Graphic Design for print and web supporting a small wine business.
Adrian has years of experience in wine, beginning from his preschool on a vineyard on the outskirts of Rome, and then coming to Chicagoland from his post in NewYork at Il Buco. That was our starting point. The feeling of the fabled New York City Restaurant and Alimentary had a spare and distinctive old world classic design, from the items sold at the shop, to the art and design of the space. The card, a simple deep red letter pressed name in the distinctive well worn script, centered in a rectangular line border. As a beginning point, we delved into they type of signage, and possible print items as well as the website needs of the store.
As they decided on their store name, it was clear that the symbol of the wine trade, and the historical connection to the Roman Empire’s dedication to the proliferation of viniculture was going to be the ubiquitous Amphorae. If we were to illustrate the Anfora as part of their logo, I would have to be sure that the shape was meaningful and demonstrated a shape unique to the store. I started carving an array of shapes from my research into museum collections. Adrian sent me a few displays he had visited in Rome, and we went through the process of narrowing down the most salient shape for the shop. Eventually, I decided to make the shape less conical closer to that of an anatomical heart, rough, emphasizing the handmade aspects.
The colors we began with included a terracotta color for the walls and the awning, followed by a wine color, and then with the inspiration from the commissioned mural, chalky whites, ocher, greens and blues from ancient pigments excavated from Pompeii. With a color palette decided we we focused on iterative offerings for the website rotating through the palette.
Adrian had a strong idea for how wanted out of the logo, but it began as a three dimensional clay stamp, and then transposed into a two dimensional print for signage. We had a long conversation of Italian Aesthetics and what they symbolized to the customers and people he hoped would become regular visitors to Anfora’s wine shop, classes and tastings. The process we used left traces of the design work as ephemera all through the shop. This design process was well underway, of course, before we knew that a global pandemic was about to disrupt the opening, and all of the preparations… So, we went slowly, making the business cards as the phone was installed, stickers for curbside pickup, gift cards, icons for the web shop, decisions for t-shirts, menus, signs, tape, tissue paper, flyers and ads for the classes, tastings, and special events which slowly became a full identity.
The best part of making all of these components has been the grace and vision shown by Adrian in expanding his craft as a sommelier, educator and researcher with this amazing shop. Each piece of the growing store has been collectively a practice in communicating the history and meaning of the bottles he brings to the shop.
