The Wine Experience Graphic Identity

Final Report
Nicole Langstaff
Advisor: Bobbi Long
CST 401 Capstone Lab
Spring 2015
May 14, 2015

CST 401

Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 2
Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 3
Project Description ........................................................................................................... 5
Solution Description .......................................................................................................... 6
Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 7
Changes in the Project ..................................................................................................... 8
Description of Project Deliverables ................................................................................... 9
Budget and Timeline ....................................................................................................... 10
Evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 11
Collaboration Statement ................................................................................................. 12
Final Documentation ....................................................................................................... 13
Advisor Signoff ............................................................................................................... 14

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Abstract
This project was conducted by graphic design student, Nicole Langstaff, for the client,
Brent Virgin, who is the founder of The Wine Experience, LLC, a new startup company
in Monterey, CA. The purpose of this project was to create a graphic identity package
for this client that accurately represented the company's concept and met the clients
needs as thoroughly as possible. The designer achieved this by creating a logo and
branding aesthetic that embodies the wine blending aspect of the companys business
model. This service is what differentiates the company from similar competitors and,
through testing and evaluation, it was found that this should be emphasized in the
branding and marketing solution. This project was completed over the course of two
semesters and several hours were spent on each component, such as research,
sketching, logo development, stationery and website design, and the production of a
Graphic Standards Guide. The client has accepted the final logo and the designer and
client will continue to work together to further expand the branding of the company as a
whole. The project was also completed under budget and on time, and thus can
reasonably be deemed successful.

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Executive Summary
Project
The Wine Experience, LLC needed a graphic identity as they are a new retail company
in Monterey, CA offering wine blending and wine label customization.
Solution
The designer created a logo that was then implemented on stationery, a website, and
product and signage mock-ups. The designer also created a Graphic Standards Guide
to maintain consistent branding in the future.
Methodology
The project began with meeting the client and conducting research and creating
sketches. Paper sketches became digital prints and each week an updated digital print
would be printed out and critiqued in class and at one-on-one advisor meetings. Client
meetings each semester and rigorous email communication ensured the client
approved of any changes made.
Changes
There were significant changes made during the Spring Semester of the project, mainly
when the designer repurposed the logo two different times with completely different
branding aesthetics. The final result was found to be superior to past attempts and
ultimately chosen and implemented.
Project Deliverables
The deliverables include a CD with all native files pertaining to the final components of
the project (logo, stationery, etc.), a Graphic Standards Guide, and presentation boards.
Budget and Timeline
The project was completed under budget and on time due to delays in the clients needs
and the use of free or inexpensive resources by the designer.
Evaluation
Testing for the logo and other materials involved printed tests, screen tests, and
evaluation in class and outside of class by the designers peers, advisor, and client.
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Collaboration
The designers classmates, advisor, instructor, and client were all valuable in the
completion and success of this project. They assisted through class critiques, meetings,
written feedback, and discussions.
Final Documentation
The attached CD contains: Graphic Standards Guide, final logo files, final stationery,
applications mock-ups, website files, ILP portfolio files, and project presentation, poster,
portfolio and this report.

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Project Description
The Wine Experience, LLC is a startup retail wine flavor and wine label personalization
company that offers a wide variety of services and caters to groups and individuals at
affordable pricing. The company will be opening on Cannery Row, in Monterey, in July
2015 and needs to promote their services and assert a presence in the local public
sphere. The company has no logo, website, or visual representation whatsoever. Wine
flavor customization companies do exist, but there are not that many and those that
have thrived are much more exclusive and expensive than The Wine Experience is
planning to be.
The new logo and branding system needed to communicate an approachable, fun,
personalized experience that causes viewers to think of wine in a more open-minded
way. The logo & branding also needed to express the unique and diverse business
model of the company, while appealing primarily to Millennials but being relatable to all
age groups of legal drinking age. Studies have shown that younger demographics,
especially ages 21-35, are buying more wine now than that age group ever has before
in the U.S. The company had to have a more youthful and modern look compared to
many existing wine-based companies in order to attract younger audiences.
The company will have its founding location in Monterey but plans to branch out into a
franchise with other possible store locations being Santa Barbara and Palo Alto, and
others that are undetermined. The brand and promotion strategy can therefore be
effective and appealing in any geographic setting, and possibly able to be customized
for that particular locale.

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Solution Description
The company will offer a range of services in their store and on their website, so their
branding strategy must include a straightforward visual message that any viewer could
understand. The designer has created a contemporary yet rustic logo that can be
applied in black & white, color, and in a variety of sizes without distortion. The logo was
created with inspiration form vintage badges, wax seals, and other wine bars, wineries
and breweries. It is simple enough for the average audience member to understand and
it represents the companys general concept.
In addition to a new logo, the designer provided a matching stationery system and will
provide marketing materials to begin the promotion process. To continue connecting to
customers and appealing to younger demographics, the designer has developed a
responsive website that can be integrated with the companys in-store POS system, as
well as social media profiles for the company. Signage and packaging will also be
included in the branding system to further implement the new logo in the store and in
the goods sold by The Wine Experience.
The success of the branding strategy and marketing materials will be measured by how
diverse the clients customers are (lower middle income, tourists, locals, etc.). Currently,
there are few companies that offer wine personalization in their stores without a monthly
membership or appointments made in advance, and there are no similar companies in
the Monterey Bay area. The pricing and location of these companies are also very
exclusionary. Diversity found in the demographics of the customers patronizing The
Wine Experience, along with the attraction of 21-35 year olds, will indicate the success
of this graphic identity project.

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Methodology
The methodology for this project was aligned with the CST 496 A & B class
assignments and lesson plan. The designer began with extensive research of similar
wine & label customization companies and further expanded the scope out to wineries,
wine bars, breweries, and local restaurants. The designer then created an ideation list
with thumbnail drawings associated with various words relating to the project
description. After that, initial logo sketches were hand drawn on paper and converted
into digital illustrations by scanning them onto the computer and tracing them in Adobe
Illustrator. With each weekly class meeting and one-on-one meeting with the advisor,
the sketches developed further by applying suggested edits and ideas. Black and white
logos were developed first, and then inverse black and white, then color, and finally
small inch logos to test for usability. The designer and client met three times during
the Fall Semester and at the end the designer created four presentation boards to
submit to the client displaying the final four logos.
During the Spring Semester, the logo was critically amended twice more before being
finalized by both the client and designer. The reason for these changes will be
explained in a different section of this report. To create the final logo, the designer
poured red wine into a bowl, dipped the bottom of a wine glass in the bowl and made
several dozen wine stains and droplets on paper. She then traced these with pen,
scanned them onto the computer and made vector illustrations using Adobe Photoshop
and Illustrator. The final stain was used to encompass the text and bottles of the logo,
which was all then tested for usability using prints, black and white backgrounds,
inverse and grayscale colors, textured backgrounds, and smaller sizing. The final logo
was then presented to the client through email and in print during one of the four
meetings with the designer during the Spring Semester. Upon the logos approval, the
designer created a corresponding stationery system and a website that matched the
branding concept using Wordpress and Arvixe web hosting services. The designer also
applied the logo to various product and signage mock-ups to ensure usability and
efficiency. To facilitate consistent branding in the future, the designer produced a
graphic standards guide and delivered it to the client, along with all original art files.

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Changes in the Project

There were several modifications made throughout this yearlong process that were
unforeseen at the beginning stages of planning. Since the end of Fall Semester and the
CST 400 course, the identity has been completely altered with few vestiges of the
previous chosen design intact. In February, the designer updated the chosen horizontal
bottle logo to more sophisticated version using sharp lines and gradients.

After receiving relatively positive feedback from the client, the designer began
implementing this logo (above right) on print piece drafts and website mock-ups.
Matching illustrations and typography were used on these documents, and were
planning to be used on all final deliverables. However, in April the designer found that it
was difficult to apply this long, horizontal logo to various products. Thus, the design was
abandoned and the new, final design was created and implemented and met with
greater enthusiasm from the client.
These changes could have meant disaster for the project timeline, but the client was
also having problems receiving funding and permits for the company to begin
construction on the store. Therefore the timeline components were pushed back and
given later completion dates and it was agreed that the designer would continue
working for the client after the Capstone completion date in non-academic capacity.
Because of these alterations, there is no print piece included in this project, as was
originally planned, and the website is being continually developed and expanded upon.
There will also not be any need to design the tablet interface templates for the store
because the client is hiring a POS company to design them and match them to the
website. The designer will create the wine bottle labels on a case-to-case basis as a
part of her duties working for the client in the store, so the label templates have also
been removed from this project. Focus groups and web developer/programmer
consultations ended up not being necessary for this project.

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Description of Project Deliverables

Presentation Boards: Four presentation boards showing the early logo and
stationery concepts were created at the end of the first half of this project and
delivered to the client.

Final logo: Two versions of the final logo, one using external text for smaller use
on documents, was provided to the client via a CD containing the original Adobe
Illustrator files. The CD also includes black and white versions of both logos as
well as various file formats for each version.

Stationery set: A letterhead, envelope and double-sided business card design.

Original files and press PDFs can be found on the CD given to the client.

Website: Responsive website found at www.wineexperience.org built with

Wordpress and by editing HTML 5 and CSS 3. The client can access and edit
this site through the Arvixe web hosting service and then through Wordpress.

Graphic Standards Guide: A detailed document providing instruction on logo

implementation, color and type usage, and improper usage of the identity. This is
given in a printed version to the client and as a PDF on the clients CD.

Application Mock-ups: A set of possible applications showing the logo on various

products and signage. JPGs and PSD files can be found on the clients CD.

Social Media accounts: Profiles were created for The Wine Experience on
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Yelp that can be accessed and edited by the
client or designer.

Original Files CD: A CD with all of the original files for the logo, stationery,
applications, and website. This was given to the client in the back of the printed
Graphic Standards Guide.

Note: Signage and marketing materials will be supplied in the coming months as the
designer continues to work for the client in a non-academic capacity. The website will
be expanded as content is added by the designer or the client.

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Budget and Timeline

This project was a Senior Capstone student project and thus all labor, printing, and
deliverables incurred a cost of zero dollars ($0) on the part of the client. Free fonts,
images, application mock-ups, software, and Wordpress theme were all used in this
project to similarly decrease the costs for both the client and designer. The client
purchased a yearlong subscription to the web hosting service Arvixe for $70/year, which
included full integration of Wordpress and the free domain thewineexperience.org.
Transportation (gas & driving time) to meetings as well as the printing costs for the
Graphic Standards Guide, CDs, and presentation boards were all paid for personally by
the designer as a courtesy to the client, and totaled approximately $150. University
computers were used to produce the many printed proofs throughout the project, and
the cost of this was free to the student designer. Due to the development of the project
and decisions made by all involved, the projected actual cost of $2,874 was reduced
to just $70/year as the final actual cost to the client by the end of the project. With the
continuing employment of the designer upon completion of this project, additional costs
will be charged to the client as final signage, print collateral, and product applications
are designed, approved, and sent for production.

Task

Hours Logged

1. Research & Sketching (Fall & Spring)

28

2. Logo Development (Fall & Spring)

95

3. Stationery Design (Fall & Spring)

26

4. Prospective Print Design (Spring)

20

5. Website Development (Spring)

34

6. Applications Mock-ups (Spring)

14

7. Graphic Standards Guide (Spring)

21

8. Production (Fall & Spring)

23

Class and advisor meetings (Fall & Spring)

61

Client Meetings (Fall & Spring)

12

Final Project Hours

334

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Evaluation
The different components of this capstone project were
tested for functionality primarily through printouts, screen
tests, and class presentations and critiques. During
development, the various logo concepts were all tested in
black and white and once with the colors inverted to test
that the logos work on both black and white backgrounds.
The logos were all tested to be resizable without becoming pixelated or distorted, so
they could be readable at a thumbnail (half an inch) size while still conveying the same
message. The colors were chosen using a PMS Color Bridge Coated palette that were
found to work better on lighter backgrounds and, because they are PMS they will print
consistently at different printing presses. The website was tested and revised to be
equally functional in black and white as it is in color, as well as be able to be resized in a
window and formatted for mobile devices. The POS system will be connected to the
website by the stores opening in July and will then be thoroughly tested for reliability
and age verification prior to any products being sold to the public online. All project
components, especially signage and packaging, will abide by established graphic
standards and any applicable laws.
There was weekly testing in the form of printed drafts and evaluation through class
critiques from other design students and the project advisor. Upon printing on different
printers, it was apparent that some changes in the color and design of the logo needed
to be changed. Often it was found that the screen depiction of the logo did not always
match the printed version. Colors would be too dark or too light, text would be too small
to read, and gradients sometimes didnt even show up on the print. Application mockups were also critical in determining the direction of the identity. After it was found that a
horizontal bottle design was too long to be sized well on a t-shirt and other products, the
designer started over with a new logo and used a circular design for easier use on
applications. The website was also changed after finding that the Wordpress theme
used did not function well on mobile devices; the logo did not resize and the user had to
realized they needed to scroll down to see any content.

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Collaboration Statement
Throughout this yearlong project there have been several people that have provided
help to the designer along the way. The advisor on this project, Bobbi Long, was crucial
in assisting the designer through class assignments, lectures, in-class feedback and
one-on-one weekly meetings to address concerns and any suggested changes. Bobbi
Longs input was without a doubt the most valuable piece of collaboration throughout
the project and her academic and emotional support was vital in shaping the direction of
this graphic identity. The students of CST 496 A and B were very helpful with their
weekly critiques and feedback in class and I would especially like to thank Tiffany Ly,
Jessica Hoff, Quinton McKee, Fran Murillo, and Brian Aviles for their additional
comments and help outside of class. The students of CST 400 and 401 provided
assistance with improving the designers timeline, ILP website, final poster, and
presentation through weekly criticism in class, particularly those in my cohort: Sam
Smith, Tyler Garland, Quinton McKee, and Miranda Squires. Kevin Cahill, the instructor
for CST 400 and 401, was also invaluable in providing direction on project
management, client communication, and the requirements and purpose of the capstone
project. Finally, without the project client, Brent Virgin, none of this would have been
possible. He supplied all of the content and the key modifications that were necessary
for completing this project and bringing the identity to full fruition. Through several
meetings and constant email communication, the client was able to steer the designer in
the appropriate direction for creating an identity that accurately represented his
company.

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Final Documentation
The file archive of this project can be found on the CD attached to this report.
It includes:

Graphic Standards Guide (PDF, INDD)

Final Logo files (AI, SVG, JPG, PNG, TIF, PDF)

Final Stationery (AI, PDF)

Applications Mock-ups (PSD, JPG, TIF, PNG)

Website (Theme, HTML, CSS)

ILP Portfolio files (PDF, JPG)

Final Capstone Presentation (PDF)

Final Capstone Poster (PDF)

Final Capstone Portfolio (PDF)

Final Report (PDF)

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