Positioning with Soban Cafe
This self-initiated rebrand began as an exploration of how brand strategy can shape everyday spaces. Using a local, women-owned café as the starting point, I reimagined Soban as more than a place to grab coffee — positioning it as a space built around ritual, warmth, and connection.
Rooted in the idea of the soban — the traditional Korean small table — the identity was developed as a flexible system that balanced cultural reference with contemporary expression. Through language, typography, and a cozy visual direction, the brand was designed to feel inviting and familiar, while still giving the café a distinct point of view.
The project became a way to explore how thoughtful strategy and visual systems can turn small, local experiences into something memorable — shaping how people feel, linger, and return.
Learning Insight
This project reinforced how powerful small, intentional brand decisions can be. Rather than relying on bold gestures, the work showed that clarity in language, consistency in systems, and respect for cultural context are often what make a brand feel meaningful and lasting.
This project shapes how I approach brand strategy with clients — starting with intention, designing systems that can grow quietly over time, and using language and structure to create familiarity without losing distinctiveness. It reinforces my focus on building brands that feel considered, adaptable, and grounded in real human behavior rather than surface-level trends.
