Identity
Dubbla Deli
A. Name
B. Identity
C. Illustration
The Assignment
Hedvig and Zacke, both profiles from the Swedish Masterchef, reached out to me with exciting news: they were opening a sandwich spot in Hötorgshallen. Their sandwiches were to be a mix of Italian and American influences—think eggplant parm and meatball subs. They wanted to avoid being pigeonholed as purely Italian, a position already taken by numerous other sandwich spots. Plus, positioning themselves as "authentically Italian" in Hötorgshallen wouldn’t feel right. Authenticity is highly valued there—you can’t fake your origins and still maintain credibility.
The brief ultimately became a fusion of Swedish, Italian, and American elements. They wanted their spot to feel unpretentious and friendly, approachable and warm.
The project also included creating a name. I wanted it to capture the duality of the founders, Hedvig and Zacke; the duality of the bread embracing the delicious filling in their sandwiches; and the idea of "doubling up" as a life philosophy. That’s how the name Dubbla Deli came to be. A name that’s simple, easy to say, and unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Deli Aesthetics
The visual identity draws inspiration from the aesthetics of delis, pizzerias, and marketplaces, reflecting the unpretentious and straightforward vibe Hedvig and Zacke wanted to convey. The typeface and logo are bold and chunky—they make a statement but still feel like something your neighborhood pizza joint might use. On the menu, prices are listed with a long row of dots ........160 SEK—an intentional nod to how delis in New York do it. It’s all about the price, plain and simple, without any frills. The focus is on the sandwiches, not on making it look overly polished.
And the phone number! Possibly the most iconic part of deli aesthetics. I elevated the phone number from a functional element to a centerpiece of the identity. It’s both visually striking and a little playful to have a massive phone number everywhere.
Then there’s the illustration of two sandwich-eating, swirly figures in a kind of yin-yang dance. A perfect embodiment of Dubbla’s spirit.
Finally, we developed a tagline:
“– Dubbla så goda mackor!”*
The intentional typo adds a playful twist to Dubbla’s name. The asterisk has no explanation—just a fun, deli-style illogic quirk.