In this case study, I want to explore the process of creating the Recreo brand, a café developed around a central narrative that guided all design and communication decisions. My goal was to build the brand from a content-first perspective, starting with its story and allowing these elements to guide every aspect of the experience.
1. Introduction
The Recreo project was born from a simple idea: to create a specialty coffee shop and, at the same time, offer a space to disconnect from the demands of daily life while connecting with others. For the founders, a group of friends since high school, this café was an opportunity to create a refuge for those seeking a moment of quiteness in the midst of their routines.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Recreo means:
- m. Act of recreation (i.e., having fun).
- m. In schools, a break from class to rest or play.
- m. A place or site suitable for amusement.
From this definition came the manifesto we co-wrote as creators:
Recreo is a timeless place: it carries the spirit of a school recess, that magical time when you could be Batman and Wonder Woman for 15 minutes before math class. Recreo is that place you love to visit, where you can meet others in a playful way. It’s a pause to read a book, finish that college paper with a delicious slice of cake, work for a bit, or stop by to greet an acquaintance, turning them into a friend. It’s where you grab a coffee and move on with your day.
Recreo is a porteño (Buenos Aires-style) specialty coffee shop. It’s also a meeting place: for locals, pet owners, and people on their way to the park. For those killing time before school pickups. For people from different disciplines to gather, enjoy, create, and re-create. All this is wrapped in the pleasures of gastronomy: a great cup of coffee, a delicious slice of cake, a tasty sandwich.
T/N: The Spanish verb “crear” means “to create,” and “re-crear” can mean “to recreate” or “to re-create.” Additionally, “yo recreo” translates to “I recreate,” tying the name to the ideas of both leisure and creation.
The name Recreo not only reflects that playful, free interval of time but also symbolizes a figurative pause—a place to feel at ease and reconnect with one’s genuine, relaxed essence.
2. The Narrative
Once we had the concept, we focused on translating it into concrete terms. How could we channel our energy and ideas into the café’s design, brand, and menu? What elements belonged and which didn’t? How would visitors interact with the space, and what conversations would they have with it?
To answer these questions, we created a mood board: colors, textures, references, scents, flavors, and even tangible objects that captured what we wanted to convey. This board, along with the manifesto, became our guiding tools for every decision we needed to make.
3. Design and Applications – How We Did It
With the two fundamental pillars in place, the manifesto and the mood board, we began bringing the vision of Recreo to life. These documents not only guided the graphic design and visual identity but also influenced the physical space, furniture, and every detail customers would experience once entering the café. Here’s how everything came to life, from early ideas to final applications.
Brand Design Elements
Inspired by the idea of Recreo as a pause, play, and gathering, we experimented with iconic yet subtle elements that evoked these sensations without being overly literal. For example, we explored symbols like cups, coffee beans, and even a paper airplane. These ideas captured the playful essence we wanted to transmit.
For the logo typography, we chose a handwritten-like font to give the brand a personal touch, echoing the warmth of pen and paper and reinforcing the timeless feel of the concept. For the rest of the typeface family, we opted for a rounded, friendly serif paired with a clear sans-serif for longer text.
The color palette featured blue tones as primary colors, complemented by soft yet bold greens, earthy and wood hues. These colors reflected Recreo’s connection to the values we sought to communicate.
The Wood
One of the most important narrative decisions was to convey warmth, pause, and hominess through wood elements in the furniture. Tables, chairs, and even the bar counter were designed to use slightly worn wood, reminiscent of school benches marked by generations. This texture would evoke shared stories and experiences, like a barstool that’s witnessed countless conversations and moments. Through wood, the space would tell its own story, inviting visitors to add theirs.
The Menu and Culinary Experience
The culinary offering needed to be simple, authentic, and appealing, with a special touch that would encourage customers to return. The goal was to create a menu that, while classic, reflected Recreo’s spirit: a place where people could find what they’d expect from a traditional café while being delighted by small surprises that reinforced an emotional connection. We wanted to include porteño classics with a focus on quality and flavor, not just coffee and pastries but also sandwiches and simple dishes for light meals or quick lunches.
Community Connection
From Recreo’s narrative design, we envisioned the café as a gathering and belonging space for the neighborhood, where locals and visitors could feel part of something bigger. Beyond coffee and pastries, Recreo was designed to offer a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, complemented by activities and events. This included features like a water station and dog treats to welcome customers with four-legged friends.
We brainstormed activities and events to foster interaction and creativity among people of different disciplines and ages, reinforcing Recreo’s identity as a community hub. Ideas included board game nights, art workshops, collaborative activities, and occasional events like live music or local product fairs to bring neighbors together and showcase local producers and artists.
The Recreo is in the details
Recreo’s magic lies in the details—every element was an opportunity to capture its essence of pause and play. Here’s how we envisioned those moments:
- Library: A cozy corner with books for customers to read onsite, and an open system for visitors to donate titles. This would create a space of constant discovery, reminiscent of school-era book exchanges.
- Board Games: A selection of casual games for patrons to enjoy in pairs or groups while sipping coffee.
- Chalkboards: Warm, artisanal communication through chalkboards for daily updates, promotions, and special messages. This added a welcoming, ever-evolving touch to the space.
- Playful Details: Interactive touches on everyday items, like recyclable paper placemats for drawing while waiting or jotting down notes. They say that great ideas start with a doodle on a napkin. Ours would also have dotted lines for creating origami.
Every detail contributed to Recreo as a soulful space, where each moment invited guests to enjoy, connect, and rediscover that sense of pause and play that shaped the manifesto and narrative.
4. Final Outcome
5. Challenges and Learnings
The journey of designing Recreo was filled with challenges, requiring us to base every decision on a solid, meaningful story. Focusing on a narrative-driven brand was an unusual approach, making us ensure every aspect of the project aligned with the story.
Challenges of the Content-First Approach
Adopting a content-first approach meant starting with narrative and concept before addressing visual and functional aspects—an unconventional method in traditional design processes. This required us to build a narrative and semantic universe around the ideas of pause, gathering, and community, ensuring that every detail—colors, furniture, spatial arrangement—reflected these values authentically.
Building a Narrative Universe
Turning a story into a physical space and tangible experiences is a complex task. It’s not enough to tell the story; it must be translated into every visible and perceptible aspect of the café so visitors can experience it without explanation. While the concept would start from our vision as creators, the final result depended on customers adding their own contributions, ensuring the space could evolve organically.
To achieve this, we set out to create a narrative ecosystem. Every small detail, from the type of chairs to the choice of materials, the arrangement of the lighting, and the music playing in the background contributes to building this brand universe. At Recreo, this meant investing time and effort in analyzing how each element could help evoke that sense of leisure and relaxation.
In essence, Recreo is an open invitation for those seeking moments of pause, connection, and play. The bell has rung. Welcome to Recreo.
