● Melesimma - Italian Cider Bar Concept Design
Role:
Art Direction, Design, Illustration
Description:
For this brand study, I developed the visual identity for Melesimma, a fictional Italian cider bar concept tailored for the Brooklyn hospitality market. The project explores the intersection of New York’s current "aperitivo craze" and the rising demand for playful, low-ABV social spaces. The name is a portmanteau of the Italian mele (apples) and millesima (vintage). I chose to double the "M" at the end of the word specifically to create a more balanced typographic rhythm and a distinct, proprietary brand name. To depart from traditional, rustic cider tropes, I paired natural apple tones with a high-contrast nearly neon yellow, injecting a vibrant, modern energy into the scheme. The typography utilizes bold, organic shapes for the primary wordmark to feel laid-back yet trendy, supported by a more simplified H2 and a friendly, utilitarian sans-serif for body copy.
The design process was centered on a vintage-minimalist spin on classic apple iconography. I iterated through several versions of the logo, initially experimenting with a product sticker as a holding shape for the "cider bar" subtext. I eventually landed on a more integrated version that features two apples with the wordmark nested into a "bitten-out" silhouette, with "sidreria" sitting larger on one of the fruit forms. This playfulness extends into the physical brand touchpoints, including a storefront concept, menus, and matchbooks. For the merch-specific version of the logo, I distorted the "M" so that the negative space mimics an apple core complete with seeds, a clever, subtle nod to the brand’s DNA that allows the apparel to feel like a standalone design statement.