Back to School With Iliana Sergeev RGD

In this edition of Back to School, Iliana Sergeev RGD shares her thesis project, "Ritmo," a wine sub-brand targeting younger demographics.

Q. Where did you go to school, when? Describe the program and the context for the project you are presenting. 

I graduated from OCAD University’s 4-year undergraduate program in 2011, completing my final year with a thesis project. This was a pivotal time, as I had to select a project or topic that I would be immersed in for 8 months while also choosing a thesis professor. I felt immense pressure to decide as my interests spanned many areas. I was curious about the je-ne-se-quois in numerous cross-disciplinary design fields. First, I was drawn to the fascinating connections between architecture and fashion, especially their facades, forms and styles (inspired by Frank Gehry, Christo Javacheff and Iris Van Herpen). I was also excited by motion graphics as a storytelling tool, following in the work of Saul Bass. Third, my passion for flavour palettes came from wine and cheese tastings, paired with experimenting with Food & Wine Magazine recipes and watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. My young designer brain struggled to find a thread connecting these diverse inspirations, often questioning whether graphic design was the right major or if environmental or industrial design would have aligned better. 

Q. Describe the assignment given that was the basis for this project.

With the pressure of time and the guidance of my incredible thesis instructor Steve Quinlan, I decided to ground my project in the wine industry. My love for research drove me to dive deep into the origins and current state of both the Ontario and international wine scenes. My instructor connected me with a wine mentor, a VQA advocate who emphasized the potential of our local wine industry. I devoured the book Niagara's Wine Visionaries, inspired by the pioneers who shaped our region's wine culture. At the time, the Ontario wine industry wasn’t catering much to young people in terms of bottle design or winery experiences. As I progressed, I became interested in breaking the stereotype of wine snobbery and making wine more accessible to the younger generation.

Q. Describe your process for coming up with and executing your concept. (Were there any obstacles you had to overcome or unexpected learnings?)

Visiting wineries in the Niagara Bench region was initially intimidating. Their grand buildings and older clientele felt worlds apart from my 20-year-old self. But as I toured the vineyards, learned about the terroir and spoke with sommeliers and owners, I discovered an earthy, peaceful culture of wine. Picking out flavour notes and linking them to the story of the grapes was fascinating. Yet, this connection seemed missing from the wine bottles lined up on the shelves at liquor stores, which largely catered to a classic, mature clientele. One exception was the French Fat Bastard wine bottles with their playful design. Inspired by this, I chose the Foreign Affair Winery — focussed on producing wine using the Italian appassimento style - as my client. My self-defined project (without the winery’s knowledge) was to create a sub-brand to educate and appeal to a younger demographic. I thought a sub-brand that blends two wine varieties would offer an opportunity for the owner to experiment and room for the customers to get reasonably priced, unique wine blends. 
After a lengthy naming brainstorm, I chose “Ritmo,” which means rhythm in Italian, as the name for this new sub-brand. It musically evoked the ideas of:
a blend of flavours coming together,
a blend of grape varieties,
a blend of Italian and Canadian cultures,
a blend of Old and New World of wines.

I spent time creating a unique typographic word mark that was edgy, elegant, and playful. Writing the label text was key to helping educate young people on taste notes. Also, adding corkscrew character patterns helped keep the sub-brand light-hearted yet rooted in tradition. From there, I designed wine boxes, business cards, a motion graphic, a webpage, and process books to present the brand. 

Q. How was the project received at school? (Grade, feedback from the instructor and peers) (Were there any unexpected outcomes or ways your project lived?)

Throughout the year, our larger thesis class met weekly, but we also met with our professor in smaller groups of 4 to 5 students for more intimate discussions. These sessions were valuable sounding boards for feedback. I was always an active participant—engaged, asking questions and offering input. I know my thesis professor held my work in high regard, ultimately giving me an A. Our thesis year concluded with a show where each grad was assigned a booth space to showcase our projects. In hindsight, I could have experimented with the space of my booth more, making my space more dynamic—focused more on colours, feel and signage, tapping into my passion for architectural-fashion-inspired forms. Additionally, the motion graphic I created could have been more polished and impactful, perhaps with a strong tagline to tie it together. Looking back now, as a business owner, I realize I should have involved the winery in my process and created a more collaborative and purposeful project presentation.