Design Approach
I began the design process by drawing inspiration from the natural landscape of the Scottish Highlands the rugged terrain, misty hills, and traditional Highland cattle. To ensure authenticity, I used original photography captured during a family trip to the Highlands as visual references.

I also researched modern craft beer design trends, particularly minimalist illustrations, while placing emphasis on strong typography for the logo and strapline. I focused on type scaling and hierarchy to ensure legibility and balance at smaller sizes, aligning the design with both function and aesthetics.

The visual identity was built around a warm, rustic palette of deep browns, amber tones, and muted greens, reflecting the Highland environment. A Highland cow illustration, created in Adobe Illustrator, became the brand’s central symbol, representing strength, character, and heritage. To balance tradition with modernity, I paired Acumin Pro, a clean sans-serif, with Baskerville, while using Allura for the signature wordmark.

As part of my design thinking process, I produced multiple printed label prototypes to test colour, scale, and how the design wrapped around the bottle. Rather than a single wraparound, I developed a two-label system, which required careful experimentation with composition and typography.