Wicked Wine Social Club
A neighborhood wine bar rooted in family, place, and a little bit of wickedness.
Brand Strategy · Brand Identity · Art Direction · Web Design · Photography Direction · Food Styling
Wicked Wine Social Club is a neighborhood wine bar and gathering place in downtown Everett, Washington. When founder Wick approached me to develop the brand identity for his new location, the goal was to create something that felt personal, welcoming, and a little unexpected—a brand that could live comfortably between wine culture and a relaxed neighborhood social club.
Rather than building the identity around traditional wine-bar tropes, we looked for a story that was uniquely theirs.
The Idea
The starting point came from family.
Wick's twin grandchildren, Juniper and Zinnia, had recently been born, and their names became the inspiration for the visual identity. Both names have strong botanical associations, giving us an opportunity to create a mark that felt organic, symbolic, and deeply personal without being overly literal.
Building the Identity
The primary logo became a circular botanical emblem, bringing together the visual language of the two namesakes into a single symbol.
The goal was to create something recognizable from across the room, but with enough personality and flexibility to work at every scale—from storefront and printed collateral to menus, social content, and digital experiences.
From Identity to Experience
Once the core identity was established, I extended the system into the customer experience.
I designed the website to introduce Wicked as more than simply a place to get a glass of wine. The digital experience needed to communicate the atmosphere of the space—the food, the people, the wine, and the sense of community—before someone ever walked through the door.
The identity was carried through menus, business cards, signage, social touchpoints, and other physical brand applications so that the experience felt cohesive both online and in person.
Art Direction & Photography
I also developed the creative direction for the photography, including the overall visual approach, composition, and food styling.
Instead of relying on overly polished food photography, the direction focused on the feeling of being there: wine being poured, food shared across a table, imperfect moments, texture, warmth, and the social energy that makes a neighborhood wine bar feel alive.
The photography became an important extension of the identity—giving the brand a visual personality beyond the logo itself.
Identity Development
The botanical forms became the foundation of the identity—representing growth, family, connection, and a sense of place.
From there, I developed a visual language that balanced old-world character with a contemporary social energy. The result was intentionally imperfect and human: a brand that feels like it has a story behind it rather than something created to simply look polished.
Final Logo Suite
The identity was designed to work as a flexible system rather than a single logo. A hand-drawn botanical mark, custom typography, supporting graphic elements, and a restrained color palette could be mixed and adapted across the brand.
Brand IRL
Bringing the identity to life
The Wicked identity was designed to live beyond the logo and become part of the experience of the space.
I extended the visual system across menus, signage, print collateral, packaging, and other physical touchpoints, using the typography, botanical details, and earthy palette to create a cohesive sense of place. Each application was designed to feel considered but never overly polished—maintaining the warmth, character, and slightly rebellious spirit of the brand.
The result is an identity that feels at home in the neighborhood: familiar, expressive, and made to be experienced in real life.
Art Direction
Capturing the spirit of Wicked
I art directed a full-day photoshoot with photographer Robbie Larsen, bringing the Wicked Wine Social Club brand to life through environmental, lifestyle, product, and food photography.
The goal was to capture the many ways the space could be experienced—from a casual night of wine and conversation with friends, to a more elevated catered gathering or private event. I developed the visual direction for the shoot, planned the scenarios and compositions, and styled the food to create imagery that felt natural, inviting, and true to the character of the space.
The resulting photography became an important part of the brand experience, giving the website and digital presence a visual language that feels warm, social, lived-in, and distinctly Wicked.
Digital
Bringing the brand online
The digital experience was designed as an extension of the physical Wicked Wine Social Club—not a separate expression of the brand. The site is a place where members and non-members can see upcoming events, rent the space, learn about the different membership options. (The events calendar is updated quarterly)
I carried the same typography, botanical-inspired graphics, color palette, and relaxed editorial sensibility into the website to create a cohesive experience from screen to storefront. The design balances refined typography with approachable content, giving the brand room to showcase its wine selection, food, events, and personality without feeling overly formal.
The result is a digital experience that feels unmistakably Wicked: warm, personal, and welcoming.
