Macy Franti, a senior in PSOA’s Design & Visual Communication BFA program, is the artist behind the design of this year’s Panther Pale Ale can. Created by Pilot Project Brewing and Craft Beverage Warehouse, Panther Pale Ale is an annual collaboration with Milwaukee Athletics and the Peck School of the Arts. This year marks the third consecutive year of the real-world design partnership.
Franti learned about the opportunity from Robert Grame, associate professor and co-area head of Design & Visual Communication, who invited students in his package design class to participate in the project.
“We are excited to once again have students in Art 329, Package Design, participate in this fantastic project activity,” Grame said in the official release. “This year’s selection, completed by Macy Franti, continues to build on the outstanding design work that has been on display over the last three years we have been a part of the project.”
The assignment was optional, but Franti wanted to tackle the challenge.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to make that kind of beverage label design and see how my work flows on a can,” Franti stated.
The experience was highly collaborative, with Franti receiving critiques from her classmates throughout the process. These discussions helped her develop the concept from initial sketches to the final design.
“We had our ideas, went through some sketches, and then broke loose for a couple of weeks to work on our label,” Franti explained. “After that, we went back and shared with each other to see how the design worked around the can.”
Franti brought her interest in pop art into the project, incorporating notable elements of UWM’s campus through paper-cut typography.
“My design shifted throughout the process, especially with color changes and moving around different elements to land my final design,” said Franti. “Once I brought my second or third iteration to the table, I was told, ‘Yes, keep going this direction.’”
Designing the Panther Pale Ale label has been the highlight of Franti’s college experience. As graduation approaches, she sees the project as a meaningful step toward her future as a designer.
Her favorite part of this experience was seeing the can debut.
“It feels really awesome to see all of this come together,” Franti stated. “I got to see the can be presented for the first time at a basketball game, and it meant a lot to see people actually with the beer.”
Panther Pale Ale is now available at local retailers, including Discount Liquor, Consumer Beverage, Beans & Barley, Major Goolsby’s, Ian’s Pizza, and more. A portion of the proceeds from Panther Pale Ale sales will support student scholarships and other student-centered programming at UWM.
Story by Payton Murphy ’27 (BFA Film) | Video by Cameron Wise ’26 (BFA Film)