Problem:
The art of making and drinking Vietnamese coffee has been lost in America, diluting its taste and culture.

Solution:
Design a Vietnamese coffee shop—ChàoCafe— to preserve the practice and culture behind Vietnamese coffee and share it with people.

Vietnamese coffee means drama. The deep, rich flavor of the black coffee stirred with the sweet, buttery condensed milk creates a striking flavor profile. I used the renaissance art technique, chiaroscuro, as the brand behavior to convey this idea.

Chiaroscuro uses intensities of light and dark to highlight the subject matter. The effect is a highly dramatized piece created through contrast. Paired with this technique are still-life paintings, reviving Vietnamese coffee’s reputation by comparing its brewing process to fine art.

The interior design is a museum-inspired setting where visitors may observe and learn about Vietnamese coffee. It should be a place where people may be inspired and informed, just like at real museums. The dimmed lighting refers back to the chiaroscuro behavior.

Chiaroscuro is also conceptually applied in the brand's language and typography. The logo wordmark combines a serif and sans serif typeface to represent a balanced contrast further. This motive exists throughout the brand to oxymorons, which use two opposing words to strengthen an idea.

ChàoCafe tells the intimate story of Vietnamese coffee, letting people experience how a proper cup should taste and feel.