Brand Identity — 2024

KOUB

The Project

Koub is an all-day café in Deir el Qamar, one of Lebanon’s best-preserved historic villages. The brief was an identity rooted in the village’s heritage but relaxed enough for everyday café life. The result needed to feel as familiar to the village’s regulars as to the visitors discovering it.

Koub means “cup” in Arabic, and the wordmark reads in both scripts at once: the swash of the “u” becomes the “ك”, the “o” becomes the “و”, and the leg of the “k”, with its diamond dot, becomes the “ب”. One word, two scripts, and no need for a separate Arabic logo.

Process

Every element was drawn in a single line weight, so the architecture, the menu and the lettering read as one hand-drawn language. The emblem’s top half draws on Deir el Qamar’s fountain, arches, rosettes and traditional houses, and its bottom half is the café itself, from the steaming cup to the cocktail glass. Its pictograms were then reused as a repeat pattern, alongside a playful “Koub Coffee Lover” lettering and a pair of barista mascots.

Outcome

A complete identity system designed for every touchpoint: signage, cups, glassware, pastry bags, stickers, loyalty cards, tote bags and a social media concept. Each element can stand on its own or work together. Rooted in heritage but never nostalgic, it gives Koub a warm, playful voice that stays recognisable at any size, from a street awning to a sticker on a cup.