Andrés Higueros
Designer, Creative Director, Typographer
In their own words
The name became the starting point: the idea of exchange, of different ingredients and cultural influences coming together to create something new. That gave us a world to build through the two cats, the custom lettering and the colour combinations.
We started by looking at the local market and noticed that many sauce brands relied on similar visual cues: chilli illustrations, flames and familiar Mexican imagery. We wanted to move beyond those conventions and tell a story specific to Mutua.
I drew the MUTUA wordmark from scratch. I was interested in the curved endings of certain Japanese characters and explored how that quality could inform the contours and terminals of the Latin letterforms.
The main brand concept was ‘Stories from Tulum.’
Stickers can be printed in small batches, are cheaper to produce, and allow flexibility to update or change visuals without reprinting entire packaging runs.
I love seeing it interacting with the coffee bags or showing up on the merch, it adds personality and makes the brand feel alive and playful.
Every brand had a very obvious aesthetic – brownish, neutral tones, with the coffee bean or cup incorporated into their logos. I wanted to avoid being cliche and create a deeper brand with a strong story.
I created different possible stories that one might experience in Tulum, like getting burned because you didn’t apply enough sunscreen.
I want the new identity to communicate that Story Horse is not just a coffee shop, but a space for moments, conversations, and experiences that stay with you.
Right Grotesk works very well with the aesthetic of the logotype.
Articles & interviews7
- AH Work blends Mexico and Japan in Salsa Mutua identity
Mexico City creative office AH Work created a colourful identity for Salsa Mutua, a Mexican crispy chilli oil brand that combines salsa macha with Asian chilli-crisp influences. Led by Andrés Higueros, the system pairs Mexican hand-painted-signage references with Japanese vertical writing, custom lettering, character illustrations, bold labels, photography and motion.
- Salsa Mutua Packaging Fuses Mexican and Asian Design Boldly
The Dieline article highlights the packaging design for Salsa Mutua, created by independent designer Andrés Higueros in Mexico City. The design fuses Mexican and Asian visual influences through bold color blocking and typography inspired by street signage. The result is a playful and culturally rich identity that celebrates fusion as a design principle.
- "Tulum's Story Horse Cafe Unveils New Caffeinated Mascot by Andrés Higueros"