Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sometimes surface design is a hinderance to something's inner potential to inspire...

There is a cafe in Asbury Park that I absolutely love. It's in a part of the town that has been highly restored and is full of examples of good design. The facade and general interior layout of the cafe are quaint; it's got a rustic feel with the sophisticated but oversized chairs you'd expect in a cafe of this sort, and it's run by a very sweet couple who are into living sustainably and cooking/baking the food themselves. You enter with the expectation of having a sketchbook and/or a book with you because you won't want to rush to the door when you've got 1293198 new teas to sample and coconut curry soup to sip on a frigid winter afternoon. When I went there last year, I was really productive, did a lot of sketching... had myself a swell ol' time. I s'pose you could describe my experience there as "inspired."

All around the place are little signs that bring patrons' attention to new menu specials and the week's list of local musicians that'll be performing in their little live music corner, etc. BUT, these signs, besides bringing a slightly more than desirable level of chaos to the otherwise well-thought-out space, are all in everyone's favorite font face: BIG, FAT, 36-72 pt. PAPYRUS. Their logo and website are also done with this font. WHY??? It deters people from entering and supporting a local coffee shop with unique menu items rather than one of the standardized coffee franchises that shall remain nameless (The only reason I found it was because I was specifically looking for a Vegan eatery). Here's their website:    http://www.twistedtreecafe.com/

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