2. The photography on this recipe is not cut out
properly, instead, it’s been cropped, which is
why you can see the cakes around the central
focus cake.
From a distance, this word is
not readable, due to the
font. However, you can
probably guess what is says,
while the other text in this
font is visible.
The font is dull and the
colour is boring, it
wouldn’t stand out if a
lot of recipes were
compiled in a book.
However, the recipe
does look professional,
which is partly down to
this restrained font. A
Red or a Blue colouring
would have fitted
nicely to this recipe,
but, as mentioned
previously, the black
text looks professional
and readable.
Due to the background been dull, another technique from the recipe must
be used to make it stand out to the reader. The border is an effective
feature of making something (an image, a it of text or an article) stand
out. I like this feature, however, I think I will use bright colours to entice
the audience, so a younger demographic will be appealed to also.
The dull and restrained
colours of the background is
one thing on the recipe that I
dislike. This is because it,
along with the font colour, is
dull, so I believe one of these
should be right and striking,
instead of restrained.
The content within the
recipe is clear, while
it's very simple to
follow.
The writing style is formal
language, but at the same time,
has elements of informal language,
this could be to entice a younger
audience, but could also be just for
the ease to read the recipe.
3. Like the previous example, a border is used to
make this recipe striking and enticing to the
consumer of the recipe card. However, the
bright background colours aren’t as restrained as
the previous example, so the border isn’t a key
feature.
I like the bold font for the
specific ingredients. This
could be a potential
feature to emulate in the
production of my recipe
cards.
The lack of an image of the finished recipe makes this
recipe card less effective, compared to what it could
have been. A photograph helps to communicate to an
audience, what it looks like when you’ve made it. These
logos that they’ve replaced images with don’t have the
same effect. For this reason, a viewer of the recipe may
not pick it, due to not knowing what it looks like when
it’s made.
The font is clear, concise and is easy to
read. Fancy fonts haven’t been added,
due to this recipe been aimed at a
working class audience, while the
simplicity of the steps and font,
suggests it could be aimed at a
younger audience than first thought.
Like the other example, the
font is restrained in terms of
colour. However, compared
to the vegan fudge cake, the
background is colourful,
therefore, it doesn’t need
additional colour on the font
or other features.
While the language doesn’t
feature any colloquialisms,
it’s a very informally worded
recipe card. However, as
stated earlier, it’s aimed at a
young, working class
demographic.
The only thing that seems to appeal about
this recipe is the colouring. The blue and
yellow are striking, but I feel a photograph
would have made the recipe card very
effective and would have been a popular
recipe card.
4. The green logo on this recipe card connotes
the vegetarian colour, due to the grass and
vegetables you associate with vegetarianism.
This feature isn’t used as much as you would
think, but, on the other hand, a recipe card
doesn’t have to connote anything, just allow
you to read and follow it.
The border of this recipe card may not be
as visually striking as the previous two,
but it has a different purpose than the
others. While the other two examples
border’s aim to entice the consumer, this
one aims to contrast the white, while
framing the image in the centre.
The photograph on this recipe
card is presented differently,
compared to the others. This
photograph is the main focus of
the recipe card, instead of
accompanying the text, like the
others. The borders further the
photographs status as the main
focus, due to the dark borders
contrasting with the light
photograph.
Like the other two, the
language of the recipe card is
informal and is easy to
follow. However, the
addition of certain formal
lexis and the wine pairing at
the end, suggests an older,
higher class demographic is
been targeted with this
recipe cards.
The font used is clear,
concise and isn’t difficult to
read. However, as explained
earlier, the purpose of a
recipe card is to tell
someone how to do it, so
doesn’t have to look as
aesthetically pleasing as a
magazine or newspaper
layout.
Unlike example two, this recipe
card and example one are
restrained colour wise and
won’t entice the audience by
colour. However, one thing
these recipe cards have, which
the second one doesn’t, is an
accompanying image of the
recipe.
5. Font – The font is simple, nothing too fancy, which is sometimes difficult to
read. This may suggest a younger, working class audience is been targeted.
This is due to middle class consumers wanting fancy fonts, however, this
should not be used as an example, not all the middle and working class
people are the same, so assumption should not be made.
Headings – Again, like the font, this feature is easily readable and clear.
However, unlike the normal font, the headings are the only thing on the
recipe card, text wise, that has any variation of colour to it. They help split
up the text on the recipe card, as well as highlighting the key parts of the
recipe, such as the name of the dish. Even though it might not have the
appeal colour wise, it is still an easy recipe to follow, with few steps.
Photograph – Due to this recipe card been found on an official association
website, it may suggest the picture was taken at a professional level,
instead of a stock image been used, or an amateur photograph been used.
The photographs quality is good, with the image been most likely post-
produced, to make it look more enticing than the initial image, like a lot of
food photography does.
Language – Out of all the recipe cards so far, this recipe is the easiest to
follow. This is mainly due to the informal and simple lexis scattered
throughout the method and ingredient sections. Again, a demographic
could be applied to this recipe, without making assumption about a certain
group. In my opinion, the simple language indicates a younger audience
would be the target of the recipe. As for class demographic, too many
assumptions could be made from this and someone's class doesn’t reflect
their educational ability.
Colours – The colours are restrained and only features two colours on
the whole recipe cards. The lack of bold, bright colours suggests a
different audience are targeted recipe, not the young audience that I
first though. Bold bright colours on a product usually appeals more to
younger people, therefore, the lack of colours would mean an older
demographic is targeted. Again, assumptions about all young people
been appealed to by bright colours and older people been enticed by
restrained colours should not be made.
6. Photograph – Taken from example 4 of the recipe cards, I believe this
was the best way of communicating images to the consumer. Example
ones image was too small, example twos photography was non-existent,
while example threes was not as visible as first thought, therefore the
effectiveness was reduced. Where as example fours image wasn’t too
overbearing on the main body of text, but was a main focus of the recipe
card, a feature I want to emulate.
Ingredient list – The font
and formality of the
ingredient list would have
been appropriate from all 4
of my examples, but the
second example had
something the other 3
didn’t. This extra something
was the highlighted words
of the specific ingredients
needed. As stated on the
initial analysis, this is a
feature I would like to
emulate on my recipe cards.
However, the yellow
backing on the list would
not be emulated, a more
restrained colouring, like
the one on example one
may be the best colouring
to emulate. As for the
language, all the examples
had the correct level of
formality, so could have
been used. I want to try and
appeal to a wide spread
audience, which includes
children, so simple lexis is
paramount for my recipe
cards.
Heading – Like the text on my recipe card, I wanted the heading
to be easy to read, clear and simple. This heading from example
four is just what I required for my own recipe card. The bold and
brightly coloured title allows the title to stand out, but not take
an attention away from the image or main body of text on the
recipe card, a feature, not just one that I want , but what every
producer of recipe card wants.
Method steps – Similar to
my heading and ingredient
lists, I wanted the
consistency of clear and
easy to read text to
continue. Every method list
on my examples were clear,
apart from example one.
The fancy font that was
used to write ‘method’ was
not easy to read, and I felt
the consumer may be put
off by a recipe they couldn’t
follow easily. The restrained
colour of the backing also
appealed, due to the main
feature of my recipe cards
been easy to follow.
Border – I wanted a border on the recipe
card, so it would make it stand out from
other recipe cards. A striking colour could
be an option, but a restrained coloured
border would fit in more with the other
features I have selected to emulate. A black
border, like the one from example 1 would
also contrast well with the potentially white
background of my recipe card.
7. Modern vs old
Old Modern
*Two recipes from the same site, but 10 years apart
8. Old Modern
• The recipe has a lot of steps, the ingredients
are hard to follow and the language used is
formal lexis.
• The recipe is clear, it is easy to follow and the steps
are simply worded in informal lexis. One
observation is that cooking is viewed as a more age
and gender equal task to do than it was in the past.
Technology also has a part to play in the shortness
of the steps, blenders and processors eliminate
steps that would have been chopped and diced in
the past recipes. Another factor is the time that
people have to cook these days. Work and other
tasks fill up mostly of peoples lives, short recipes
are key for the modern family.
• The font is restrained in colour and layout. This
makes it easy to read, despite the long steps
that the old recipe has.
• The font colours are still restrained, due to the ease
of reading it not been able to be improved much in
the 10 years between these recipes. Discovery of
new fonts have made it easier, if anything, but the
old fonts were still easy to read and clear.
• The photography is well taken and captured in
a professional manner. Post-production
techniques are used on the particular image in
the example.
• Again, the photography on the modern one is well
taken and it’s definitely professionally captured.
Post-productions have been used, but only to
sharpen the image up colour wise. An evolution in
technology has enabled cropping, colour alteration
and framing in recent times, features which weren’t
evident in the old photograph.
• Colouring on the recipe card is very restrained
in colour. A white colouring of the recipe card
features on this particular example.
• Not much changes on the modern recipe card,
compared to the old recipe card. The restrained
colours are till effective and help contrast the black
text, especially if a white background is used.
Modern vs old
10. Vegetarian recipe Meat recipe
• The lexis in the vegetarian recipe is formal, but is
clear and concise at the same time. The formality
suggests it’s aimed at a middle class audience, while
the non-mainstream curry furthers that claim.
• Due to there only been one step in the whole recipe,
there’s not much text to analyse. However, the text
that’s there for analysis shows informal lexis, but
clear and consistent text formation still makes it easy
to read. Just because the meat recipe is varying in
language from the vegetarian one, it doesn’t mean
the class of the audience is lower, it just means the
volume of text is less, plus, this is just one recipe out
of a lot of meat recipes.
• The vegetarian recipe uses colour to connote
vegetarianism. The green button on the example
(previous slide) suggests it’s identifying this recipe as
a vegetarian one and differentiating it from a meat
one.
• The purple colours used in the meat recipe also help
differentiate between different things. However, it
doesn’t connote anything, instead it just
differentiates the text from the different and very
important nutritional values. These are featured on
meat recipes and not on vegetarian ones, due to the
large majority of vegetarian dishes been health,
compared to the meat recipes, where nutritional
information is required.
The photography in both of these pieces are well
captured and taken. The sharpness of the images tell us
they have been professionally taken, while the vibrancy
of the image suggests post-production techniques have
been used on both. Unlike the old and modern ones
been completely different, these two photography
pieces are similar, due to technological retrains not
been a factor in either of these two images.
<------(Applies to both)
Vegetarian recipe Vs Meat recipe
