Brand Identity
The Mill is an independent café in Forfar with more than a decade of loyal custom behind it.
With plans to expand into a gallery space and visitor accommodation, and a renewed focus on fast, casual dining, the business needed an identity that could support this phase of growth and reshape customer expectations.
Created in collaboration with Cat Loots.
Project Objective
The brief was to create a clear, functional brand identity that supported The Mill's evolving operation. It needed to reset expectations around the service experience, help define how the space works before customers engage with it, and provide a flexible framework that could grow alongside the business.
Design Strategy
Research into the building's history uncovered its origins as a former threshing mill. Rather than leaning into the heritage, this became the conceptual anchor for the identity. The visual system is built around typography, colour, and a textural grain pattern that adds richness without weight. Sub-brand marks for the café, gallery, and rooms give each area of the business its own presence while sitting clearly within a single identity. The overall feel is approachable and creative, with enough flexibility to carry across menu design, printed collateral, and external signage.
Illustrations by Cat Loots run throughout, hand-drawn, loose, and expressive. It sets the casual tone of the brand and brings warmth to the system across every touchpoint.
