Early sketches of the branding and identity of Big Kansas City from Cremalab.
All of Big Kansas City‘s design, from the digital goods that launched in January to the physical signage in the venue today, are done by Kansas City, Mo. design firm Cremalab.
Thanks to our sponsor
Founded in 2009 by designer, artist and entrepreneur George Brooks (right), the company describes itself as a design lab “with creativity and coffee always brewing.”
“Crema is the golden layer of the espresso,” Brooks said. The double meaning is apparent.
“We have so many things that we are passionate about,” he said of Cremalab’s five-person design team. “We help design and build digital products.” But beyond that, Brooks said his company is always asking itself: “What is the right thing to build? And how do we get there?”
Teaming up with Silicon Prairie News was a no-brainer, Brooks said. Armed with the knowledge that expansion of The Big Series was coming soon to Kansas City, Cremalab connected with the company last year and the rest, as they say, is history.
The two teams are aligned in their passions. “Our company is primarily focused on helping entrepreneurs, startups and small innovative teams. That is our community.” Brooks said.
With creative freedoms granted from SPN and the simple direction of, “You guys know Kansas City better than we do, what tells this story?” Cremalab went to work. They settled on a bright, bold design that highlights Kansas City’s heritage and history—planes, trains, typewriter type—while hinting that we have a lot ahead of us, too.
“We wanted the design to say, ‘Hey, it’s a creative time here in Kansas City and there are a lot of things happening, but we haven’t lost our vintage feel.’” Brooks said. “There is an old world and craftsman charm to the Kansas City scene. There is a story to tell of not only where we came from, but also where we are going with this entrepreneurial boom town.”
Credits: Photo courtesy of Cremalab.
