As one of our flagship LaunchPad projects at Mertz Design Studio, I led a team of two young designers through the full brand identity and architecture process.

We grounded the work in cultural research, looking not only at other wine festivals, but also taking inspiration and insights from black- and minority-owned beverage brands of all kinds—House of Brown, Ghia, and Topo Chico being some standouts.

I sketched the initial logo concepts and developed the first brand worlds to show how each logo could come to life through color, merch, signage, and overall vibe. Once our final direction was chosen, I helped our team shape a visual direction that leans into bold color, strong typography, and a sense of rhythm—something that could move seamlessly from digital to environmental, from social to signage.