Swisse Me
Drink Well,
Live Bright.
Responsibility
Product Design Lead
Client
SWISSE UK
Team
30 Team Members
Year
2018
Swisse, a leading Australian wellness brand, was ready to enter the UK functional drinks market with Swisse Me, a range of four functional beverages aimed at health-conscious women aged 20–30.
The website needed to do more than explain benefits. It had to tell a story, feel intuitive to use, and create an emotional connection strong enough to turn interest into action.
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The UK functional drinks market was crowded with established players like Remedy, Almighty, Shine+, and Vitaminwater. While each focused on health and wellness, the category leaned heavily toward a clinical, serious tone and felt uninspiring.
This presented an opportunity to stand out by shifting how wellness was expressed, not what it stood for.
Project Objectives
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Launch Swisse Me as a distinct brand separate from traditional Swisse
Drive product awareness and educate consumers on functional benefits
Generate e-commerce sales through a seamless purchase journey
Differentiate from competitors in a crowded functional drinks market
Capture the attention of millennial women with bold, energetic design
Establish Swisse Me as the "wild brother" of the Swisse brand family
The
Product
Line
Some insights
The market was dominated by brands with clear but similar positioning. Most digital experiences felt functional, not engaging and younger audiences wanted health to feel positive, expressive, and part of their lifestyle
Our strategy focused on differentiation through bold visual language, youthful energy, and a strong brand personality.
Healthy Canned
Drinks Market
![Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-[remix] (3).gif](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02649d_58c8a1a229ec40969bccf6524989cb04~mv2.gif/v1/fill/w_542,h_366,al_c,pstr/Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-%5Bremix%5D%20(3)_gif.gif)
The value of the British beverage market. Health-conscious consumers, specially Millenials and Gen Z women (20-35) are shifting away from sugar-heavy drinks to flavour-rich alternatives.
Key Insights Recommendations
![Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-[remix] (2).gif](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02649d_ea177b4abdf643f0a4b1c4c9a12c0ea8~mv2.gif/v1/fill/w_542,h_652,al_c,pstr/Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-%5Bremix%5D%20(2)_gif.gif)
![Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-[remix] (1).gif](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02649d_ec9cf212c16c42dab6831b722fe92545~mv2.gif/v1/fill/w_542,h_366,al_c,pstr/Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-%5Bremix%5D%20(1)_gif.gif)
Feedback from target audience
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Other drinks like matcha aren't as tasty as these.
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Sugar-free labels can be misleading, many use sweeteners I avoid.
-
Adoptogen drinks often taste too earthy or medical.
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At £4 a can, it's a treat, not something I drink daily
Consumption & Demographics
![Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-[remix].gif](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02649d_c618328d62d044cc8f9e94c310b27588~mv2.gif/v1/fill/w_542,h_366,al_c,pstr/Animated-Line-Chart_-Purple-%5Bremix%5D_gif.gif)
31%
UK consumers regularly choose energy drinks
50%
Among 18-34 year olds try to avoid alcohol
My Role & Leadership Apprach
My Role & Design Approach
Establishing Ways of Working
Created structured processes and ceremonies to bring organization to an inexperienced team lacking clear workflows.
Implementing Feedback Loops
Created regular check-ins and review cycles to keep stakeholders aligned across time zones.
Driving User Research
Led market research, user interviews, and usability testing to validate design decisions with data.
Facilitating Collaboration
Coordinated between designers, developers, and stakeholders across a 30-person team structure.
Building Trust Through Process
Used research findings and structured presentations to earn stakeholder confidence in bold design directions.
Breaking Category Conventions
Playful Illustration Style
Custom illustrations brought personality and warmth, making functional benefits feel accessible and fun rather than scientific and intimidating
Bold Color Palette
Vibrant, energetic colors that stood out in a sea of muted wellness branding, each product had its own color story that communicated its functional benefit
Interactive Animations
Micro-interactions and animations brought the site to life, creating an engaging, premium feel that elevated the perceived product value
Lifestyle Photography
Photography direction focused on real moments of joy, energy, and connection showing the lifestyle, not just the product
looking into
the experience
Landing page
Product selection
Animated illustrations
Product Lineup Hero
![Website-Promo-[remix] (1).gif](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02649d_654fec98686943b18d3db08f991e4e4f~mv2.gif/v1/fill/w_960,h_540,al_c,pstr/Website-Promo-%5Bremix%5D%20(1)_gif.gif)
Impact & Results
Site Visits in First Month
150K+
E-Commerce Conversion Rate
3.2%
Average Session Duration
3:35
Repeat Purchase Rate
42%
Key Learnings
Retrospectives Reveal Root Causes
Regular retros helped uncover what went wrong and why, driving continuous improvement and strengthening team trust.
Clear Ways of Working Build Confidence
New teams need defined ways of working. Setting structure early isn’t bureaucracy—it’s leadership that enables teams to do their best work.
Freelance Leadership Requires Influence, Not Authority
Leading without formal authority meant earning trust through value, communication, and outcomes—proving influence matters more than hierarchy.
Ways of Working Must Be Defined, Not Assumed
Never assume processes exist. Aligning on how we collaborate early prevents confusion and conflict later.
Reflection
Swisse Me marked a shift in how I approach design leadership. It wasn’t just about creating strong visuals, but about building trust, setting clear processes, managing stakeholders, and taking informed creative risks that delivered real business value.
Working as a freelance design lead showed me that leadership is earned through consistent delivery and clear outcomes. Leading a distributed, early-stage team strengthened my organisational skills and patience, both of which continue to shape how I work today.
The bold visual direction, initially met with hesitation, became the project’s defining strength. It reinforced a key belief: creative risk, when grounded in research, isn’t reckless; it’s essential.
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