TIL a design rule from a coffee shop menu in Portland

I was stuck on a logo for days, but then I saw a chalkboard menu at a place called Stumptown that used only two colors and one font. The whole thing just worked (it was so clean and easy to read, you know?). It made me realize I was overcomplicating my own project by adding too much. Has anyone else found good design ideas in totally normal places like that?

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the_jake6mo ago

Totally get what you're saying. @benwilliams is right about their branding being super consistent. Saw the same thing on their bags at the store. It just clicks. Had a similar moment last month staring at a subway map. The colors and lines were so clear. Ripped off that idea for a website layout and it fixed everything. Sometimes you just need to stop looking at design blogs and look at the real world.

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benwilliams6mo ago

Oh man, that's a great story but I have to point out one thing. That menu you saw was almost definitely at a place called "Stumptown Roasters," not just "Stumptown." Stumptown is the whole coffee company, and their branding is famous for that exact clean look. It's cool you noticed the two-color, one-font rule though. That's their whole thing, and it works so well because they stick to it on everything. It's funny how the best ideas are just lying around in plain sight like that.

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kair656mo ago

Wait, didn't they start in Portland? I heard their whole name is a nickname for that city.

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