The branding in the previous version of the Barista Handbook leaned on the visual identity of one the product brands, ‘Fulcrum Coffee,’ whereas the updated book better reflects the branding of the parent brand ‘Fulcrum Coffee Roasters.’ While Fulcrum Coffee’s branding has a more geometric design style with blue tones, Fulcrum Coffee Roasters has a brown & gray color palette with minimalistic & modern design elements.

The layout of the book spreads were improved to support the ease of use for baristas. Text and relevant graphic elements were display on the same spreads to make it easier to follow along. In the previous version of the handbook, diagrams and text were separated, requiring the user to flip back-and-forth to connect information. Making sure those elements are seen together helps the reader navigate and understand ideas better throughout the book; some examples are the machine and dose diagrams, and the drink glossary.