Identity
Art Direction
Late cafe, full of creative potential
2024
In 2017, Ben Hamilton opened Guilt Trip in Belfast, offering specialty coffee and handmade donuts. After managing the shop until 2019, Ben started his own roasting brand, Process. Five years later, he returned to launch a new venture, LATE, a serene, relaxed café focused on hand-brewed coffee and creative beverages like ‘Espresso Tonic’ and ‘Right back matcha’.
A&A, having collaborated on Guilt Trip and Process, crafted LATE’s minimalist brand identity, inspired by the fluidity of time. The café’s neutral, art-gallery-inspired interior contrasts with Guilt Trip’s edgy aesthetic, creating a tranquil space where light and design subtly interact throughout the day.
Structures of time are expressed through a balanced sans-serif logotype and corresponding geometric logomark, which take their inspiration from the iconography of a digital clock.
As the sun moves across the sky and the hours tick away, logotype window vinyls cast shadows across the cafe walls and floor. The word ‘Late’ distorts and stretches, fading in and out of focus, while customers bask in afternoon sun and take in spectacular evening sunsets.
“A&A helped set clear goals from the start, even guiding me on what to prioritize, which made a huge difference. In the end, they totally crushed it and created something we’re all really proud of.”
- Ben Hamilton, Founder
