The Turkish Way

Doqa, a modern concept for the traditional cafe, bringing the ’Turkish way’ to the rest of the world.

The Doqa brand was conceived in Istanbul, and underpinning the idea was the notion that there are different motives to enjoy a coffee throughout the day. From an energy pick-me-up in the morning, to the midday one-on-one meeting, through to catching up with friends in the evening. The different reasons we drink coffee needs to be supported by the way the store and staff operate and the way the environment is presented.

Our Role

Harkess-Ord worked with Doqa’s brand agency, Saffron Brand Consultants, to technically resolve the concept in two metropolitan locations within the heart of Istanbul, Taksim Square and Levent. For the signage, our team of designers and engineers established cost effective production methods that would create a one piece, translucent, coffee cup shaped letter. This involved working closely with the Turkish supply chain on all elements from technical design, prototyping, tooling and production.

Harkess-Ord also established a method for illuminating the coffee cup letters, to ensure a porcelain white exterior. In line with the concept, the inside surface would change color as time passed throughout the day.

The concept of changing lighting within the signage was extended to the cafe interior, where architectural materials, lighting treatments and digital solutions were also intended to help support the changing environment objective.