Why do beer bottles and cans look the way they do? Do we choose beers only with our tastebuds... or are we more influenced by branding and marketing than we care to admit?

Ben Dunning is Course Leader & Senior Lecturer BA(Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) at University of West London. So, when it comes to design he knows his stuff.

He's also a good friend of mine, my brother-in-law and a beer lover. So we came up with an idea. Wouldn't it be fun to pick 3 beers each and talk about why they look the way they do? With Ben's expertise he could weave in some design theory and together we could analyse the bottles and cans we choose to drink in an entirely new and revealing way.

I had a feeling this would be fun and fascinating and it really is. From legend beers and local upstarts to infamous newcomers and jump-out-at-you-from-the-beer-fridge curveballs, they all have a design story... and they've probably all been telling you things (subconsciously) that you didn't even realise.

Grab a beer, find a comfy spot and have a listen - you will never look at a beer quite the same way again!