About
Kuwento (Brand Story)
CALMA is a slow-living cafΓ© rooted in the belief that rest is not a luxury; itβs a necessity. Inspired by the Tagalog word kalma, meaning βto be still,β the brand was created as a gentle refuge in a world that rarely pauses.
More than serving bread and coffee, CALMA honors the beauty of time β slow-proven dough, hand-poured cups, and moments that unfold at a human pace.
Why Design This?
Personally, the world feels louder and faster than ever. Modern cafΓ©s often mirror that pace, being optimized for speed and efficiency. So I designed CALMA as a counterpoint.
My goal here was to build a brand that embodies intentional slowness at every touchpoint, from relaxing, morning-inspired colors and soft, rounded typography up to tactile, comforting details.
In this project, I explored how strategy, design, and atmosphere can work together to create not just a cafΓ©, but a sanctuary, proving that in a culture of hustle, gentleness can be a powerful differentiator. It really is a brand I wish existed!
β Audience & Messaging
β Audience & Messaging
CALMA is the friend who pulls out a chair for you, pours you a cup of tea, and doesn't ask you to say a word. We are the Innocent (seeking a return to simplicity) and the Caregiver (offering a soft place to rest).
βΛκ©ο½‘ Brand in Action
βΛκ©ο½‘ Brand in Action
α’π© Behind the Scenes
α’π© Behind the Scenes
For the logo, I started with hand-lettering in Procreate. Once I was happy with how it looked, I brought the versions into Adobe Illustrator and used Image Trace to turn them into vectors.
From there, the real refinement began:
β’ Chose the best version
β’ Cleaned up anchor points and smoothed curves
β’ Reduced unnecessary points for cleaner paths
β’ Standardized all corner radiuses for consistency
β’ Fixed alignment and spacing (optically, not just mathematically)
β’ Polished the overall silhouette and balance
This is how I designed the first social media carousel post for CALMA.
I started by gathering all the pieces into one place and finding a gentle flow for our kuwento (story).
It begins with a short love letter to the brand, followed by our logo, colors, and patterns. And finally, seeing how it all comes to life in the real world at a human pace.
This is how I designed the third carousel post.
I started by laying out all the assets inside Adobe Illustrator, setting up 10 artboards to see the full story at once.
From there, I grouped images that felt strong together, then rearranged them until the flow felt balanced and intentional.
Once the structure was right, I refined each artboard individually β adding brand colors, layering in illustrations, adjusting layouts, and continuously rebalancing as I go.
The video runs 3 minutes (and itβs already sped up), which is a testament to the strategy and heart we give to every project at a human pace.
