Role: Design Direction & Packaging Design

Insight

Karl Strauss was launching its first-ever 16oz can format, beginning with a new beer called Boat Shoes IPA. This marked an opportunity to evolve the brand’s visual identity beyond its familiar round black label, while still honoring its heritage, and appeal to a broader, more lifestyle-oriented audience through playful storytelling and premium design.

Idea

We positioned Boat Shoes IPA as a nautical, lighthearted lifestyle beer, rooted in the idea that boat shoes are more than footwear, they’re a state of mind. The design needed to reflect this ethos with visual wit, summer energy, and a sense of elevated fun.

Execution

I led the packaging design and visual concept for the launch, departing from Karl Strauss’ traditional label format by introducing a life ring motif in place of the black circular frame, a subtle nod to brand heritage with a fresh twist. Key design elements included:

Hand-lettered typography, with the “I” in “IPA” shaped like a boat shoe tread
A color palette of crisp white and blue for nautical cues, and bright green to reflect the beer’s citrus-forward hop character
A layout that was vibrant, unfussy, and designed to stand out on the shelf and evoke coastal weekends
The tone carried through to packaging copy and extended brand elements like delivery vans and merch, anchoring the beer’s playful premium positioning.

Outcome

Boat Shoes IPA became one of Karl Strauss’ top-selling beers, with distribution expanding into multiple states and retail placements including PetCo Park. The design extended beyond the can onto a fleet of delivery vans and branded merchandise, increasing visibility and brand affinity. The work set a new benchmark for how Karl Strauss could use storytelling and design to extend its relevance and reach, one sip (or sail) at a time.

Role: Design Direction & Illustration
Design Direction, Illustration & Hand Lettering: Emma Dowling

Insight

San Diego summers are notoriously hot, and many locals know the struggle to stay cool without air conditioning. Karl Strauss wanted to introduce a summer release that tapped into that feeling with humor and relatability. I wanted to find a meaningful way to spotlight the often unsung heroes (and characters) of craft brewing: the brewers themselves.

Idea

We created Liquid A/C, a summer beer designed to capture the desperate, funny, and inventive ways San Diegans stay cool. The design embraced the brand’s first-ever use of a real person (other than Karl Strauss), featuring Lyndon Walker, the brewer behind the beer, in a Hawaiian shirt (a beloved Friday tradition), sitting in a kiddie pool with a rubber ducky nicknamed “Ladybird,” a nod to his nickname in the production facility.

Execution

I led the visual concept, illustration, and typography, choosing a hand-drawn aesthetic to bring a sense of humor and humanity to the brand. This project marked a major stylistic departure for Karl Strauss:

First use of a real human figure in design since the decision not to portray Karl Strauss after his passing
Fully illustrated label featuring custom hand lettering and inside-joke easter eggs grounded in brewery culture
A visual tone that was funny, authentic, and deeply personal, standing out from both Karl Strauss’ legacy labels and the wider craft shelf

Outcome

Liquid A/C became a memorable and beloved seasonal release, resonating with both employees and fans for its personality-driven storytelling and heartfelt tribute to the brewing team. The design helped deepen Karl Strauss’ cultural connection with its San Diego audience while opening the door for more expressive, human-centered design in future releases.

Role: Design, Illustration, + Hand Lettering

Insight

Taylor Guitars and Karl Strauss Brewing, two San Diego brands known for craftsmanship, joined forces to create a limited-edition beer that honored their shared commitment to sustainability, quality, and artistry. The collaboration centered on the Skagit Valley, a region that supplies both Taylor’s sustainable maple and Karl Strauss’ malt. The creative challenge: capture the heritage of both brands, tell a meaningful sustainability story, and bring the beer’s name–614, referencing Taylor’s maple-bodied guitar model–to life in a visually rich and emotionally resonant way.

Idea

I designed a label that symbolized harmony between music, nature, and craft, featuring a guitar transforming into a maple tree, surrounded by hand-drawn details that reflected both beer and instrument-making traditions. The concept leaned into woodblock printing as a subtle nod to Taylor’s sustainable practices, while weaving in storytelling moments specific to the beer’s ingredients, geography, and seasonal release.

Execution

This was my first beer label design, and I approached it with deep attention to detail and material authenticity:

Custom illustration of a guitar morphing into a maple tree, symbolizing Taylor’s shift to fast-growing, sustainable maple
Barley textures embedded into the label border and background, representing Karl Strauss’ malt sourced from Skagit Valley
Hand-lettered typography, with rough edges to reflect the human touch behind every element of brewing, guitar-making, and design
A “614” hidden in the maple leaf, a quiet detail for those who look closely
A new die-cut label shape inspired by the tree canopy, breaking from Karl Strauss’ traditional circular badge
A warm, autumnal color palette that echoed both maple leaves and the beer’s vibrant farmhouse character

Beyond the label, I extended the visual system across shirts, posters, glassware, Snapchat filters, and digital assets—ensuring the story carried across all brand touchpoints.

Outcome

The release of 614 Farmhouse Ale was met with enthusiastic praise and regional press coverage, including features on Fox 5 and 91X. The campaign celebrated not just a collaboration between brands, but a shared ethos of sustainability, craftsmanship, and community. It also stood as a memorable example of design as storytelling, where every visual element had a deeper meaning—rooted in place, purpose, and partnership.