Visual identity for coffee shop HWK based in Hackney Wick, London. 

HWK used its East London location as the central idea for their brand development: drawing on the area’s rich industrial heritage, which later became inhabited by artists, and consequently caused a popularisation, redevelopment and gentrification of the neighbourhood. HMK aims to connect the area’s past with its present, fostering a sense of community by serving a wide spectrum of its local clientele.

The logo is depicted in digitised handwriting, which merges traditional and contemporary modes of production. The fluidity of the digital, cursive script is a nod to the liquidity of coffee as well as the communality of the coffee shop, which takes the form of a social hub.

Exterior signage includes the logo rendered in neon, ensuring 24-hour brand visibility, and gives HMK the potential to expand into an evening venue. A light box sits beneath the neon sign, which functions like a ‘street jockey’, providing a space for the local community to share messages and images from the surrounding area.