AfriStrat — Strategizing Africa's Tomorrow
Brand Identity System — Client: D Wine
Use arrow keys to navigate
D WINE · IDENTITY STUDY
01 — INTRODUCTION
D Wine — Identity Exploration

A modern signature for an elevated hospitality destination.

D Wine is envisioned as a contemporary restaurant, bar and lounge with the confidence of a luxury destination and the intimacy of a place discovered. The identity study therefore avoids decorative cliché. Each direction uses reduction, negative space and disciplined typography to transform the letter D and the rituals of wine into a distinctive, high-end signature.

The objective is not simply to signal wine. It is to create an identity with enough presence and versatility to live confidently across architecture, signage, menus, glassware, uniforms and digital touchpoints.

D WINE · IDENTITY STUDY
02 — APPROACH
The Creative Approach

Luxury through restraint.

Our exploration began with a review of premium wine bars, boutique hospitality brands and contemporary lifestyle destinations. The clearest opportunity was not to imitate traditional wine symbolism, but to distil it: fewer elements, stronger silhouettes and a visual system that feels assured rather than overstated.

01
Reduction

Remove everything that does not contribute to recognition, elegance or function.

02
Dual Meaning

Allow the letter D, the wine glass and the hospitality experience to coexist within a single visual idea.

03
Editorial Confidence

Pair distinctive symbols with disciplined typography and generous space to create a premium, contemporary tone.

D WINE · IDENTITY STUDY
03 — ROUTES
Identity Routes

Five expressions.
Three core ideas.

Two directions are presented alongside considered variants — nuanced evolutions that shift recognition and tone while preserving the parent idea.

Option A symbol
Sculptural Monogram
Option A
A
Option A.2 symbol
Open Chalice Variant
Option A.2
A.2
Variant of Option A
Option B signature
Bottle-to-Glass Signature
Option B
B
Option C emblem
Editorial Emblem
Option C
C
Option C.2 emblem
Architectural Variant
Option C.2
C.2
Variant of Option C
OPTION A · SCULPTURAL MONOGRAM
A / 01
Option A sculptural monogram — a letter D formed with the silhouette of a stemmed glass
Option A

The Sculptural Monogram

Option A builds a sculptural monogram from the letter D and the silhouette of a stemmed glass. Its controlled negative space creates movement and intrigue, while the restrained sans-serif wordmark keeps the system distinctly contemporary. It is the most architectural route: compact, recognisable and designed to hold its presence in a premium environment.

Option A full horizontal logo: D·WINE, Restaurant · Bar · Lounge
SymbolMONOGRAM
WordmarkD·WINE
DescriptorRES·BAR·LNG
OPTION A · SCULPTURAL MONOGRAM
A / 02

Primary configurations

Positive & reversed · horizontal & vertical
Option A horizontal, black on whiteHorizontal / Positive
Option A horizontal, white on blackHorizontal / Reversed
Option A vertical, black on whiteVertical / Positive
Option A vertical, white on blackVertical / Reversed
OPTION A · SCULPTURAL MONOGRAM
A / 03
Enlarged Option A monogram with optical reference guides Primary silhouette Optical axis Negative space Baseline
Form and Relationship

A mark built through
controlled tension.

Negative Space
The stemmed-glass form is carved from the counter of the D, shared rather than added.
Primary Silhouette
A compact, near-symmetrical outline that reads cleanly at signage and favicon scale.
Optical Alignment
Symbol and wordmark share a common optical centre and cap height.
Recommended Clear Space
Reserve clear space equal to the height of the symbol on all sides.

Guides describe optical relationships observed in the supplied artwork — not an imposed geometric construction.

Option A resolved horizontal lockup
OPTION A.2 · VARIANT OF OPTION A
A.2 / 01
Option A.2 — Variant of Option A

The Open Chalice Variant

Option A.2 retains the parent route's interlocking geometric language, but opens the centre into a more immediately legible chalice. A wider bowl, grounded stem and increased bilateral balance shift the expression from enigmatic to hospitable, while preserving the same minimalist design DNA. It is presented as a variant because it changes recognition and tone, not the underlying idea.

OPTION A.2 · VARIANT OF OPTION A
A.2 / 02

Primary configurations

Variant of Option A · full lockup system
Option A.2 horizontal, black on whiteHorizontal / Positive
Option A.2 vertical, black on whiteVertical / Positive
Option A.2 horizontal, white on blackHorizontal / Reversed
Option A.2 vertical, white on blackVertical / Reversed
NUANCED VARIATION
A ↔ A.2
Nuanced Variation

The same idea, with a different emphasis.

OPTION A
Option A symbol
OPTION A.2
Option A.2 symbol
More abstract, sculptural silhouette Enigmatic reading Shared interlocking geometry
More explicit bowl profile Increased bilateral balance More grounded base Shared minimalist DNA
OPTION B · BOTTLE-TO-GLASS SIGNATURE
B / 01
Option B — full horizontal bottle-to-glass signature
Option B

The Bottle-to-Glass Signature

Option B turns the name into a single horizontal still life. Bottle, letterform, wine glass and terminal shapes become one continuous signature. It is the most illustrative route, yet remains controlled through a strict monochrome silhouette. Its deliberately horizontal architecture gives it particular strength across fascia signage, menus, digital headers and long-format applications.

Continuous horizontal signature · no icon lock-up
OPTION B · BOTTLE-TO-GLASS SIGNATURE
B / 02

A signature designed for the horizontal line.

Two configurations
Option B horizontal, black on whiteHorizontal / Positive
Option B horizontal, white on blackHorizontal / Reversed

Option B is intentionally presented as a horizontal identity. No vertical configuration has been proposed for this route.

OPTION B · A CONTINUOUS NARRATIVE
B / 03
A Continuous Visual Narrative

From bottle to glass, in a single line.

A single silhouette carries the eye left to right — origin, letterform, the pour, and the wordmark — without ever breaking into separate parts.

Full Option B signature — a single continuous horizontal line The complete signature — one continuous line
Bottle silhouette detailOrigin · Bottle
Letter D integration detailLetterform · D
Wine glass intervention detailPour · Glass
Hospitality descriptor detailDescriptor
OPTION C · EDITORIAL EMBLEM
C / 01
Option C emblem — a bold D containing a wine glass in its negative space
Option C

The Editorial Emblem

Option C places a wine glass within the negative space of a bold D-shaped emblem and pairs it with an editorial, high-contrast serif wordmark. The result balances modern reduction with a more cultured, fashion-led expression of luxury. It feels established, expressive and particularly suited to a destination-led restaurant and lounge.

Option C full horizontal logo with serif wordmark
EmblemD + GLASS
WordmarkSERIF
OPTION C · EDITORIAL EMBLEM
C / 02

Primary configurations

Editorial serif system · positive & reversed
Option C horizontal, black on whiteHorizontal / Positive
Option C horizontal, white on blackHorizontal / Reversed
Option C vertical, black on whiteVertical / Positive
Option C vertical, white on blackVertical / Reversed
OPTION C · EDITORIAL EMBLEM
C / 03
Enlarged Option C emblem with optical reference guides D silhouette Vertical axis Glass in negative space
Symbol and Typography

A bold silhouette
with an editorial voice.

D Silhouette
A confident, solid emblem that anchors the identity at architectural scale.
Glass in Negative Space
The stemmed glass is revealed within the counter of the D — reduction, not addition.
Editorial Wordmark
A high-contrast serif supplies the cultured, fashion-led register of the route.
Descriptor Alignment
The hospitality descriptor tracks to the wordmark width for optical balance.

The serif wordmark is preserved as supplied vector artwork and never reconstructed in live text.

Option C resolved horizontal lockup
OPTION C.2 · VARIANT OF OPTION C
C.2 / 01
Option C.2 — Variant of Option C

The Architectural Variant

Option C.2 preserves the signature glass-within-D concept, but resolves the outer contour with a flatter, more architectural base and a cleaner vertical rhythm. The adjustment gives the icon a more contemporary and structurally precise character while retaining the editorial wordmark and the core negative-space idea. It is a nuanced refinement of Option C rather than a separate concept.

OPTION C.2 · VARIANT OF OPTION C
C.2 / 02

Primary configurations

Variant of Option C · editorial serif retained
Option C.2 horizontal, black on whiteHorizontal / Positive
Option C.2 horizontal, white on blackHorizontal / Reversed
Option C.2 vertical, black on whiteVertical / Positive
Option C.2 vertical, white on blackVertical / Reversed
CONTOUR REFINEMENT
C ↔ C.2
Contour Refinement

A subtle shift in structure and tone.

OPTION C
Option C emblem
OPTION C.2
Option C.2 emblem
Rounded lower contour Softer stance Shared wine-glass negative space
Flatter, architectural base Cleaner vertical rhythm Simplified lower structure Shared editorial wordmark
THE COMPLETE EXPLORATION
04 — SUMMARY
The Complete Exploration

Distinct expressions of the same premium ambition.

Presented as horizontal lockups for a fair comparison. Variants are labelled to their parent route.

A
Sculptural Monogram
A.2
Open Chalice
Variant of Option A
B
Bottle-to-Glass
C
Editorial Emblem
C.2
Architectural
Variant of Option C

Each route approaches D Wine from a different perspective: architectural reduction, recognisable wine symbolism, narrative illustration or editorial luxury. The next stage is to identify the expression that most accurately reflects the intended guest experience and long-term ambition of the venue.

AfriStrat
Thank you
Prepared by AfriStrat