Student Mural Design Competition

Following on from ‘The Scottish Interior Design Student Showcase’ in June 2025, we announced a design competition for students from the participating universities.

The competition was open to Scottish students of  interior design, graphic design, visual communication or any related design fields.

The brief was to design a mural for MLA client, The Macallan, for its spiritual home, the 485 acre The Macallan Estate in Speyside.

About The Macallan

The Macallan is an incomparable symbol of craftsmanship and creativity. They own the finest sherry seasoned oak casks in the world.

Their exceptional oak casks are expertly crafted in their cooperages and seasoned with their sherry wine to deliver aged spirit of the highest quality, today and into the future.

This meticulous stewardship defines the integrity of their signature character and exceptional whiskies.

From the forests and sawmills of Ohio, USA and Northern Spain, through to the cooperages and sherry bodegas of Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, onto the 485-acre Estate in Speyside, Scotland where every drop of The Macallan spirit is distilled and matured, more than 600 quality checks on average go into every dram.

The competition was created to connect education, architecture, and place, and was open to students aged 18+ from Scotland’s leading art and design institutions.

Set against the brief to design a 14-metre-wide mural for The Macallan boardroom, students were invited to interpret the whisky maker’s journey from acorn to glass, translating heritage, process, and place into a bold, architectural-scale artwork.

The response from across Scotland’s leading art and design schools was exceptional, making the judging process highly competitive.

Kris Vo’s submission distinguished itself through its compositional strength, illustrative confidence, and sensitivity to scale.

Garth Fitzsimons Director at MLA, commented: –

“Kris’s winning entry perfectly met the brief and was chosen for its exceptional line art and composition, strong hand-drawn technique, impactful scale, and beautifully detailed graphics.”

To see her vision realised, Kris visited Novograf where her design was transformed into a single-piece, large-format (14m x 2.5m) mural using specialist print and finishing techniques.

She then travelled to The Macallan Estate in Aberlour to see the final work installed and to receive her £1,000 prize.

The completed mural now stands as a permanent feature within The Macallan boardroom, celebrating creativity, craft, and collaboration across education, architecture, and industry.

Congratulations to Kris on a brilliant winning submission, and well done to runners-up Sarah Inglis and Harry Scott.