Specializing in afternoon teas and the finest service, Chicago-based Everyday Tea Room is focused on facilitating face-to-face connection through an environment of civility, one of owner Julie Frantz's favorite words. In fact, mobile phones and laptops aren't even allowed.

The New American Tea

Initial research showed that while there has been a clear rise in the tea industry over the past ten years, most tea houses are still following one of two approaches: coffeehouse casual or flowery formality. Through our conversations and the client's response to our opening survey it was clear that neither of these was our target. Instead we were aiming for a new tradition of American tea.

Drawing from the survey response and our own conceptual exploration we defined three basic themes for the experience of the new tea room:

1. Connection:
   The "face-to-face" interaction that often carries with it an air of celebration and warmth
2. Clean and transparent:
   With an emphasis on the healthy qualities of tea and the response of being revived as well as the physical qualities of tea itself; this was also about the experience that allows visitors to be free to focus on the matters at hand
3. Refined:
   Beauty was a keyword throughout the process and it was clear that the mark of Everyday Tea Room needed to not only be attractive, but to convey refinement itself; this also reflects Everyday Tea Room's level of service

Additionally, we knew from the client's experience that while our audience was traditionally female, men were regular customers as well and especially in the area of business teas. Our visual aim then lay in the tension between the feminine soft and the graphically strong.

The Visual Design Process

We began the visual process by exploring the symbols and phrases that communicated the Everyday Tea Room experience, noting those that we intended to avoid (like the ubiquitous mug) and those that offered more room for exploration (like everyday, face-to-face, and the idea of steeping), especially those elements unique to the Everyday Tea Room experience. Conceptual intersections were investigated in an effort to build in layers of opportunity for discovery.

Somewhere in the process of sketching and writing, laboring and playing, rejecting and embracing, the magic happened. There we were with a beautiful, clean and transparent solution that clearly illustrated the connection of each part with the others as well as the depth and change that results from the interaction. Starting with a tea-colored leaf we had the sun (hear "day," as in everyday) and a flower—bold forms with rounded feminine curves. In fact we had seven leaves, one for "everyday" of the week. And then, moving toward the center, we have a representation of the steeping process, whether for tea leaves or conversationalists.

During this process we were also looking into (playing with) type and happily landed on Carol Twombly's Chaparral Pro with a warmth that is both fresh and trustworthy. The "brewing tea" colors were sampled in the title for visual interest and to strengthen the connection between the type and the mark.

The client was pleased ("It's perfect!") and we're excited to be working on more Everyday Tea Room materials now including a website to be released later this year.