Coffee industry veteran Farmer Brothers asked us to create a brand that would honor the artistry of specialty coffee while making it accessible to newcomers. Their philosophy gave us our starting point: exceptional coffee is a performing art, where the sum of many contributions creates something greater than any individual part. That idea guided every design decision, from the geometric patterns on the packaging to a color palette that traces coffee’s path from cherry to cup.
Color palette: from origin to cup
The Sum›One colors tell a story. Warm cherry and salmon tones reflect coffee cherries ripening under equatorial sun, while cool dew and pale blues suggest the water that nurtures coffee’s growth. The palette connects where coffee begins with where it ends up: in the cup, in the moment, with people.
Pattern language: coffee’s lifecycle, visualized
Sum›One’s geometric pattern works as a visual system for the brand. Each icon (beans, cherries, brewing vessels, cups) represents a stage in coffee’s life, arranged in a grid that creates movement across the package. The pattern tells the story of how coffee gets from farm to cup.
The monogram: beginning and end
The “S” and “O” monogram sits at the center of the identity. It suggests both a sprouting seedling and steam rising from a fresh cup: coffee’s beginning and endpoint in a single mark. It’s a simple visual that communicates the brand’s approach without needing explanation.
Packaging that tells the story
The packaging design puts bold visual storytelling front and center. Geometric patterns create energy and movement, with each icon representing part of coffee’s story from origin to cup. The packaging doesn’t just hold the coffee. It introduces customers to the brand’s values before they even open the bag.
Project DIRECT: a mark of its own
Sum›One wasn’t the only identity in the project. We also designed the mark for Project DIRECT, Farmer Brothers’ sustainable sourcing initiative, so the program could stand on its own while fitting the Sum›One system. On the bag it gets dedicated label space, putting the sourcing story right next to the coffee.
Sum›One’s market debut
The Sum›One launch marked Farmer Brothers’ entrance into the specialty coffee market. As Daily Coffee News reported, this is a significant move for a company founded in 1912: a new brand offering single-origin coffees and signature blends designed for coffee enthusiasts while staying approachable for the curious.
Sum›One joins Farmer Brothers’ portfolio alongside Farmer Brothers Coffee Co. and Boyd’s Coffee. Our design system gives the brand a visual foundation that respects coffee’s craft traditions while feeling contemporary, and welcomes newcomers without talking down to the experienced. It’s an invitation to explore what specialty coffee can be.
Project Details
- Farmer Brothers
- Farmer Brothers
