Common Goods is a specialty café and provisions brand rooted in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where polished global café culture meets the warmth and authenticity of the Maritimes. As the sole brand designer, I developed a full visual identity system for a brand built around community, quality coffee, and coastal charm, targeting Halifax locals, young professionals, students, tourists, and weekend market-goers.
The central design challenge was capturing a very specific brand tension: premium and sophisticated, yet genuinely warm and approachable — Starbucks meets the Maritimes. The identity resolves this through a bold circular emblem logo with a maritime-inspired illustrated mark, a palette of calm cobalt blue and warm golden yellow anchored by cool greys, and a Montserrat and Poppins typeface pairing that reads equally well on a café chalkboard and a social media post.
The voice system carries the same balance — friendly and witty, like a knowledgeable barista who knows your order and shares a good story. From key messages like "Caffeine & Coastlines" and "Salty But Caffeinated" to merchandise, digital, and packaging applications, the guidelines deliver a cohesive, handoff-ready brand system.