Branding, book design, labels and cocktail menus, made by a designer who spent seven years behind the bar, and knows that what people hold in their hands has to feel right.
I spent seven years behind the bar 
before I designed its menu. Now I make brands, books and labels for people who care how a thing feels in the hand, not just how it looks on a screen.
Seven projects from 2021 to 2026. Most of them were printed, embossed, cut or bound, then held in someone's hands.
A Slovak apéritif made from local wines and fortified Spanish wines, created by four Slovak bartenders. The label carries the product's idea of an equal balance between fruity freshness, a herbal heart and a spicy finish, for anyone looking for balance in life or in taste.
The Mirror Bar cocktail book is built on six elements of design: form, shape, line, texture, colour and space. Each one became a print technique, and each technique marks a chapter of the menu.
The two-decade story of veteran bartender and global ambassador Boris Ivan, from handing out flyers in the Piccadilly rain to running Michelin-starred bars on Park Lane, and through Stage 3 cancer and burnout. It is a raw, honest book, and the typography had to match it.
A bartending book for experienced bartenders and for vocational students. It comes in three parts: theory, practice, and the legacy of Slovakia's best bartenders. The brand grew into a second volume, 2.0.
Be human first, before becoming a bartender.
A lifestyle brand with a healthy dose of sarcasm. ("Život" means "life" in Slovak.) It pokes fun at a time when a cool job title seems to count for more than honestly earned experience.
A jewellery brand for adults who aren't afraid to show their style and who like fashion with a story. The brief asked for a clear but artistic mark, memorable enough to stand on its own and flexible enough for packaging, web and social.
For more than 17 years, Diageo's World Class has brought bartenders from over 50 countries onto national and international stages. For the Slovak edition I design launch-event presentations, Reserve brand decks and ambassador toolkits, all strictly within Diageo's global brand guidelines.
It started at fourteen with Adobe Photoshop. That spark led me through design school, then somewhere I didn't expect: seven years in gastronomy.
At the Mirror Bar Carlton, part of the Radisson Blu network, I learned corporate discipline, international service standards and a service-first mindset. Then I started designing the bar's visual identity myself. That work ended with the Essence of Design menu, for what became one of the top bars in the world.
Since 2022 I've worked independently as Made by DAT. I combine the precision I learned behind the bar with a love of visual storytelling. Most of my clients still come from the bar and gastronomy world. They're my people.
First time opening Photoshop. Design studies followed.
Skybar & Lemontree, Bratislava. Learned to work under pressure, and made posters and labels on the side.
Creative Sites, Bratislava. My first full-time design job: web templates, mostly e-shops.
Mirror Cocktail Bar, Radisson Blu Carlton. Bar concept, reconstruction pitch, menus, print and events.
Independent studio. Branding, books, labels, menus and consulting.
“More than just a job. It was a masterclass in corporate discipline and the service-oriented mindset I carry today.”— On seven years in gastronomy
Same as a good drink: listen first, measure carefully, and don't rush the finish.
We talk. I want the story behind the brand, the book or the bar before I draw anything.
Concept, sketches, type and materials. One clear direction, with reasons.
Design and refinement, then print tests: emboss, foil, laser cut, varnish. Paper is part of the idea.
Print-ready files, guidelines and support on press day, so it comes out the way it was meant to.
For bars, brands, authors and anyone with a story worth printing. Locally in Bratislava, and for international teams.
