Menu Design – Academic Coursework

In one of my MIAD classes, I was tasked with developing a visually appealing menu design for a hypothetical restaurant of my choice. The restaurant I conceived, "Red Wagon," was a farm-to-table barbecue joint. The central challenge was to effectively create a clear and cohesive design system for the menu that accurately represented the restaurant's style and brand identity using only typography, color, and texture, without relying on photography or other visual elements.

To address this design challenge, I undertook a series of actions. I began by conducting thorough research into existing barbecue restaurant menus and developing a mood board to define the atmosphere of "Red Wagon." From there, I curated appropriate typography, developed a logo for the restaurant, created hypothetical menu items that fit the farm-to-table barbecue concept, and organized the menu layout in a user-friendly manner. I also strategically utilized color and texture to enhance the menu's visual appeal and reinforce the restaurant's brand identity.

As a result of these actions, I was able to effectively create a hypothetical menu for the "Red Wagon" restaurant that clearly represented the type of establishment I envisioned. The final menu design successfully established a cohesive visual system using only typography, color, and texture. It effectively communicated the farm-to-table barbeque concept through its design choices, resulting in a visually appealing and functional menu that met the requirements of the class assignment.