somelier | Hadar Hanuka protfolio

Scaling a 20-year legacy into a digital powerhouse

INDUSTRY: UX UI, visual system

CLIENT: "Advanced Design Studio" course

YEAR: 2024

Overview

Sommelier is a digital platform that makes wine accessible to non-professionals by translating abstract tasting terms into clear visual scales. Users can compare wines quickly and confidently without technical knowledge. I designed the UX/UI, built the visual reference system, and defined the scales, wine profile structure, and core interface language.

About the exhibition

Where wine culture meets real people

For over two decades, the Sommelier Exhibition has been Israel's central hub for the wine industry. Yet wine communication remains inaccessible to non-professionals. Sommelier bridges this gap with a digital experience that translates technical tasting terminology into an intuitive visual reference system.

The challenge

How can a subjective product become comparable?

Wine language is full of abstract terms: aroma, mineral, complexity, dryness. These work within the industry but leave most people struggling to translate them into real taste and experience.

The goal was to create a translation layer that preserves wine's complexity while making it legible at a glance, without oversimplification.

Research & Observations

Understanding where communication breaks down

I reviewed existing tasting systems and their visual representations, and spoke with winery owners, importers, and wine shop managers. A consistent pattern emerged: people are curious and willing to explore, but current descriptions are interpretive, which makes choice feel uncertain.

Insight

Industry

The industry still runs on physical events and personal connections, with limited digital continuity.

Create a digital layer that keeps the exhibition alive between events.

Design move

Perception

Tasting notes are interpreted through personal associations, making wines hard to compare.

Create a shared visual reference that supports confident comparison.

Design move

Language

Most tasting terms are abstract and non measurable without a consistent scale.

Translate descriptors into clear, comparable visual scales

Design move

Connections

Suppliers need continuity and relationships beyond one time exposure.

Build a dedicated space for collaboration, community, and follow up.

Design move

The Concept

A new way to experience wine digitally

Sommelier proposes a system that reflects how wine is perceived, not only how it is described. Instead of reading abstract terms, users can see a wine’s profile through comparable visual scales, making choice and discovery more intuitive.

The Sensory System

Turning taste into something you can see

Key wine characteristics are translated into clear visual scales that allow fast comparison at a glance. Each wine profile becomes a visual snapshot of how the wine feels, supporting confident decision making without requiring technical knowledge.

Body

Complexity 

Mineral

Astringency

Wireframe & Site Map

Low-Fidelity Exploration

Before designing the interface, I explored multiple wireframe directions to find the clearest way to present the wine meter, address suppliers' needs, and map the visitor journey. This low-fidelity exploration informed the final structure and layout.

Main Features

01 Wine Playground

Explore taste through interaction

An interactive space to explore how taste parameters shape a wine’s visual expression. Adjusting values such as body or astringency updates the system in real time.

02 The Dashboard

Understanding performance at a glance

A management interface for wine shop owners, providing a clear overview of sales, performance, and customer preferences - all in one place.

03 The Wine Community

Creating a shared space for a growing industry

A professional space for wineries, importers, and shop owners to connect, share knowledge, and discover collaboration opportunities through events, discussions, and learning materials.