The competition is in partnership with The King’s Trust who support my business. I took part in their Enterprise Course to help develop my business skills and turn my passion for illustration into a career.

I had seen and admired previous winners’ designs in the supermarkets and thought it was an amazing opportunity to be a part of.

The creative brief asked us to capture the essence of a perfect summer day and how iced coffee plays a part in that experience. I am personally not the best with summer heat! However I do love the sunshine, especially when there’s a breeze as well. It’s the same refreshing feeling you get from your first sip of iced coffee on a hot day.

The brief also required a limited colour palette so I chose a mix of sunny yellow and soft pastel blue to strike a balance between warmth and coolness. The yellow reflects radiant summer days while the blue brings in the crisp, chilled sensation of an iced coffee.

My illustrations tend to be whimsical and I am often inspired by fashion, especially millinery. Therefore I wanted to incorporate this into the design while keeping the iced coffee at the heart of it. In the design the coffee cup is worn as a headpiece which has overflowed and become the woman’s hair. This cascade of swirls symbolizes the blend of coffee and milk while also capturing the light, airy feel of a summer breeze. She is even wearing a teaspoon earring -as you do! I also added a little bird to represent birdsong which makes summer days feel even more up-lifting.

It’s surreal to see my design on shelves this summer and I can’t wait for you to spot it too. Let me know if you see it out in the wild!