On Sunday 10th April I found myself at the annual London Coffee Festival 2016, in Brick Lane. I was unsure whether this location was the festival's permanent location, but I can only understand this choice due to the booming coffee trade in this newly trendy area of London. I knew this after completing my primary research and found that there were 7 or 8 independents in and around Shoreditch to name only a few. In fact, I was glad that I had completed my primary research prior to this event as the level of interest and experience required of me when I stepped inside, far exceeded that which I had at the beginning of this experience. The taste of raw coffee was no longer unusual or exotic to me, and at least I didn't pull a face when I tried shot-after-shot of tasters from the stalls around the venue as I imagine this would have gotten me thrown out immediately.
The atmosphere inside the Old Truman Brewery was electric; full of people with their friends, family and partners all exchanging over this simple drink. Surprisingly, it was all full of people my age too which is a trend I've picked up on as I visit more and more independents. The general coffee crowd seems to be mostly liberal, well dressed, twenty-somethings who either sport some sort of beard and/or tattoos. All humour aside, going to this event has given me a very clear indicator of who my target audience is for the pamphlet I want to make.
Upon entry to the venue I was given a guide for the event that presented a good example for what I want to create as an outcome for this project; just smaller and more concise. This was a well presented newspaper-style guide that featured a well thought-out design of vibrant colours, photographs, interesting articles and features surrounding the festival. My favourite design feature was a pattern that also adorned the disposable coffee cups handed out. The shapes were distinctive and helped create a clean and modern aesthetic for the festival. They were distributed throughout the graphics in the guide, as well as the event website and contrasted well with the stamped logo of the event.
 |
| Coffee cups featuring the design |
The image below was taken in the centre of the venue and shows a semi-final taking place to find the ultimate 'coffee master'. This was a simple concept in which 16 contestants from around the world competed against each other in order to win the coveted title, and I happened to catch the final. I was amazed at the skill and finesse with which the two finalists made the perfect cup of coffee, but also the speed. I was amazed to find that the standard speed at which a top barista must work is 4 cappuccinos in 4 minutes. Also interesting, was the fact that the judges were also making conversation with the baristas whilst they were making coffee; a fundamental requirement of the role that means the barista must be able to work efficiently whilst communicating with others around them.
 |
| The main stage where the competition was taking place
The innovations and ideas that bounced around this place were inspiring and I was so glad I had taken the time to visit. The festival was hard to miss however, with leaflets present in almost all the cafes I went into promoting the event, as well as electronic billboards on the tube. This event has given me a great deal of new information that I want to consider putting into my booklet, such as new coffee concepts, blends and tips. Due to the presence of the Nitro Blend at the festival, this meant I didn't have to go to Hoxton and try the infamous Black Lyan blend served in their bar/cafe.
|
 |
| My complementary tote |
0 comments:
Post a Comment