“As always, working with the AG team has been worry-free and a pleasure. The graphics which have been developed for eat@Urban helped lift the space and add a sense of originality, which was particularly important for us considering the café is set in an architecturally beautiful building.”
Walking into a bustling campus cafe where the aroma of pumpkin spice lattes fills the air, but the space itself falls like a flat white. That was the reality at Eat@ Urban. Students would grab their daily roasted caffeine fix and head off in search of the energy and atmosphere that high street coffee spots effortlessly delivered. We quickly realised this project was more than a visual facelift. It was about redefining an entire experience. The adjoining break-out area, though functional, lacked warmth and invitation. It needed to become a place where students wanted to linger, connect and recharge. Newcastle University turned to AlphaGraphics UK to breathe new life into the space – to design, print and install a brand identity that not only matched the quality of coffee being served, but also celebrated the social ritual that comes with every cup.
Armed with a coffee and creativity, our Design Team set out to transform Eat@ Urban into a space that looked and felt just as good as the coffee tasted. We wanted to capture that feeling of stepping into your favourite coffee shop and the rich aromas, bold designs and the buzz that hits before the espresso does. In the caffeine fuelled days to come, we were inspired by the idea of coffee beans from around the world and brewed up a concept that celebrated global bean origins. Our mood board was full of earthy tones, tribal fonts and map style graphics which would ultimately turn bare walls into a place people would feel ready to power up. Every element from design concept to large format printing and cutting was handled in-house by AlphaGraphics Northeast, to ensure a cohesive, high-quality transformation that balanced energy, relaxation and the unmistakable charm of a well-loved coffee spot.
From the moment the new designs were installed, the change felt like switching from night mode to day mode. A once dull space was now buzzing with energy, and the transformation brought a completely new sense of atmosphere with it. Instead of grabbing their brew and heading for the door, more students now choose to study, socialise and spark new ideas in a space that now feels as energising as their favourite coffee chain. Their new cohesive visuals further strengthened their brand visibility and created more of a uniformed look and feel with the wider campus identity, consolidating the face of Newcastle University’s brand one brew at a time. By managing every stage of the process in-house from concept and design to print and installation, AlphaGraphics delivered a transformation that truly captured the essence of how it should feel when you mix caffeine, community and connection.
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