Client: Steep It!
Designer: Mia Richards
Steep It began with a simple question: what if a tea shop had a pop punk aesthetic?
Starting with naming, strategy, and visual identity, the project reimagines a teashop covered with graffiti that plays music from the 2000s pop punk genre. Steep It is a play on the phrase "suck it," a slang expression associated with defiance and proving someone wrong, perfectly capturing the angsty, rebellious spirit that defines the genre. The identity is loud with bright red, purple, and green, and a darker aesthetic. At the center of the brand is a distressed wordmark that reinforces the grunge-inspired feel, supported by hand-drawn graffiti elements including asterisks, explosions, arrows, and a skull.
Known for celebrating tea in all its forms, Steep It offers a menu of specialty teas, creative tea lattes, mocktails, and cocktails that showcase the versatility of tea culture. Everything was considered for making the wall menu to the handhelds. Along with that, brand assets such as stickers, cups, cup sleeves, wristbands, website pages, punch cards, and pins were considered and made with the visual identity.
The project extends beyond traditional branding into environmental design and interactive experiences. A live music series featuring local San Diego pop punk bands transforms the shop into a community gathering place, celebrating both the local music scene and the culture that inspired the brand. Steep it is a reminder that branding doesn't have to stop at a logo. When every detail reinforces the concept, even a quick pit stop for a tea latte for when sip happens.
Known for celebrating tea in all its forms, Steep It offers a menu of specialty teas, creative tea lattes, mocktails, and cocktails that showcase the versatility of tea culture. Everything was considered for making the wall menu to the handhelds. Along with that, brand assets such as stickers, cups, cup sleeves, wristbands, website pages, punch cards, and pins were considered and made with the visual identity.
The project extends beyond traditional branding into environmental design and interactive experiences. A live music series featuring local San Diego pop punk bands transforms the shop into a community gathering place, celebrating both the local music scene and the culture that inspired the brand. Steep it is a reminder that branding doesn't have to stop at a logo. When every detail reinforces the concept, even a quick pit stop for a tea latte for when sip happens.
Menus:
Collateral:
*AI was used for the distortion of the type on the bag
*AI was used for the tea bag texture
*AI was used for the cup liner texture
*AI was used for expanding the photo and to fit the menu design on the wall
Disclaimer: Some images have used Figma AI to enhance the believability of the mockup, such as the cup liner texture, tea bag textures, and the inside environment. However, no AI was used to design any of the graphic elements or any poster concepts.
