat inside. Once in, customers inside are able to enjoy their cup of coffee, or signature delights such as Iced Dalgona Latte, while sitting under a canopy of autumn trees. Of course, lots of pretty pictures would be taken as well, as patrons savour this unique experience that is rare to find in tropical sunny Singapore.
Image Credit: elizbeartravel.com
Yet, despite their success, the Korean owners were ones never to sit idle. They remain driven to elevate the cafe experience further, with bigger and more exciting things already planned in the coming future, just a little more than a year after they opened this outlet at Maxwell Chambers. To do so, they had to also make sure every aspect of their visual identity and branding would be aligned with their vision for the brand.
Every aspect of their visual identity and branding would be aligned with their vision for the brand.
However, at that point in time, there was one key element that did not seem to bode well with their projected image for the future of Cafe Kreams, and that would have been their existing logo. This original logo was merely the same one that they had used back in their days running a cafe in Korea, albeit not decorated with autumn and cherry blossom trees. Besides that, having Korean words emblazoned in the logo could be hard to identify and remember for a Singapore audience. As such, they approached me with the intention of a new logo that encapsulated everything that Cafe Kreams was and is now known for.
Entering the initial stages of brainstorming and conceptions, there were a few key ideas that I wanted the new logo I’d create to achieve. Firstly, there was without a doubt that the decor, setting and ambience that Cafe Kreams’ seasons-themed outlets is known for had to be represented in some way in this logo. I wanted regulars, and customers who have enjoyed their coffee under a canopy of leaves at their cafe, to be able to resonate with the logo when they see it. Secondly, the coffee culture in Singapore has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Coffee-lovers have been multiplying in numbers, and the coffee scene in Singapore was only going to get more crowded. To remain competitive and unique from the many other cafes in the city, a logo that could communicate and be easily recognized (and remembered) would do much help. The logo did not need to be overly simple, but it certainly had to steer clear of looking complicated or confusing. Customers would most likely see this logo on the cups they would drink, or on posts and videos posted by social media food influencers, and it was crucial that the logo be able to grab their attention within this short span of time. Lastly, the logo had to be dynamic, where variations of the logo could be used depending on its context and application, as well as being open to subtle visual changes for important occasions or events.
With these foundations laid, I proceeded with countless sketches and subsequently draft vector drawings of the three concepts that arose from ideation. Yet, moving forward, it was clear however that there was one out of these three that seemed like a clear winner. This was the one that had everything I had envisioned a logo for Cafe Kreams would embody. A season-themed cafe setting reflected in the logo? Checked. A unique yet recognisable icon? Checked. A logo that was dynamic and versatile for different uses and occasions? Checked. From there, numerous rounds of revisions were made to fine-tune this logo further to perfection, ensuring every detail and element represented Cafe Kreams at its best. And that was how this new logo for Cafe Kreams came to be.
1. Cafe Kream’s seasons-themed environment is reflected in the logo.
2. A visual icon that is unique yet easy-to-recognize.
3. A dynamic logo that can be used for various applications and occasions.
Starting from the top of the logo, the half-sun with its rays arced around, represent the vibrant and lively atmosphere of Cafe Kream’s stores, as well as the warm and welcoming service they strive to provide for every customer.
Moving to the center, an arch window flanked by two trees at its side comes into focus. This element highlights the beauty of the environment seen around the cafe, while its shape is made to closely resemble the space formed under the wide canopy of the trees in our stores. This arch shape design is meant to evoke a warm and comforting feeling for customers when they step into the cafes.
Meanwhile, the two flourishing trees at the side of the arch window possess a level of similarity to what one can see at the corner window area in Café Kreams. It represents the beautifully decorated interior of the outlets. The bottom of the logo shows a combination of a leaf and a coffee bean, symbolising our nature themed outlets and representing our mission to provide freshly roasted coffee for customers daily.
This eventual logo I created for Cafe Kreams was, to me, a sort of intricate little jigsaw puzzle. There were many little nuggets of information and quirks in different corners of the logo, many interesting pieces of details that resonated with the cafe’s identity. And when consolidated, all these elements, painted over with a signature shade of autumnal orange, managed to fit so well together, forming this cohesive icon that was distinctively Kreams.
Seasonal Logo Stickers for various occasions (e.g. autumn, springtime, Christmas, Valentine's)
All these elements managed to fit so well together, forming this cohesive icon that was distinctively Kreams.
Together with the launch of this new logo, I had the opportunity to design a comprehensive brand identity overhaul for Cafe Kreams as well. This included a refreshed website, a new T-shirt uniform for cafe staff, and packaging materials such as as well as sticker labels on the plastic cups for iced drinks and dessert takeaway boxes. Besides that, there were marketing materials such as name cards and social media templates as well as posters highlighting Cafe Kream’s unique coffee blend that were designed and displayed around the cafe. All these elements only sought to make Cafe Kream’s new brand identity even stronger and more cohesive than before. There was now this sense of unity and identity across every aspect of Cafe Kream’s products and materials, inviting a form of familiarity and recognisability to old and new customers.
Following the introduction of the new design identity for Kreams, it was heartening to witness the positive reception the owners and customers had to this new logo and redesigned materials. It now seemed like Cafe Kreams was finally ready for a bold new chapter. As customers flocked to their flagship outlet at Maxwell on a busy Sunday afternoon, ready for a memorable journey to a cafe retreat, Cafe Kreams, with arms wide open, was also ready, ready to usher in an exciting chapter of continued growth and greater success.
New Logo and Brand Identity Overhaul
Cafe Kreams
2021