Portfolio · Brand & design studio

Brands built in Addis Ababa, made to travel.

Add a dedicated brand or graphic designer to your team for a flat monthly fee, or commission a complete identity. Start with a 30-day paid pilot.

Below: recent projects, from logo to delivery van to office walls you can walk through.

See the work Book a 20-minute call

01 · Environmental graphics

Hotto

Food and hospitality company, by Toptable

Scope: Glass and wall graphics
Status: Installed

The idea

Hotto's office needed to feel like the hospitality it sells. We wrapped the glass partitions in a lotus motif, tropical leaves and fine gold arches, with lines we wrote for the team and their guests: "Service is an art", "Passion, plated. Service, perfected." and at the door, "Enter as guests, leave as family."

Each wall was shown as a 3D render for approval before print, and the photos show the finished installation.

Glass manifestation
Wall graphics
Copywriting
3D renders
Print-ready artwork

Installed Entrance glass: "Enter as guests, leave as family"

From render to reality

Renders show the design as approved. Photos show the film as printed and installed.

3D render of the Service Is An Art glass wall along the corridor — Render "Service is an art"

Installed Service Is An Art glass graphic with lotus and gold arch — Installed The same wall, printed and fitted

3D render of the Stay Sharp, Stay Curious, Stay Hotto wall — Render "Stay sharp. Stay curious. Stay Hotto."

Installed Stay Hotto glass graphic with a smiling face motif — Installed The same wall, printed and fitted

Installed glass graphic reading Passion, plated. Service, perfected. — Installed "Passion, plated. Service, perfected."

02 · Brand identity

Caldo

Italian fine dining in Ethiopia, by Toptable Trading PLC

Year: 2025
Guide: 33-page brand guidelines

The idea

Caldo means warmth in Italian, and the restaurant was founded by three partners. The mark turns both into one symbol: three flowing flames for the three founders and the glow of an Italian kitchen, paired with a refined serif that feels welcoming rather than stiff.

Deep forest green and artisan gold carry the system from the table to the delivery van, positioning Caldo where Italian cooking meets Ethiopian hospitality.

Logo & wordmark
Colour & type
Photography direction
Social templates
Tableware & packaging
Vehicle livery

Caldo coasters, wine bottle, sign and green napkin — Packaging and table details

Primary logo. Three flames, three founders.

Secondary logo and colourways

Caldo colour palette with green, gold and neutral tints — Colour system

Caldo branded plate, gold cutlery and wine glasses — Tableware

Caldo livery on a car, scooter and green van — Vehicle livery

03 · Brand identity

Valam Global Trading

Ethiopian agricultural exporter: coffee, pulses and oilseeds

Year: 2025
Guide: 40-page brand guidelines
Credit: Delivered by Techbytes, our parent company

The idea

Valam wanted to be read as a global connector rather than a commodity supplier, with room to grow into new industries. We built the mark on the hexagon, nature's strongest interlocking shape, with a V inside it for Valam, value and vision.

A tagline, "Delivering Value Across Borders," and a bilingual official seal in English and Amharic let the same identity work on a coffee sack, a contract and a shipping container.

Logo & tagline
Brand architecture
Official seal
Social media
Merchandise
Fleet & container livery

Valam street banners, printed t-shirt and branded product sacks — Banners, apparel and product sacks

Primary logo

Valam bilingual official seal in English and Amharic — Bilingual official seal

Valam branding on a tractor, scooter and green van — Fleet

Valam branded pickup truck, cap and shipping container — Logistics and merchandise

04 · Environmental graphics

MMCY

Office glass and wall graphics

Scope: Glass and wall graphics
Status: Installed

The idea

Glass and wall graphics for MMCY's office. In the training room: coral arcs and navy circles with origami birds in flight, carrying lines like "Beyond talent, beyond limits" and "Your bridge to the future." The frosted band keeps the room private while light still passes above it. In the staff canteen, a bold "Now we eat" wall.

Glass graphics
Wall graphics
Illustration
Print-ready artwork

Installed MMCY glass graphic reading Your Bridge to the Future — Installed Training room glass

Installed Staff canteen: "Now we eat" wall

MMCY glass artwork reading Your Bridge to the Future — Artwork Wall B: "Your bridge to the future"

MMCY glass artwork reading Beyond Talent, Beyond Limits — Artwork Wall A: "Beyond talent, beyond limits"

Everyday design

The weekly work, not only the big launch.

A dedicated designer spends most days on work like this: social posts, campaign graphics and templates your team reuses.

Caldo social media post templates — Caldo social templates

Valam social media post designs — Valam social

What we do

Everything a brand needs to look like itself, everywhere.

Based in Addis Ababa (UTC+3), with a founder in Dubai. We work with companies directly, and white-label for agencies.

Brand identity

Logo, colour, type and a full guidelines book your team and suppliers can follow.

Graphic design

Social media, campaigns, stationery, presentations, packaging and merchandise.

Environmental graphics

Office walls, glass and signage, delivered as print-ready artwork.

Video editing

Editing for YouTube and social, with editors who work inside your team.

Short call
Tell us what you make and what design work keeps piling up.
30-day paid pilot
A dedicated designer joins for a month, so you judge real work.
Inside your team
They work in your channels and tools, under your brand or white-label.
Keep going monthly
Continue on a flat monthly fee, add seats, or stop after the pilot.

Start a project

Book a 20-minute call.

Send a line about your company and what you need. We reply with a short plan and a quote.

Email: hello@xpressdesign.cc
Phone: +251 91 008 4531
Based in: Addis Ababa · Dubai