Art & Design
meets Coffee
Howlt Coffee started in 2017 as one of the art activities of the art brand Howlt, launched by Haruki Higashi, the representative of LOWORKS Inc who works on artwork such as NIKE, WWF, and Smirnoff. A fictitious coffee shop that first carries out full-fledged branding, sells goods at online stores, and aims to become a real store using its profits. It was an experimental project that looked for a new method to a successful brand, with a different starting point than the usual design flow. In 2018, a solo exhibition at UltraSuperNewGallery in Harajuku and then he did on holding a pop-up shop in Kyoto. Finaly a real store Howlt Coffee opened on the site of Fukuoka Daimyo Elementary School in Fukuoka. It is a graphical store with painted main graphics and silk-screen typography. In addition to delicious coffee and seasonal drinks using carefully selected beans, Howlt products and some artists' goods from around the world are sold at Howlt Coffee Fukuoka. We offer a unique coffee shop that combines art, design, and coffee culture.
Story
Howlt coffee borned as an experimental project based on branding precedence by Haruki Higashi, who is an artist and representitive of the art project Howlt. in 2017, It started with a fictional coffee shop aimed at realizing future stores. Even though there is no coffee or store, but we did perfectly branding such as creating the logo, typeface, official site based on C character of Coffee. Moreover develop products such as T-shirts and collaboration latte cups with espresso parts, then we sold them at our online store. This project was featured in various media, leading to a solo exhibition on Howlt Coffee at UltraSuperNewGallery in Jingumae in 2018. In addition to canvas works and Art zine etc, a coffee stand was set up during the Exhibition. The first time of us to offered coffee as Howlt coffee. The following March, a Howlt pop-up shop will be held at the bookstore Magazan Kyoto. During the same period, a second Howlt coffee was held as a pop-up coffee shop. After two years of activity, in 2019, we opened a real store on the site of Fukuoka Daimyo Elementary School together with Junji Murakami of Saino Co., Ltd., which is driving the startup scene in Fukuoka. his experimental projects are still ongoing in Fukuoka.
Date
Place
Dec.2017
Creation
Branding/Web/ Products
First, we created a logo and typeface based on the C of coffee, which would be the foundation of the branding, with the expectation that it would be incorporated into various media, and created an official website. Based on these, we developed various products such as T-shirts and latte cups in collaboration with Espresso Parts, and sold them online. This unique project, which was staged as if it were a real store, was introduced in various media.
Date
Place
NOV.2018 / TOKYO
Creation
Solo Exhibition / Popup CoffeeStand
In 2018, Haruki Higashi had a solo exhibition at UltraSuperNewGallery in Harajuku, Tokyo, featuring HowltCoffee. Reflecting the coffeehouse culture that is becoming more prevalent in Tokyo, the exhibition featured painted artworks, art zines, and animations using typography and iconography popular in boutique coffee shops. A pop-up coffee stand was set up in the exhibition space, and for the first time, coffee was served as Howlt Coffee.
More Information
Date
Place
Mar.2019 / Kyoto
Creation
Exhibition / Popup CoffeeStand
Howlt pop-up store at Magasinn Kyoto, a bookstore where you can stay in Kyoto, in March 2019. During the same period, a 2nd time Howlt coffee was held as a pop-up coffee stand.
Date
Place
May.2019 / Fukuoka Daimyo
Creation
Real Coffee Shop
After about two years of activities as a fictional coffee shop, the long-awaited real store Howlt Coffee Fukuoka opened in May 2019 at the former site of Fukuoka Daimyo Elementary School. The experimental project to find a new design flow to make the brand successful is still ongoing as a real store.
Howlt Coffee where is in Daimyo Elementary School
Howlt Coffee is located on the first floor of the former Daimyo Elementary School, which has a large presence amidst the department stores and restaurants of Tenjin, Fukuoka's central business district. Facing the corridor that still retains the atmosphere of that time, you will be greeted by a conspicuous graphic. Howlt Coffee itself is a small coffee stand specializing in take-out, but each classroom on the first floor of the former Daimyo Elementary School houses a coworking space and a bar (which can be used as an eat-in space during lunchtime) with free WIFI facilities where you can eat and drink. Also coffee and other drinks can be ordered from the window outside the school building or from the counter in the hallway, and you can also relax on the terrace connected to the school building.
- Sign board of Howlt Coffee creation using silkscreen.
- Interior design of Howlt Coffee using silkscreen.
As a testament to our work on the theme of art and coffee, we created a new symbol using paint as a motif, and updated our typeface to match. The typeface has been updated to match.
One cup of coffee, one color. In fact, the two production processes are very similar.
What color and beans are blended, in what ratio, weather, temperature, humidity, what medium is used to paint and pour, and many other factors come together to create the color or coffee of the moment.
At Howlt Coffee, we define one color per menu item, and the label shows the color code for that color and the percentage of the acrylic color mixture to make.
The symbol of Howlt Coffee Fukuoka is based on the motif of paint and coffee, and the interior of the cafe is decorated with various typography and paintings using acrylic paints and silkscreens. There is also a photo spot on the wall where you can take a picture with your drink on it.
