TOWN
Using a predesignated logo supplied as part of an academic assignment, I crafted the required products - including table tent, placemat menu, trifold brochure, and website - in line with TOWN’s Brand Style Guide. This was a great exercise in using a supplied logo to then build out a brand identity and print material.
The target audience for TOWN potentially captures an expansive market in relation to the population size of Asian countries. In terms of design, the minimalist aesthetic speaks to its high end standards for food quality, alluring both food connoisseurs and those who are looking for a reminder of home in an environment devoid of the busy static of everyday life.
Brochure
After experimenting with many different layout variations for the brochure, I settled upon the displayed concept for the tri-fold brochure. The first challenge was setting up the document for proper print and folding execution. I used precise measurements to lay out each panel and then flipped them for the backside of the print to allow the pages to overlap. Carrying over similar visual elements from the previous two design assignments, I modeled the brochure to be mostly reminiscent of the menu, with imagery of the various meal items bordering the top and bottom of the inside of the brochure. However, instead of three, a single image stretches across.
Menu
Hierarchy of text is maintained with difference in font family; food portion section titles are set to Majesti Banner medium italic while body copy remains Athelas regular for readability. However, on the backside, the wine menu uses Athelas bold for both titles and body copy to give the wine a distinct look separate from the food portion of the menu for recognition purposes. TOWN’s logo rests in the upper portion of the menu for branding placement.
Table Tent
The table tent provides information neatly at a quick glance in addition to a convenient method of accessing the menu with today’s standard technology. Sophistication is held in the core design, using a sanitized background in order to convey its contents. Red lines divide these sections with concise geometry. The table tent is formatted at 4x16 in., allowing the print to be folded and wrapped underneath the opposite end to produce a standing product.
Web Design
The Process
I maintained a sleek and uniform design appearance so as to speak towards the perspective that TOWN’s branding wishes to exemplify. Sharp structure, refined linework, and elegant visual aids all lend toward the upscaled menu formatting. Alignment is precise and consistent in each column and legibility is clear for best practice of viewer’s digest. White text on dark background assists in the sophistication of the brand’s image and leverages the contrast for readability.
According to the Brand Style Guide, TOWN should be exemplified through sleek, refined means, and so I limited myself to no more than two visual aids per panel. Reduced opacity and blending modes were applied to background images to add contrast to the overlaying white text to enhance legibility and style. I allowed the graphics to bleed off the page enough so that there would be no gaps when printing.
Text was then placed in the remaining areas and formatted to bring balance to the surrounding space. Keeping in line with the menu design, title text was strictly Majesti Banner, medium italic, and body text was Athelas, bold.
In terms of functionality, I chose to omit any menu items in lieu of linking the menu via a QR code on the inside flap. As the viewer continues to unfold the brochure, the inside will present more visual examples of what to expect from the menu. Coupled with this is the company’s vision and mission statements as well as promises of high-end customer satisfaction.