Scotland’s creative centre is emerging in Inverness. This guide examines the ways in which design services can support the success of Highlands businesses. With an emphasis on Inverness, we will go over topics like branding, digital tools, accessibility, and graphic design.
Table of Contents
Local Design for Businesses in 2025
For local Inverness businesses to have a unique character, graphic design is crucial. Using distinctive fonts influenced by Scottish heritage can provide distinction to your materials’ typography and visual identity. Including regional components, such as colour schemes influenced by Highland scenery, fosters a relationship with your target audience. Effective branding and aesthetically pleasing marketing collateral can change how companies are seen in the cutthroat Inverness market. At the Inverness Design Studio, we are supporting local companies with their branding and logo design in 2025, allowing them to take advantage of the latest trends in graphic design.
Laura Keung explains the fundamentals of graphic design and the crucial first steps in your graphic design journey in this Envato video.
UX Design Trends in 2025
Businesses in Inverness need to maximise their online presence in the current digital era. Both residents and visitors are drawn to websites with responsive, user-friendly interfaces and localised design. While digital art and illustration can offer a distinctive, creative edge, UI and UX design are essential for developing user-friendly websites with smooth navigation. Flexible and scalable CMS solutions are guaranteed when using platforms like WordPress or Shopify. We offer a range of web design services that provide successful UX design.
An introduction to the principles of UX design is provided in this video by the US-based UX design firm AJ & Smart.
The Best Graphic Design Software in 2025
Inverness designers require state-of-the-art equipment to realise their concepts. Adobe Illustrator is ideal for vector graphics and scalable designs, while Adobe Photoshop is still the industry standard for photo editing and image manipulation. With designs for anything from brochures to social media graphics, Canva is a great choice for companies without design experience. Those that require high-quality, print-ready graphics might find what they need with programs like CorelDRAW. Our design team works with the latest design software available in 2025, giving us maximum flexibility in approaching any graphic design project.
Vince Opra explains how to learn Photoshop in the video below, which is a fantastic place for any graphic artist to start.
The Latest Packaging Trends in 2025
Print design remains powerful for reaching local audiences. From business cards to promotional flyers, well-designed materials can create lasting impressions. Packaging design is especially important for local products, such as handmade crafts or Highland food items, helping them stand out on shelves. Using high-quality finishes like embossing or spot UV can make a big difference in attracting attention.
In this video, the host discusses some of the biggest packaging trends for 2025.
Motion Graphic Design trends in 2025
For firms in Inverness, motion graphics and animation are revolutionary. Motion graphics draw attention, whether you’re using them to advertise a local event, highlight the grandeur of the Highlands, or make captivating social media ads. Your message can also be improved by including animated graphics in presentations or event displays. Adobe After Effects and Blender are great tools for making dynamic video material.
Making Your Design Accessible in 2025
For designs to be usable by everyone, accessibility is essential. Business websites in Inverness should adhere to WCAG guidelines and provide functionalities like screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation. To improve accessibility for all audiences, choose clear typefaces and colour schemes that are accessible. Every guest or client will feel represented thanks to inclusive design that captures the diversity of Inverness’s community.
In the video that follows, Ilya Dmitruk explains the significance of making design accessible to all.
Some helpful resources to help make your design more accessible are included in the list below.
1. Axe for Designers
- Description: Deque created a Figma plugin that assists designers in instantly recognising and resolving accessibility concerns. A11y Scan, WCAG Colour Contrast Checker, and Focus Order are among its functions.
- Source: Supernova
2. Stark
- Description: An Adobe XD and Sketch plugin that enables designers to produce accessible designs right away. To guarantee colour accessibility, Stark provides resources such as colourblind simulators and contrast checkers.
- Source: Inside Design Blog
3. Venngage
- Description: An accessible visual design tool with integrated accessibility features, such as the ability to output PDFs and UA files, that lets users make infographics and presentations.
- Source: Venngage
4. Accessibility Design Tools by SAP
- Description: A collection of Figma tools, such as a plugin and an annotation library, that may be used to help include accessibility concerns into the design process from the start.
- Source: SAP
5. Web Accessibility Annotation Kit
- Description: A collection of annotation kits by various organisations (e.g., Indeed, Intopia) that help designers document accessibility considerations for developers during the design handoff.
- Source: DigitalA11Y
6. Inclusive Design Toolkit by Microsoft
- Description: The toolkit provides a number of annotation kits from different companies (such as Indeed and Intopia) that assist designers in recording accessibility factors for developers to take into account when handing over designs.
- Source: UXPin
7. Color Contrast Checker
- Description: Various online tools that allow designers to check the colour contrast ratios in their designs to ensure they meet accessibility standards (WCAG).
- Source: Supernova
8. Colorblind Simulator
- Description: Tools that assist designers in modifying their colour choices by simulating how designs seem to people with various forms of colour blindness.
- Source: Supernova
9. AudioEye
- Description: Provides AI-driven solutions for creating accessible designs, including tools for checking accessibility compliance and enhancing the user experience for individuals with disabilities.
- Source: AudioEye
10. Figma Accessibility Design Tools Plugin
- Description: Designers may more easily express their demands to developers by using this Figma plugin to mark their designs with accessibility information.
- Source: SAP
By guaranteeing that your designs are usable by everyone, regardless of ability or disability, these technologies can greatly improve your design process.
To sum up
By adopting these trends, tools, and techniques, Inverness businesses and creatives can craft designs that not only resonate locally but also make a mark globally.
