We speak to Morgan Hastie - aka the Logo Lassie - about her journey as an emerging designer, her experience winning Best Pentawards student work, and the exciting projects she’s working on now

Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as an emerging designer

I’m a Scottish graphic designer, originally from a working-class area in Glasgow up in Scotland. My path to becoming a graphic designer wasn’t linear at all. In school, I loved art and graphic communication, but I was pushed down a more academic path, and for that reason I ended up going to University in Edinburgh to study Biological Sciences and Marine Biology. Thanks to lockdown, I had the time to rediscover my creativity and that led me back to digital and graphic design as a small side hustle / hobby alongside my University studies. In 2022, I was lucky enough to travel South America, and when I was on a night bus in Peru, I had this strange moment of clarity where I realised that I wanted to pursue graphic design seriously. I applied for a Graphic Design course at Glasow Clyde College on that bus and wrote a personal statement in my notes app, and got accepted a week later. Honestly, I’ve never looked back, I’m currently working towards my honours degree on that same course, and in June I’ll (hopefully) be graduating!

Calentón Hot Sauce, 2025 NXT-GEN Award

Because I was doing some small freelance illustration and logo design jobs prior to applying, I already had a social media account for my designs, if you can even call them that. The quality wasn’t great. But I am really grateful that I had that, because I continued to document my journey online, and as my skills evolved at uni, so too did my social media and client process evolve. Sharing my process, struggles, and learning moments became a huge part of my growth, both creatively and professionally.

Over time, I found my love for print, packaging and brand identity, where I could combine storytelling, colour, and strategy with tactility, texture and physical form. Being an emerging designer, for me, has meant staying curious, saying yes to opportunities before feeling “ready,” and trusting that growth comes from doing, not waiting.

What was your experience like participating in the competition? How did it challenge or help you grow as a designer?

Entering the competition really pushed me to think bigger and more conceptually than I sometimes do in client or university work. With no set constraints from a brief or budget, I had the freedom to fully define the brand world myself, which was both exciting and challenging. It forced me to sharpen my storytelling, think critically about shelf impact, and justify every design decision. The process helped me trust my instincts more and reinforced the importance of concept-led, strategic design.

Congratulations on winning the 2025 NXT-GEN Award! How did it feel to receive this recognition?

Honestly, it felt surreal, I’ve never cried so much. As a student and emerging designer, imposter syndrome can be very loud and overwhelming, so receiving this recognition was incredibly affirming. I also feel like it demonstrated the importance of social media, and the growth and confidence it can offer, to my lecturers and fellow students.

It felt really special knowing that my work was seen and valued on an international stage. It’s given me a huge confidence boost and motivation to keep pushing myself creatively. Flying out to Amsterdam to collect the award in front of a room full of my design heroes and agencies I’ve admired for years is something I’ll remember forever, and I can’t thank the Pentawards team enough for their support.

Can you share the story behind your winning design, Calentón Hot Sauce? What inspired you?

Calentón was inspired by the bold, vibrant energy of Mexican food and culture. I came across the brief shortly after returning from a backpacking trip through Central America, and I knew immediately I wanted to build a conceptual backstory that captured that feeling.

I wanted the packaging to look as exciting as the sauce tastes, so I began with a deep dive into competing brands and adjacent categories to identify gaps on shelf and opportunities to tell a more expressive story. Many hot sauce brands feature labels with a similar visual language, so I deliberately moved away from that to create something energetic, punchy, and culturally rich that would stand out and resonate with a foodie, Gen Z audience.

The colour combinations, typography, and illustration style were all carefully considered to feel spicy (with a nod to the flavour cues of each bottle), modern, and instantly recognisable as Calentón, while still respecting the product’s cultural roots and sense of place.

Which part of creating the packaging did you enjoy the most?

I loved developing the visual system, that’s usually my favourite part of any project, especially the colour pairings and how each flavour could feel distinct while still belonging to the same family of products.

I love using neon colours and brights in my work, and finding ways to bring those colours out in print is always really interesting to me! Getting these printed professionally, liaising with a printer and seeing everything work together on the label in my hands rather than on a screen was incredibly rewarding.

What shapes your approach to design the most on a day-to-day basis?

Storytelling shapes everything I do. I’ve learned to always ask questions. Why does the product exist, who it’s for, what problem does it solve and what it should make someone feel. I’m also heavily influenced by culture, food, travel, and everyday visual references rather than just design trends online. I think it can be really easy to fall into the trap of just looking for inspiration on websites.

On a practical level, sharing my work online has shaped my approach too. It’s made me more reflective, intentional, and open about my process, where as before, I would always just share the finished product with no insight.

You’ve been doing incredible work with Adobe and Uniqlo. Are you currently working on any exciting new projects?

Thank you! I’m currently working on a few exciting branding and packaging projects for health-focused brands, which has been really exciting, there seems to be a huge supplement boom at the moment.

This month, I was also asked to collaborate with GF Smith, alongside other designers, to promote their Colorplan range. This one was incredibly exciting for me, as I’m a huge fan and I use their paper all the time.

In the background of all this, I’m also continuing my educational work with Adobe, creating content that makes design feel more accessible and less intimidating for beginners. I’ve been doing some work with the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship team recently that I’m excited to share down the line!

Young designers will look to you for inspiration now. What advice would you like to share with students entering the design world today?

Don’t wait until you feel “good enough” to put your work out there. As designers, we never think our own work is good enough, so if you’re waiting for that, you’ll be waiting a while.

Honestly, I’d also say don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Especially in Uni or your early stages. It’s the best way to learn and grow.

Also, your voice and perspective matter. There’s space for you, even if your work doesn’t look like everyone else’s.

Finally, what does the ‘power of design’ mean to you personally?

The power of design, for me at least, lies in its ability to communicate, connect, and create emotion. So I guess it lies in it’s impact. Good design has the capacity to make people feel something, tell stories and communicate beyond words. It’s the reason I love it so much. It’s a tool for storytelling and change, that can make ideas more accessible and also influence culture in meaningful ways.

Find out more about Morgan and explore her work here .

Want to be the 2026 NXT-GEN winner? Enter the 2026 competition now .