THE LITTLE VILLAGE PLAY CAFE
Designing & Branding
a Multifunctional Space
Goals
Abi, Owner of the Little Village Play Cafe in Wauwatosa, wanted to put a fresh spin on the “play cafe” concept to create a unique cafe + retail shop + play space experience. The vibes had to be right for sharing wine and charcuterie with a bestie, and also for toddler birthday parties. It would be a retreat for the entire community – elevated and fun, on-trend and functional. And of course, on budget.
Design
Abi had inspiration, but felt stuck trying to communicate the specifics. I helped her hone the exact elements, colors, finishes and themes that resonated with her dreams for the space. From there, I created design boards for each area of the multi-faceted business. I made recommendations for the paint colors, finishes and layout adjustments, and sourced wallpaper, lighting, tile, cafe furniture, and key elements, ensuring each piece was ADA compliant, baby- and toddler-friendly, and could withstand heavy use without sacrificing style.
I also utilized my network to help Abi secure brand partners and receive some of the construction materials and furnishings at no cost.
During construction, I provided direction for Abi’s team of general contractors and architects to bring the design to life. This included hopping on calls and facetiming with the talented Gardner Builders team and subcontractors to confirm details and collaboratively solve any issues.
Branding
Abi had previously explored a few logo options but nothing was feeling quite right. I knew she needed something unique and organic. But it couldn’t be too childish, because this was a brand for the whole community.
I served as creative director during the branding development, narrowing themes, style references and color palette direction that aligned with the physical space we were designing. I outlined the list of graphic pieces needed to serve the wide range of business use cases and brought in local illustrator and designer Whitney Nettles of Wit & Co to create the brand design elements. From there, I helped Abi articulate her feedback to land the brand in the perfect place.
The final elements Whitney created are totally custom and serve all of the messaging, collateral, signage, merch and marketing needs for the business.
Marketing
You only get one chance at your first business launch! Abi hired Kyleen DzPloch Photography to photograph the finished space and I provided a shot reference sheet with framing direction and a checklist of all the views and details to capture, ensuring Abi would have every image needed to promote the Little Village. I created photo and video content for brand partners that I had secured for the space, and in turn, those brands promoted the Little Village and were thrilled to show off their part in its creation. Finally, I created authentic content to share the story of Abi and the Little Village with my own online community who were eager to see the design in person and support the people behind it.
