Responses by Jessica Carpenter and Tad Carpenter, cofounders, Carpenter Collective
Background: PT’s Coffee Roasting Company was established in 1993 in Topeka, Kansas and was in need of a rebrand as it celebrated its 25th anniversary. We were truly inspired by PT’s passion for exceptional coffee from bean to cup. It was important for the new identity to reflect PT’s love of coffee from its direct trade relationships with the farmers to the retail clientele.
Reasoning: On a visit to PT’s Coffee headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, less than two miles from PT’s roasting facility, we drove by a herd of bison grazing on the Kansas prairie. The bison of the Great Plains represents strength, unity and abundance; PT’s wanted its new identity to be reflective of these same values and connect to its Midwest roots. The design style reinforces the handcrafted nature of PT’s products—making the brand more approachable and memorable.
Favorite details: The twelve-ounce coffee packaging system. PT’s roasts 70 plus different roasts a year and we were challenged to develop a labeling and bag system that could accommodate this diverse roasting offering. We created six categories for all the roasts and designed a labeling system that PT’s could print in-house and apply the same day it roasts its products. Each label is also die cut and kiss-cut on a high quality label sheet. We also extended the system to the new cafe location in Lawrence, Kansas, designing an exterior signage package, interior wayfinding, customizable retail shelving, a wooden dimensional bison wall piece, wall murals and a flexible menu board.
Challenges: Designing a menu board system that is not only simple and beautiful, but also can be easily updated and hold up to the wear and tear of a cafe. Our final solution checks all those boxes and allows PT’s employees to focus on what they do best—brew and serve exceptional coffee.
Visual influences: One of the attributes PT’s held dearest to them was the handcrafted products they produced. PT’s wanted the new identity system to reflect that handcrafted attribute in some way. Our response to this was developing a system that also felt hand-generated and authentic to those values.
Browse Projects
