MÆGDEN

2022

Designed by Alex Synge at Alex Synge

Categories: Print / Identity / Packaging

Industry: Commercial

Tags: Food and drink / Restaurant / Coffee

MÆGDEN are a cheesemongers and quality food shop based in the north coast village of Bushmills, also serving up grilled cheese, sweet treats, and speciality coffee to go.

Founded by Emma and Jo, the pair originally served toasties from a tiny vintage caravan in a field near the Giant's Causeway, always keen to support independent, local producers as they went. Their grilled cheese is crammed full of the best farmhouse and small-batch Irish ingredients, straight from their cheese counter, and their retail shelves are only stocked with products that they love, cook with, or make themselves.

The identity delights in the 'Æ' ligature that is so central to their name. The 'A' and the 'E' melt into each other, in a nod to the gooiest of cheeses, toasties and marshmallow laden bonfire hot-chocolates they offer. A number of logo variations were also produced that trace the line of this amorphous form – to add variety for stickers, stamps and more.

The colour plate was informed the interior design of Oscar & Oscar, as well as some original details from the old shop on the main street in Bushmills.

An agile labelling and pricing system was created to help manage an ever-changing offering of small-batch suppliers, allowing for stickers to be produced quickly and cheaply, with details being added by hand when and where necessary.