Justin Freiler - Design Director

Bottlematch is an innovative digital product and brand experience designed to seamlessly connect the worlds of wine and food. Recognizing the shared passion of culinary enthusiasts, the app offers a unique platform for discovering ideal wine and meal pairings. Beyond its core functionality, Bottlematch fosters a vibrant community where users can share their experiences, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore the rich landscape of restaurants and wineries. The project encompassed the creation of a warm and inviting brand identity, a memorable logo, and a user-friendly mobile application, all working in concert to enhance the joy of culinary exploration.

Process

The design process for Bottlematch began with a deep dive into the core concept: the harmonious pairing of wine and food, fostered by a community of enthusiasts. Inspiration was drawn directly from the rich hues of wine grapes, setting the foundation for a friendly and approachable brand aesthetic. This informed the development of the logo, which cleverly utilizes the lowercase "m" of "match" to symbolize two wine bottles coming together in a welcoming embrace. Simultaneously, research into existing social media platforms provided valuable insights into user interaction patterns, ensuring the digital product would feel intuitive and familiar to its target audience. This dual-pronged approach allowed for the brand identity and app design to evolve in tandem, creating a cohesive and unified user experience from the outset.

Process

The design process for Bottlematch began with a deep dive into the core concept: the harmonious pairing of wine and food, fostered by a community of enthusiasts. Inspiration was drawn directly from the rich hues of wine grapes, setting the foundation for a friendly and approachable brand aesthetic. This informed the development of the logo, which cleverly utilizes the lowercase "m" of "match" to symbolize two wine bottles coming together in a welcoming embrace. Simultaneously, research into existing social media platforms provided valuable insights into user interaction patterns, ensuring the digital product would feel intuitive and familiar to its target audience. This dual-pronged approach allowed for the brand identity and app design to evolve in tandem, creating a cohesive and unified user experience from the outset.

Process

The design process for Bottlematch began with a deep dive into the core concept: the harmonious pairing of wine and food, fostered by a community of enthusiasts. Inspiration was drawn directly from the rich hues of wine grapes, setting the foundation for a friendly and approachable brand aesthetic. This informed the development of the logo, which cleverly utilizes the lowercase "m" of "match" to symbolize two wine bottles coming together in a welcoming embrace. Simultaneously, research into existing social media platforms provided valuable insights into user interaction patterns, ensuring the digital product would feel intuitive and familiar to its target audience. This dual-pronged approach allowed for the brand identity and app design to evolve in tandem, creating a cohesive and unified user experience from the outset.

Execution

The execution phase involved translating the friendly brand spirit into a functional and engaging digital product. Leveraging established social media conventions, the app features an intuitive, Instagram-like feed where users can effortlessly share photos and engage with fellow wine and food lovers. To deliver on the core pairing promise, a key feature implemented was an AI-powered scanning capability, enabling users to quickly identify wines or dishes by photographing labels or menus. This intelligent functionality analyzes key attributes, providing instant recommendations for optimal pairings. Furthermore, the app incorporates location-based services to connect users with nearby restaurants and vineyards, fostering real-world exploration and community building around shared culinary experiences.

Execution

The execution phase involved translating the friendly brand spirit into a functional and engaging digital product. Leveraging established social media conventions, the app features an intuitive, Instagram-like feed where users can effortlessly share photos and engage with fellow wine and food lovers. To deliver on the core pairing promise, a key feature implemented was an AI-powered scanning capability, enabling users to quickly identify wines or dishes by photographing labels or menus. This intelligent functionality analyzes key attributes, providing instant recommendations for optimal pairings. Furthermore, the app incorporates location-based services to connect users with nearby restaurants and vineyards, fostering real-world exploration and community building around shared culinary experiences.

Execution

The execution phase involved translating the friendly brand spirit into a functional and engaging digital product. Leveraging established social media conventions, the app features an intuitive, Instagram-like feed where users can effortlessly share photos and engage with fellow wine and food lovers. To deliver on the core pairing promise, a key feature implemented was an AI-powered scanning capability, enabling users to quickly identify wines or dishes by photographing labels or menus. This intelligent functionality analyzes key attributes, providing instant recommendations for optimal pairings. Furthermore, the app incorporates location-based services to connect users with nearby restaurants and vineyards, fostering real-world exploration and community building around shared culinary experiences.