Brand Refresh Case Study: How 'Velora Coffee' Simplified Its Mark and Boosted Recognition

Summary: This case study walks through the branding process for Velora Coffee, a mid-size café chain that wanted better on-pack recognition and consistent digital performance. We document research, explorations, final deliverables, and measurable outcomes.

Background and brief

Velora Coffee launched in 2015 with a detailed badge-style logo featuring ornate illustrations and script typography. Over time, the mark became less legible in digital contexts and lacked flexibility across product packaging. The brand brief called for a simplified, modern mark that retained warmth and craft while improving legibility at small sizes.

Discovery and research

The team conducted qualitative interviews with shop managers and customers, and a visual audit of the brand in real use. Key findings:

• On-cup sleeves and small merch, the script wordmark was unreadable.
• Competitors were using bold geometric marks that performed well in digital listings.
• Customers associated Velora with 'artisan' but also 'approachable' — the new design needed to maintain that balance.

Exploration: keeping the essence

Rather than discard brand equity, the design process aimed to extract the most recognizable elements from the old badge: the coffee bean motif and the arc of steam above the cup. Sketches explored converting the bean into a unique glyph and using simplified shapes to suggest steam without fine lines that would vanish at small sizes.

Prototype variants

Three directions were prototyped:

1. Glyph-first: A closed, geometric bean glyph + a clean sans wordmark.
2. Emblem refined: A simpler circular emblem with bold counters and reduced ornament.
3. Monogram: Initials 'V' + 'C' combined into a negative-space mark.

User testing and selection

Each proposal was tested on real-world touchpoints: cup sleeves, mobile order apps, store signage, and favicons. The glyph-first approach scored highest for immediate recognition and adaptability. Stakeholders liked the modern tone and merchants appreciated the clearer printing requirements for packaging.

Final solution

The final identity included:

• Primary horizontal lockup: glyph + full wordmark
• Secondary stacked lockup for square spaces
• Micro-icon: bean glyph optimized for 16–32px
• Color palette: warm espresso brown, cream background, accent burnt orange
• Typography: a humanist sans for body type and a slightly condensed display for headlines

Implementation and assets

Assets were delivered as vector and raster packages, including SVGs for app and web, PNGs for social, and print-ready PDFs. The production team created separations and a print guide ensuring legibility on cup sleeves and small merchandise. A simplified set of patterns and a brand grid helped store teams apply the identity consistently without design resources.

Results and metrics

Within six months of rollout, Velora observed measurable changes:

• Online product listings saw a 14% increase in recall during A/B visual tests
• Mobile app users reported faster brand recognition in lists and push notifications
• Merchandise production errors decreased because of cleaner separations and fewer fine details

Lessons learned

Key takeaways from the project:

• Simplification can increase recognizability without losing brand personality
• Testing marks in their real usage contexts prevents late-stage surprises
• Delivering practical guidelines and templates accelerates internal adoption

'Simplifying a mark isn't about removing personality — it's about clarifying it for the widest range of encounters.' — Project Lead

Conclusion

Velora's refresh is a practical example of how strategic reduction and system thinking can yield stronger brand performance across both digital and physical channels. By prioritizing legibility, creating a tiered hierarchy of marks, and delivering precise production guides, the design team transformed a heritage badge into a flexible system that supports growth.