When I finished designing the Freshly Baked Yummies brand, I honestly thought I had nothing more to do… except wait until I stumbled upon another client.
But to get clients, I needed more work to show.
So, I created a passion project.
This one was for a café—something I’ve always been obsessed with branding someday. A cozy, warm, welcoming place. Inspired by Turkish culture and style.
Now, let’s not get into the political affairs between India and Turkey. I made this project way before things went abyss.
So here I was, imagining and building a fictional brand—a café where travelers from around the world gather to share stories, sip coffee, and dive into books. A mini cozy library for readers, storytellers, and wanderers.
A home for the heartful, soulful tribe.
Since this was a passion project, I had no client brief to start with. I had to imagine everything from scratch—beginning with the name.
I came up with: Kahfe.
In Turkish, coffee is called Kahve, and I mixed that with “Café” to create Kahfe. A Turkish-inspired café born from storytelling, community, and culture.
Designing the Brand: From Brainstorm to Brew
Designing always needs some backstory. And while I didn’t have a formal vision or mission given to me, I had one brewing inside my mind:
A warm place that welcomes travelers and dreamers.
A café where coffee meets tales.
A cup filled with stories.
I began with my usual research, inspiration hunt, and rough iPad sketches to untangle the cluttered ideas. I also tried sketching my personal brand logo somewhere in between (LOL—please ignore that chaos!).
It’s said that your first 20–25 ideas always suck. Thankfully, I didn’t even go that far. I just needed to sketch enough to get clarity.
And finally, something clicked. I had an idea worth giving a shot.
Let Me Present: The Final Kahfe Brand
The color palette I chose was earthy, bold, and warm. Something that felt alive, rooted, and rich—just like Turkish streets and their coffee houses.
The main logo has an Arabic-influenced vibe with the iconic Galata Tower standing tall—symbolizing Istanbul. There’s also a stylized Turkish tea cup used as part of the primary and secondary logos. And the tail of the cup? Unintentionally ended up looking like a cat’s tail.
A happy accident.
I mean—aren’t there cats everywhere on Istanbul’s streets anyway?
The branding elements—like “What’s Brewing?” or “Cup(s) filled with stories…”—are meant to make the brand feel personal, nostalgic, and heartfelt. Because every cup of coffee does hold a story, doesn’t it?
Yes, I made up these little quotes and lines as brand copy. (I know I’m smart. Hehe )
About the Mockups
The mockup design on the mug and takeaway cup was something I wanted to redo after getting feedback. But I haven’t gotten around to editing it yet.
Still, I liked the raw, quirky layout so much that I just… kept it. The previous version felt more cluttered, so this one stayed. It’s imperfect—but it’s got a vibe.
My style of branding often includes cute doodles, hand-drawn elements, a bit of boldness, and a whole lot of personality. Something raw and different from the polished minimalism you often see.
That’s the story of how I built the Kahfe brand.
And yes, it excites me to imagine it coming to life one day. A cozy Turkish café tucked away in some narrow alley, serving coffee and stories.
Who knows—maybe this will become my real business idea someday.
I’ve already got another café branding idea in the works. I’ll share that in next blog soon.
Until then, stay healthy and keep yourself sane enough to work for your dreams.
With heart,
Your Creative Nerd,
Nazish
