Living in Springfield most of my life, I have made a mission to frequent a variety of coffeehouses. Most coffee aficionados strive to find the perfect house blend or attain the venerated $100 pound of Kopi Luwak. Me, I enjoy the full-package including the coffeehouse’s attention to design.

Not too long ago, Springfield welcomed a new addition to the coffeehouse scene with The Coffee Ethic who place an emphasis on the art and science of brewing the perfect cup as well as being socially and environmentally responsible. These are certainly criteria that rank high on my list for a great coffeehouse (or any organization for that matter). But as a designer I have always been drawn to their identity.

Many logos today try to do too much with little success. The Coffee Ethic gets to the essence of who they are and what they do with the most efficient of design. Little nuances like the blue element that symbolizes their focus on great coffee wrapped by the coffee cup work together to form a beautiful C and E monogram. No fluff, no unnecessary embellishments. Even the Helvetica logotype fits beautifully with the logogram providing an understated-yet-appropriate anchor for the design. When you enter The Coffee Ethic you see the design carry through to the environmental signage as well as various swag.

With so many coffeehouses popping up all over the Springfield metro area, it’s refreshing to find at The Coffee Ethic the perfect blend of a quality cup and complimentary design that strive to make a positive impact culturally, socially, and environmentally.

For the last several days I’ve been struggling with what to contribute this week. Maybe it’s due to the crazy (but good) snowball of projects I’ve had at work. Perhaps it’s a result of diligently encouraging my wife Sarah as she puts together her portfolio and pursues a new job opportunity. Whatever the case, my own aesthetic has been thrown out of whack (surprisingly, the WebMD has no entries for an out-of-whack aesthetic). So as I sit here in downtown at Rendezvous Coffee Lounge in Springfield, Missouri—one of our favorite coffeehouses—I am reminded about what Esthetik is all about: observing and appreciating the visual culture around me.

Many who know both me and Sarah are keenly aware that we are not cut out for suburbia; indeed we are urban through and through. It’s a bit ironic since I grew up in Springfield (a thriving “metropolis” of about 150,0oo within the city itself) and Sarah grew up in a little slice of country called Clinton (everyone’s favorite gas and drink stop on their drive from Springfield to Kansas City). On top of that we live in Nixa, a suburb of Springfield that, while a great place to live and raise kids (including Jason Bourne, apparently), is lacking in some of the cultural nuances we tend to resonate with.

Both Sarah and I have longed to live in an urban core since before we even knew each other, be it downtown Springfield, Kansas City, or even Chicago (quite possibly our favorite city). Maybe our desire to live in a city center has something to do with our proclivities in writing and design, both which tend to flourish in the artistic and bohemian cultures prevalent in many downtowns. It’s true that my inner designer jumps with postmodern glee every time I pass a beautiful vintage building with its original brickwork and multi-storied facade. I even repress my sedentary tendencies at the thought of being able to stroll the sidewalks, getting inspiration from the unique boutiques and antique storefronts that line the streets of downtown Springfield. But I think there is something more than even the visual draw of downtown; those that know us hopefully know we are drawn to the people here. We love visiting with the owners of The Moxie (our local indie cinema) or being a part of the vibrant Art Walks that occur on the first Friday of every month. Building relationships with people we resonate with is very important to us and to be able to do that in a place we love being a part of makes it all the more sweet.

Don’t get me wrong; Sarah and I still love the cultural treats downtown Springfield has to offer such as varied art galleries, beautiful lofts, and trendy restaurants. But all that culture is moot without the amazing people that we meet each time we visit. And so tonight, I lift my pineapple guava white tea and toast the people of downtown Springfield for inspiring me in my design and placing a desire in Sarah and I to impact a culture we so dearly love.