Brief: 1. Create a tri-fold menu for a local restaurant, (New Orleans To-Go), which has all of the given menu items on it, as well as a map to the restaurant. Aesthetics, as well as the New Orleans feel should be seen in the design of the menu. However, visual hierarchy, typography, simplicity, and visual appeal also should be apparent. Only black and white can be used, (No grayscale either), and no bleeds are allowed. This menu was to be looked at as if the restaurant wanted a cheaper order, therefore this assignment caused the student to work within creative constrictions in order to create something appealing.
Artist's Statement: I wanted to play off of the wildlife aspect of New Orleans, creating a gator chef as the front cover for the menu. This gave the menu a fun feel, while also portraying the New-Orleans style. However, inside of the menu I chose to create vectors of the food items. I chose to do this in order to give those food elements an easy icon for the customer to see in order to find that food item quicker. That, and the vector, just as an image, can create desire. It can also act as a visual description for what that food item is. Prior to this assignment I hadn't known what a po-boy was, this icon makes it clear that it is a sandwich of some sort. I chose a font that was similar to the front cover, yet more simpler, for the headers of the food items, then I used a legible serif font for the body. I wanted to make specials important, being that that is the thing that most restaurants want to sell. Therefore I used a cast iron pan, (which is a typical cookware for New-Orleans style cuisine), and I made my specials in the negative in order to create an eye-catching contrast to that area. However, I did something similar with the sides. As a customer, I am always wondering "where are the sides?" Therefore, I decided to use another New-Orleans style cookware, (a typical jambalaya cooker), in order to create the bowl for the sides. This created a repetition of the New-Orleans style cookware form, while also creating emphasis on the sides.
