Have you ever been to Analog Coffee on 17th ave?
If not, you may be a little uncertain as to what all the buzz is about– downtown Calgary is littered with coffeehouses. What makes Analog unique?
Well, that’s what Susie He set out to discover when she began her blog a few weeks ago. Ethics of Analog combines photographs, Susie’s own writing, and quotes from regulars to paint an intimate portrait of the coffee shop and its customers.
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Susie (over coffee at Analog, naturally) and chat a bit about the project. Susie is a peer of mine, a grade 11 student at Western Canada High School, and that’s where she originally got the idea to start her blog. What began as an exploration of ethics in philosophy class lead her to investigate the ethics of Analog Coffee— of the physical space, the environment, and the interactions of the people within it.
Tell me a bit about the inspiration for this project.
“A lot of the people that I meet at Analog are business people, entrepreneurs, or artists that represent really different world views and really different ideas. I wanted to capture that because the relationships I have with those people are really centred around being here. I decided to find what their values were because ethics is really based around finding how we should live. Now, that kind of gets down to the morality aspect but it also shows the values of us. What people value is essentially what they live by.
I compiled a bunch of interviews for people that I personally know; I got baristas, I got a few married couples, I got artists, I got a lot of entrepreneurs as this place seems to attract entrepreneurs, and I got students. I tried to diversify the ages, the occupations, and genders as best I could. I asked them “what is your most important value or leading principle or rule in your life?” and they either wrote it for me or they gave me a long recorded rant about it.”
Beyond the interviews, photography also played a key part in Susie’s portrayal of Analog Coffee. She explains that her choice to keep portraits in black and white is rooted in the idea that “when pictures are in black in white, there are no colours to distract you from who the person actually is“. The photos of Analog, however, she kept in colour for the reader to better “evaluate the physical place and the environment“.
Why did you choose Analog over any other coffee shop?
“It’s a really popular place in Calgary and I have a bit of a personal connection because I spend so much time here…there’s a sort of environment here where you’re able to talk to strangers and form connections. For example, there are a couple other places I go that are coffee shops, but I think that because they are so close to downtown a lot more business meetings go on there so there’s a lot less of a diverse environment and more of a business-type environment? Analog generally seems like more of a social place, and that’s why I think it’s more unique.
Also, it seems like a pretty privileged place to be, I’ll be honest. The coffee is pretty expensive, there’s a certain amount of pretentiousness…I think that creates a good environment for discussion, though. I found that when you ask, like when you ask anyone, as long as you do ask, lots of people are more open to talking.”
What made you choose a blog format?
What’s your guiding principle? What value do you live your life by?
Overall, Susie found that the commonality throughout her interviews and her observations was a theme of connection; our human desire to form meaningful connections with others.
An incredible, innovating idea! I think it’s really cool how Susie has accomplished an idea slightly similar to Humans of New York, except in just one coffee shop. It shows you a different side of people; I don’t think I’ve ever asked even my own family or friends what their leading value or priniciple is in life. Interesting 🙂