Lukas Diemling’s textural identity for Zion Wine is designed without ‘traditional’ brand components

“The name Zion is a gender-neutral name of Hebrew origin,” Graz-based designer Lukas Diemling tells us, contextualising his identity and labelling system for Zion Wine. It “describes an imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal,” conjuring scenes that lay the groundwork for the tactile, serene brand. “It can also be translated as a monument, compass needle, or a fixed point,” he continues, manifesting this interpretation through the abstract use of direct and circular forms on the label’s design – constructing the brand’s name through ‘perfect’ forms as a result. “At the same time,” Diemling notes, “it breaks the idea of perfection through a hand-drawn pattern,” creating a conceptual and aesthetic contrast between what is imperfect and what is ideal. “This is also a nod to the process of natural winemaking,” he suggests, adding, “the similarity to a compass needle is intentional and emphasises the concept.” The conflict of contrary contexts continues into the creative methods Diemling turned to in designing Zion’s textures – creating a playful process of introducing ink to rough paper stocks, which Diemling then scanned. As a result, the practice helps cement the notion of conflict at the brand’s digital-meet-analogue core whilst systematically paving the way for the brand to expand and grow.