River Cottage Menu: Evaluation

This was a one week competition brief that I chose firstly because I wanted to do something not related to packaging, and secondly because I have never attempted a menu design before. I felt the brief was a good opportunity to improve my type hierarchy skill set and really think about what order the information should be read in and how a hierarchy can make it easier and more pleasant to read.

The brief has taught me about the importance of layout and the placement of information as well as how individual elements such as type, colour, illustration and image can be combined to create a pleasing design.

The brief format and colour restrictions forced me to think about what elements would bring life and personality into the menu design whilst still being within the limits. I think I have been successful in creating a design that is both interesting and engaging but also importantly in keeping with the existing River Cottage visual identity.

I have also learnt when to stop working on an idea and admit that it isn’t the most appropriate or effective outcome. For quite a while I tried to get the menu design to work with a painting but in the end an image worked far better at communicating to the customers than the painting ever could.

Overall the brief has been a success as it has helped me develop all the skills I wanted to work on and I’ve produced an outcome that I am proud of.

River Cottage Menu: Final Outcome

Here is the final outcome for the menu brief. This has been a short but enjoyable brief, I have found it useful as it has made me question type and the hierarchy when it comes to bodies of type. The brief restricted the design to 3 colours due to costs when printing. The outcome uses black for the image background and type, and then the blue River Cottage uses for the added colour with the lighter colour being a tint of the main swatch. I felt it was important to use the shade of blue that River Cottage already identifies with as it is crucial that the menu works with their other designs and overall design image. The font used is Bree Serif, it is very similar to their own logo's font however it is slightly cleaner and more refined. 

The front of the menu uses an image of River Cottage to give the customers an idea of where the whole company began. It also acts as a reminder that River Cottage isn't a massive corporation but a restaurant that started with sustainability at the heart of everything it does. The photograph conjures up a positive image of the restaurant and its ethos in the mind of the customers. Simple silhouettes of cutlery have been used to frame the type and add some extra detailing into the design. The cutlery from a distance could look similar to corn growing out of the land, this has a good association with the company and how they source their produce. 

The main task with the back was to make the information clear and the different sections easy to identify. Lines were added either side of the categories to make them stand out first when the customer views the different foods. After that the main food item is in bold point size 11, this makes it easier for the customer to quickly skim through the menu to see what they fancy without having to read every part. The extras and what it comes with it is placed directly underneath in regular point size 10. The typography hierarchy makes the menu is easy to navigate and user friendly. The running pattern along the bottom links the design with the front of the menu as well as adding a bit of character. The information about the lunch menu is displayed in an extended box coming off the bottom boarder. Using the darker blue on top for the type and the cutlery either side adds more colour to the menu and attracts the customers eye - making sure they know the menu is seasonal.

River Cottage Menu: Front Design

I have begun playing around with the front of the menu, instead of putting in each image separately and talking about each one I thought it would be easier to show them as a collection. I have experimented with the size of image and type and how they work in relation to each other. Adding in blue makes the type stand out and also ties the design into the back of the menu. 

After trying so many different layouts using the drawing I created I decided that it just wasn't working and to try using imagery instead. The photograph was made black and white so that the blue would really stand out and provide a strong background for the type. The shape was definitely improving but it still didn't look right.

 

I experimented with a black outline slightly off centre as if to suggest a drop shadow. Making the type and the box smaller makes it less intrusive, before it was in your face and distracting.

I mocked the menu up to see how it would look in reality. Using a chopping board background to emulate the authentic feel of a River Cottage kitchen. The menu looks alright, although there is no real interest in the piece. It doesn't make you stop and look at it. 

I wanted to incorporate more of a farm cottage vibe to the menu. I also had an idea to have cutlery going around the top circle as if they were crops growing or the rays of sun, this idea would resemble the fact that all the food that is used in the restaurant is locally grown. The design is starting to take shape however the white cutlery doesn't work - it is blurred against the background of the photo, and it looks like something separate when it needs to tie into the main design.

Changing the colour to blue links the two elements, adding a lighter tint background around the cutlery helps them to stand out against the photo.

A new shape fits around the type better as well as being less harsh (sharp corners etc). The cutlery pattern makes the menu look more personable and gives it an extra visual element.

Since the front had changed I wanted to try and do something with the back of the menu design to relink the two pieces so that the menu works as one. Adding the cutlery around the edge in a wobbly line frames the piece but perhaps makes the information a bit too squished not to mention that it looks quite nursery tale-ish. 

Breaking up the solid background into lines equally did nothing to improve the design. 

I decided to get rid of the frame and bring in the pattern that was used on the front of the menu. Running it along the bottom frames the page and links the design to the front of the menu. The boarder has been complemented with a darker blue rectangle at the top of the menu, this contains the logo and the menu category i.e lunch, breakfast, dinner. 

The black from the logo was replaced with white in order to fit in with the rest. The logo no longer steals all the viewers attention.

The menu design is a lot more interesting and engaging with the audience. I will make some minor adjustments but I think the project is pretty much there now.

River Cottage Menu: Type Hierarchy

After doing some research into menu design I have begun experimenting with how the type is displayed on the menu to make it as easy and clear to read as possible.

 Firstly I kept all the type the same size but separated it onto two lines with dots to link the food with the price. Looking at a menu designed like this no meals stand out to me and it feels like a lot to look through. The "Bigger" meals have been separated so that the main part is first in 11pt and underneath in 10pt is the food that it comes with. Using different point sizes makes it easier to read as there is less to take in at first - you can easily see "grilled pollock" and then what it comes with is secondary information. This will make browsing the menu a lot easier.

 

Developing it further I have made the first line bold so that it is even clearer. The price has been made smaller so its not the first thing people look at, it keeps their attention on the meal options.

 

 After editing the rest of the food to match the mains I stood back to look at the menu and the amount of bold hits you. I wanted to break it up a bit better so that the separate categories were clearer and easily identifiable.

 Removing the bold from the type means that only the headings are bold, this makes it easier to differentiate between the options. The main food is now in regular and what accompanies it is now italic - this works but just not as well. 

After figuring out how the type is best structured I moved on to the layout. The menu works quite well in two columns as it keeps all the information together opposed to being spread across a page. Working with the logo in the top centre makes a lot of unusable white space either side, it also makes the information about the lunch menu look heavy and squished. 

I moved the logos position to the top left instead, this leaves a lot more room for the paragraph. I decided to redesign the logo using a similar font (Bree Serif), as the original logo is quite dated and harsh. 

 The logo size has been increased and the lunch paragraph has been moved to the bottom right of the page. Lunch Menu has been added inline with River Cottage so that it is clear what meal this menu is for. The line space between the meals has been increased to give each option more space, it has also helped to make the different sections clearer.  I have added two lines either side of the titles, as you can see above soup, smaller, bigger and sides are now clearly displayed and easy to read.

 

The menu layout is a lot easier to navigate around. I tried working with the typographic logo but it looked messy in the design, I decided it would look a lot neater if I rewrote it. I have kept the same colours as the logo design and the font is in a very similar style as the menu would have to work amongst their other produce and branded products.

River Cottage Menu: Drawing

I want to create my own illustrations for the menu, definitely one for the cottage as I feel this should be on the front of the menu. Illustrations of food would also add some detailing to the back of the menu making it visually more interesting and engaging. 

I have begun collecting a selection of drawings I like so that I can refer back to the style and general aesthetic. I am especially keen to try a cross hatch approach (above) as it is effective.

 

 

After researching different styles of drawing I decided to use ink to create a quick sketch of the cottage to use on the menu. I may re draw the cottage once I have got a rough menu structure/layout.

River Cottage Menu: Research

Hugh's famous for his food sustainability from growing everything and cooking from scratch to reusing left overs and oils. He has run several campaigns to improve the eating habits of the nation as well as improving the sustainablity of animal life. 

River Cottage developed a holistic approach for the site that would assure nothing went to waste and that all aspects of the energy creation, infrastructure and physical build were realised with maximum sustainability.

River Cottage is where it all started and where many of his TV shows have been filmed. The cottage is iconic and an integril part of the River Cottage business. The Restaurant has received 3 stars from The Sustainable Restaurant Assosiation, which is the highest that any restaunt can achieve. 

The design should reflect the positioning of the restaurant. Menus could be printed on recycled paper and the overall design aesthetic should appear authentic and natural. A hand rendered style would be most appropriate to reflect the hands on approach of the restaurant.

River Cottage Menu: Brief

Searching through brief box I found a brief to redesign the River Cottage Canteen menu. I want to undertake this brief as I have never designed a menu before and it will be a good skill to have as well as good in my portfolio.

The Brief:The River Cottage Canteen in Plymouth is looking to update their current double sided lunch menu. With freshly prepared seasonal, local, organic and wild food, on an ever evolving menu, guests can enjoy a taste of River Cottage, served in the relaxed ambience of the restaurant. The client wants their new menu to reflect these qualities. The menu must be double sided as it will be printed as A4 and displayed in menu holders on each table. Due to limitations on printing cost, the client would like to keep the design down to 3 colours maximum. The content for the menu is provided below. Use the inspiration provided to create a fresh, fun and clear menu design.

Inspiration

The 4 images below were given for inspiration.

Previous Entries
The brief shows other peoples entries which has been interesting to see what other people have created. However non of the designs seem to represent the restaurant for what it is. I want to create a design which emphasizes the fresh local produce and encompasses the personality and charm of the restaurant.