Loch Fyne Restaurant Digital Refresh
As part of a pitch and concept development exercise for Loch Fyne Restaurants, the renowned UK seafood dining brand owned by Greene King at the time, I explored a range of website design directions aimed at modernising the brand’s digital presence while reinforcing its premium seafood heritage.
The concepts included a mixture of desktop and mobile layouts, reflecting the transitional period of web design before responsive and mobile-first methodologies became industry standards.
The Challenge
Loch Fyne’s brand was built around quality seafood, provenance, and a strong connection to Scotland’s west coast.
Originating from an oyster farm on the shores of Loch Fyne in the late 1970s, the brand had grown into a nationally recognised restaurant chain known for fresh seafood and relaxed dining experiences.
The objective was to create website concepts that captured this premium yet approachable positioning while improving the customer journey for key tasks such as:
- Discovering menus and seasonal specials
- Finding restaurant locations
- Making reservations
- Learning about the brand’s seafood heritage
- Promoting events, offers, and featured dishes
Design Approach
Rather than producing a single solution, I developed multiple visual directions to explore different ways of communicating the brand online. Some concepts focused on rich food photography and storytelling, while others prioritised navigation, promotional content, and conversion-focused user journeys.
The designs sought to balance:
- Premium restaurant aesthetics
- Clear information hierarchy
- Strong visual emphasis on food imagery
- Brand storytelling and provenance
- Ease of booking and restaurant discovery
Given the era in which the work was produced, several concepts were created exclusively for desktop viewing, while others included dedicated mobile layouts to explore how the brand could adapt to emerging smartphone usage trends.
Visual Design
The creative direction drew inspiration from Loch Fyne’s coastal heritage, incorporating:
- Clean and elegant layouts
- Large-scale food photography
- Natural colour palettes influenced by the Scottish coastline
- Editorial-style content presentation
- Prominent calls-to-action for bookings and menu exploration
Particular attention was paid to creating an experience that felt authentic, fresh, and reflective of the quality associated with the Loch Fyne brand.
Outcome
The project provided an opportunity to explore multiple UX and visual design approaches for a well-established hospitality brand. By producing several distinct concepts, I was able to test different navigation structures, content priorities, and visual styles while demonstrating how the brand could evolve digitally without losing its strong connection to quality seafood and its Scottish origins.
