Brand Identity · Environmental Design
Woodinville Whiskey
Overview
This started as a short typography project in my first year of the graphic design program. I created a new label that became the base for my environmental final project.
Deliverables
Process
Category Mapping
Mapped the category's clichés, kraft stock, serif type, mountain motifs, then went the other way on purpose.
Label as Spec Card
Designed the label as a product spec card: white ground, clean sans, production data up front. The information is the brand.
Activation as Evaluation
Staged the Ballard pop-up over two levels: an entry cart for buying, an upper room for guided evaluation instead of sampling.
Background
Problem
Most whiskey brands use traditional mountain motifs and heavy serif type. After looking at Woodinville Whiskey's current branding, I wanted to take the identity somewhere the category doesn't usually go.
Solution
After exploring various whiskey brands, I realized their shared characteristics often blended them together. So I moved away from the traditional style and drew from skincare and fragrance branding like Aesop and Le Labo instead.
Research & Audience
Urban professionals, 28 to 45, in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, Ballard, and Fremont. They value craft and enjoy exploring new cocktail bars on weekends.
Project Details
Client: Woodinville Whiskey (self-directed class brief)
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Canon 5D
Skills: Brand identity, packaging, typography, environmental design
Role: Solo. Art direction, design, and strategy
Timeline: Brand identity (2 weeks) + environmental activation (5 weeks)
Singled out in the class as a distinctive take on whiskey branding, repositioning a category built on warmth and tradition through precision and transparency.