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Posts in Thoughts & Process
Brewing History: Garage's Redesign Journey of Eagle Coffee, the Pioneers of U.S Coffee Culture

Back in 2015, we had the honor of redesigning Eagle Coffee, one of the first brands to introduce coffee to the US!

What makes this project so fascinating is its deep historical roots. Coffee was first introduced to the world from Constantinople, known today as Istanbul. Interestingly, the client's family, who are Greek Ottomans, were the pioneers in importing coffee from Istanbul to the US.

Above is the original historic packaging of Eagle Coffee, currently on display at the Baltimore Industrial History Museum.

As the design lead and founder of Garage, Salih Kucukaga's roots in Istanbul made this project particularly significant. It was a remarkable opportunity for us to participate in the redesign of such a historic product.

If you take a close look at the original package, you'll notice the old silhouettes of Constantinople.

Check out the full project on Behance.

Exploring Visual Identity: The Story Behind Huel's Unused Brand Symbol

Back in 2018, we were working on a brand update project for our client, Huel. They were quite happy and proud of the brand logotype that we designed for Huel and the recognition it had gained. However, they voiced they needed a simpler brand symbol for specific applications.

Taking that on board, we iterated on a new exploration. We framed the 'H' letter in Huel's logotype within a circle. The result was a strong, compact symbol that distilled Huel's identity into a single graphic mark.

The team loved it, and we felt it added a new dimension to the Huel brand!

Despite its potential, the client decided to stick with their logotype for the time being. Our proposed symbol was put on the back burner, saved perhaps for a future time when it might be resurrected and incorporated into Huel's brand identity.

The story serves as a reminder of the fluid and often unpredictable nature of design work. Even though this exploration didn't make the final cut, it is a piece of our creative journey with the Huel brand.

Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll see this strong visual element become part of Huel's identity.

Stay tuned for more stories from our design journey!

Behind the Scenes: Diving Deep into Our Recent Project for MS Fladen with The Design Plans

This week, we've worked on this fun project for one of our favorite clients through a subscription at TheDesignPlans.com

The project involves creating some fun designs for the 130th anniversary of this historic lightvessel boat, a landmark in Stockholm.

Back in 2017, we designed the original boat and tower illustration for Fladen. Now, we've tried a more direct, frontal angle with added wreath and light reflections.

We've also toyed around with some ideas for flags and the FL logo monogram, which Salih had previously put up for feedback on Twitter.

Lastly, if you'd like to check out the designs we created for this client back in 2017 for their 125th anniversary, here's the link.

These designs were featured by Behance in two categories - branding and illustration.

A New Chapter Begins at Garage: The Design Plans, Reinventing the Design Experience

We're beyond pumped to share some exciting news with you all - our latest product, The Design Plans, is now live!

Here at Garage, we've always had a special place in our hearts for our long-term partners who believe in us and our creative process. It's those relationships, formed under a retianer-fee model, that have inspired us to rethink our approach and embrace a design membership plan.

Why membership plans, you ask? We're all about design – creating illustrations, iconic branding, and packaging designs that turn heads. The time we spent preparing proposals, managing contracts, and negotiating revisions was time we felt could be better spent on design. With our new membership model, we're able to dodge these traditional business hurdles and focus on what we truly love doing - design. Plus, it's a win for our clients too, offering a clear, straightforward process where the costs and deliverables are upfront and transparent.

With TheDesignPlans.com, starting your design projects is a breeze. No more back-and-forth emails and calls. Payment is swift and secure, with credit card, Apple Pay, and Link.com options for quick processing. And here's the cherry on top - we're offering a completely free 7-day trial for our potential clients to test our services and the quality of our work.

Now, here's something important to note - we're only taking on a limited number of clients to ensure we can manage the process effectively and deliver top-notch designs. Currently, we have openings for just 2 more new clients.

So, if you're keen on securing your spot in The Design Plans, you better move fast!

Stay tuned as we continue to refine and expand The Design Plans.

We believe this new approach will revolutionize the way we work and the way our clients experience design services.

We're excited about this new chapter at Garage and look forward to welcoming you to The Design Plans.

Upcoming Updates: Garage V3, New Subscription Plans, and More

We have some updates to share with you. We're currently preparing for the launch of Garage V3 and will soon be introducing our new landing page and work plans.

Yes, you heard it right – work plans! At Garage, our goal has always been to provide the best service to our clients. In alignment with this, we're switching to subscription plans, paving the way for more efficient and swift collaborations with our clients.

Moreover, as a glimpse of Garage's new version, we're sharing a small preview with a t-shirt design we enjoyed creating.

Stay tuned for the full launch of Garage V3, where we'll reveal all the new features and improvements.

Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for more details about Garage V3. We'll be sharing more in the coming days.

Milkfloat Coffee & Dessert Shop Logo Branding Illustration Ideas

While working on new logo design projects, we love challenging ourselves and even entertaining ideas that are wild and far-fetched. Part of our design process is to let go and marvel in the possibilities that you may end up with something truly amazing for your client.

Here are some of our favorite logo ideas for Milkfloat Coffee & Dessert Shop from Wichita, KS.

Best 9 / 2017
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2017 has been an amazing year in every aspect of my life! But that’s a story for another post. Here are some of my personal favorite work from 2017. Thanks everyone for the support throughout the year. Feeling very grateful for all of the opportunities and very excited to start another year doing what I love!1- Fladen 2- People Socks 3- Earth Made 4- Torpeden 5- Calendar 6- Iced Tea 7- Smile Blends 8- FPC 9- Breakthrough Chocolates