The Houston Coffee Collective Logo has arrived!
Interview with Megan Milstead and The Houston Coffee Collective Logo Launch!
The Houston Coffee Collective is a regional coffee network dedicated in providing a platform for coffee professionals to connect, share knowledge, and build community.
Megan Milstead, Coffee Manager at A 2nd Cup as well as a member of the Houston Coffee Collective Working Group, is the creative mind behind a set of design for the Collective. For the past month, she has been working on some designs with us. This coming week we will finally launch our logo, postcards, a rainbow sticker (YAS!) and T-shirts!
Here we interview Megan, as she talks about her work with the Houston Coffee Collective, as well as coffee and creativity.
"The connection between coffee and creativity is also in the interactions we have every day - when we are creating, we are also connecting with the humanity that is true to us. Coffee is about connection, community, and creating a safe space for us to enjoy these connections.
"The connection between coffee and creativity is also in the interactions we have every day - when we are creating, we are also connecting with the humanity that is true to us. Coffee is about connection, community, and creating a safe space for us to enjoy these connections."
Houston Coffee Collective: HCC
Megan Milstead: MM
HCC: How did you come across this project for HtxCoffee?
MM: When I first heard about the HtxCoffee at the Throughgood Throwdown, I was instantly excited about this concept. When I was signing up, there was a checklist of options I could contribute, and graphic designer was one. Not long after, I got a call from the HtxCoffee, asking if I would like to contribute a poster design. So I said yes and off we started.
I’ve loved this opportunity to challenge myself creatively and be able to contribute something that I am passionate about. I am excited for HtxCoffee to grow and bring people together by providing a network for information to be shared.
HCC: What is behind the thought process?
MM: The idea for the poster was initially based around the concepts of diversity and inclusion, which are the values of the organization that the founders of HtxCoffee shared with me. From our first conversation, the idea was that everyone is invited to the table. It doesn’t matter if you are an expert in coffee or enthusiastic customer - everyone who would like to participle can join. That’s why there are illustrations on the poster that represent a variety of people. It is not about knowing everything, but about learning more, and being open to sharing information. I think we all have ways to grow and I want the design to focus on not just baristas, and not just one type of person, but also all people who love coffee.
The coffee community is very diverse, whether its skin color, sexual orientation, or religion. We represent all kinds of people and serve all kinds of people. As far as representation goes, the coffee supply chain includes hands from all over the world - it is important for us to recognize its a process that has been through many steps, involvements, care, and craft. It is a collective effort from different regions of the world and culture.
HCC: How long did it take for the project to materialize?
MM: I would say, about a month-long process altogether. It started with talking about an idea – asking what we wanted it to communicate. I had a few different ideas and went from there. We decided to go with a design illustrating people in the coffee community, and then met several times to talk about the progression of the design. Along the way, the silhouette of an espresso machine with a portafilter emerged as a logo. It has been so fun and a privilege to see it from start to finish and be able to work on this project. I am so excited to see it in different shops so people can know what’s going on and get connected.
HCC: How do you see the connection between coffee and the creative scene?
MM: Firstly, the intersection is in the beauty and the craft. An artist’s job is to see the world the way it is and to find beauty in the chaos. We have the opportunity in coffee to do this partly because of the supply chain and all the hands that touched the coffee. The connection between coffee and creativity is also in the interactions we have every day - when we are creating, we are also connecting with the humanity that is true to us. Coffee is about connection, community, and creating a safe space for us to enjoy these connections.
Secondly, it is so encouraging that there are so many artistic people in coffee and so many possible ways to express oneself. I love to see people’s creativity exemplified, whether it's photography, drawing, creating specialty drinks or what not. We all have something unique to give. The beauty lies in that when you walk into a shop, you are interacting with an actual person, an individual that has a unique perspective on life. Coffee is a creative product, and we are all instilling that into the product that we serve!
Thank you, Megan!
You will be seeing these postcards in shops around town. If you want to get your hands on some of these, please email the team : team@htxcoffeecollective.com
Interview: HtxCoffee
Edited by Rachel Lanigon