Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo by Liying Wang

Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo by Liying Wang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma in Igishushanyo cy'Amashusho Competition Category.

IcyumaAmashusho· 2026

Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo

by Liying Wang

Client: Liying Wang

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma Winner in Amashusho Category

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The Design

About Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo

Book Text: Ikimenyetso cy'ikigo cya Bitter plus Sweet gitanga irebero rishya ry'ubwiza bw'ikawa ikorwa mu buhanga binyuze mu kimenyetso gisomwa mu buryo bubiri. Gishingiye ku miterere ibiri y'ikawa, ihuza imbaraga n'ubworoherane, iyi dizayini ihuza umutima ufite imiterere ya geometrie n'inyuguti zibanza z'ikirango. Inyuguti B ifite imiterere ikomeye igaragaza ikawa ihiye cyane isharira, mu gihe inyuguti S igaragaza ubunyoro. Yubatswe ku rusobe rukomeye rw'imibare, iri rangi rishobora kwagurwa cyangwa kugabanywa rikoresha amabara asanzwe y'Umukara wa Espresso n'Icyatsi kibisi cya Sage. Ubu buryo buhindura imigenzo isanzwe y'inganda, buhuza abaguzi n'inkuru y'irebero rihishwe rifite akamaro.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma

Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cy'icyuma, ishimwe ry'agaciro ritangwa ku bishushanyo byiza bihuza ibyo umwuga n'inganda bikeneye ku bihangano byashushanyijwe neza. Abegukanye icyuma bagaragaza ubuhanga bukomeye, ubumenyi bwihariye, imyumvire y'inzobere n'ubushobozi bwo guhanga bw'ababikoze. Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano cyubahwa, gishimwa kandi gikundwa, gifatika kandi gifite udushya. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye icyuma gihuza uburyo bwiza bukoreshwa mu nganda kandi gifite ibiranga bya tekiniki bifite ubushobozi, bifatanye n'ubumenyi n'impano. Bitter Plus Sweet Primary Function: Ikimenyetso cy'Ikigo yubahwa kubera gukora neza, kandi yashushanyijwe kugira ngo inoze ubuzima, ifashe gutuma isi iba nziza.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The identity utilizes a double read principle, integrating a geometric heart with the brand initials. The left side forms a structural letter B representing the intensity of bitter roasts, while the right side forms a letter S for sweetness. Built on a mathematical grid, the logo ensures timeless scalability across physical and digital mediums. The palette of Espresso Brown and Sage Green avoids industrial platitude, offering an organic feel that appeals to craft focused consumers.
Dimensions & Packaging: This identity is built to ensure pixel perfect translation across digital screens and physical print. The logo is delivered in scalable vector formats and high resolution raster files. Brand guidelines define minimum sizing and clear space rules to guarantee legibility on applications ranging from small paper espresso cups to large storefront window decals and embroidered employee uniforms.
Tags: Brand Identity, Logo Design, Coffee Shop, Geometric Design, Corporate Identity, Minimalism, Visual Communication
Production Technology: The design was developed using professional vector-based software, such as Adobe Illustrator and Figma, to ensure infinite scalability without loss of detail. A strict mathematical grid system was applied to the monogram to maintain perfect proportions across various applications, from small-scale social media icons to large-scale storefront window decals and embroidered textile merchandise.
Design Challenge: The hardest challenge was balancing rustic coffee tropes with a modern, socially-driven craft aesthetic. Internally, blending a rigid 'B' and 'S' into a recognizable heart required extensive iteration to avoid forced geometry. Externally, production constraints dictated the logo must remain legible across diverse media, from low-fidelity stamp printing on recycled packaging to crisp digital app icons, demanding strict, uncompromising adherence to the mathematical grid.
Research: Exploratory research aimed to define modern craft coffee aesthetics. Methodology included visual audits of 15 local competitors and comparative testing of logo concepts. Data was collected via random surveys with local coffee drinkers. Results showed a 75 percent preference for organic geometries over industrial tropes. Insights revealed consumers crave hidden narratives, directly impacting the dual B and S heart design. This approach elevates brand business equity and modernizes local coffee culture.
Inspiration: This project was inspired by the intrinsic duality of the coffee experience: the balance between strength and softness. The motive was to create a symbol conveying both technical precision and human warmth. Research into geometry and minimalist monograms led to a heart shape constructed from the letters 'B' and 'S'. The goal was to reward observant customers with a hidden narrative, moving beyond traditional coffee tropes toward a sophisticated, modern craft aesthetic.
Project Duration: The project started in December 2025 in California, U.S., and finished at the end of February 2026.
Operation Flow: The brand interacts with customers through a discovery phase; the realization of the hidden letter B and letter S initials follows the initial recognition of a heart symbol. This engagement builds brand equity.
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator Liying Wang, 2026.
Image #2: Creator Liying Wang, 2026.
Image #3: Creator Liying Wang, 2026.
Image #4: Creator Liying Wang, 2026.
Image #5: Creator Liying Wang, 2026.