Ellman Family Vineyards
First things first. A little sniff. A swirl. A sip. Repeat.
We tasted the wine. And then went looking for the vine.
The truth. And then translated that into a new identity.
Let’s call this winding journey – from wine to vine.
TRUTH. Know who you are.
Not what others want you to be.
Most wine brands bank on heritage and legacy. We didn’t. To be honest we didn’t have one. But what we had was authenticity. We realized we didn’t need an ornate crest or a royal emblem, we needed a modern monogram that spoke more about what the brandis than what it could have been. Its true personality. If we had to literally translate the design into words it would read - ‘Authentic and true wines that transports you right to the vine’. And that’s exactly what we had hoped for, because that’s the character we had defined for the brand.
So how do you craft character?Crafting Character
Growing up in my father’s woodworking shop, I learnt a few things about wood grains. You can tell a lot about the wood, by looking at its grains. You look for the grain, you understand it, and let it lead you. Let it unfold its story. That’s how we approached EFV.
It took time to discover that grain rather the seed in this case. But once it was discovered, it gave us an inspired sense of clarity. Clarity that led to thoughtful design. From roots to vines to the bottle on the shelf, we had helped translate the purest form of the brands character into an identity. Just the way we like it.
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Subtract the obvious. Add the meaningful.
That’s the hard journey towards achieving simplicity. That’s also the simple answer to one of the toughest question a designer is often asked; how do you know when to stop? Not at a deadline. Not after you have put in enough days, nights and what’s in between. You stop only when there’s nothing left to takeaway. Only when there’s nothing left to add.
The deadline, the late hours had brought us to a simple script mark for EFV. It seemed good. But then we realized even though it’s simple, it’s not simply distinctive. We began adding. Added a little character. A little ‘unlike others’ factor. And there we were, the new EFV. We were satisfied. For now at least.
