Killer Cup
Scream if you need an espresso.
/ Industry
Hospitality, café
/ Scope
Visual identity, illustration, print, signage, social
/ Credits
Self-initiated proposal
Designer: Nik Hema
/ Year
2025
About the project
Killer Cup is a fictional coffee shop at 221 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, open 8 am to 3 pm, for locals who want strong coffee with some attitude.
It’s a self-initiated proposal. I built the identity from scratch: the wordmark, a cast of cup characters, and everything they live on, from the shop window to the takeaway cup.
The idea
The brand is built around one character: a paper cup with a big grin, a scar and far too much caffeine. The line that goes with it is “Scream if you need an espresso.”
Everything else follows from that. The café should feel friendly and a little unhinged, the way the first coffee of the day does.
Wordmark and characters
The wordmark is a heavy serif on a slant, like it’s already halfway out the door. Around it sits a cast of cups, grinders and moka pots drawn in a loose cartoon line, so the brand can be loud on a mural and still work on a business card.
Espresso brown and cream keep the whole thing warm.
On the street
Glenferrie Road is busy, so the shop has to stop people walking past. The characters take over the window, hang off the brickwork and stand on the footpath.
Menu and print
The menu, posters and cards keep the same voice in smaller print, with the characters doing the talking.
Cups and merch
The takeaway cup is the brand’s best billboard, so the mascot sits front and centre. Totes and bucket hats carry the cast out of the café.
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