2. Font:
This recipe card uses a combination of different sans-serif fonts
throughout in varying sizes depending on the style of text (paragraph
or headline) The colour of the text tends to be the opposite of the
background it is on (red on white, white on red) which helps to
distinguish it clearly and coupled with the lack of serifs, it is an easily
readable font for all ages and abilities.
The use of this font also contributes to the overall modern and
minimalist style for the recipe card, which uses lots of straight edges
and bold colours. Serif font has not been used in this card on account
of the fact that it is a sleek, modern piece, whereas serif is more suited
to refined and elegant pieces.
Layout:
This recipe card is made up of several bold, straight shapes used as the headers and
footers, with several smaller and lighter shapes that give the header and footer depth.
The background are just a plain colour that lack any type of pattern or image, which
helps the information on the card to be made clear and readable. While the simple
shapes help to create quite a modern style the design itself is rather and simple and
bland, and does not look as if much creativity has been put into it.
Something I’d like to incorporate from this is the use of clear background with easily
readable text. In addition to this, using geometric shapes but with a more artistic flair
would be beneficial to keeping a unitary layout that can be seen throughout the range
of cards, as it means that colours can be swapped between different cards while
keeping the same layout.
Content:
This recipe card offers the full
recipe which is printed in clear
and understandable English, with
all measurements and amounts
clear and organized at the top in
an ingredients list. The card also
gives several serving suggestions
at the top and at the end of the
recipe, detailing how many the
recipe caters for and how it can
be eaten, as well as how to
present it. A problem with this
card is that it uses several
abbreviations for tablespoon and
teaspoon amounts (tbsp and tsp)
and someone who isn’t that
familiar to cooking may be
confused by this. In the footer on
the reverse side, the cards
suggest that they can visit the
Vegetarian Society website ‘for
further enticing meat-free
recipes.’ This gives the reader
more backing if they happened to
enjoy the dish, as going to the
site can offer more recipe cards
to them.
Images:
This card only offers two images but they are both used rather effectively. The first image dominates the
entire front cover and depicts the end result of the recipe on this card, laid out in a manner that shows
entirely what is made and arranged in a tasty looking manner with carefully controlled light. The fact that
this image was used on the front lets the viewer know immediately what this recipe will create and it will
be easy to find when looking at a glance. The image is then repeated but cropped on the reverse, adding
more flair to recipe side as the colours used for the header and footer are matched fairly closely to the
colour of the lemon palmers. This helps to build the theme of the card and avoid any elements that may
stick out too much and be detrimental to the style.
Colours:
This card lacks a massive range
of colours but the two main
colours chosen create a very
visually striking and pleasing
layout. The choice of a deep
red gives the card quite a
classy, Christmas-like vibe and
coupled with the white and
cream, this works especially
well for putting across a very
festive recipe. The only
problem with this is that the
two green logos used on here
detract from the theme itself
as they are using colours that
break the style. The colours
have also been extended to
the text of the recipe which
contributes to the overall
theme, as black text may be
seen as excessive in terms of
the colours used and may
detract from the style.
3. Font-This recipe card uses a sans serif font and this gives a simple and clean look to the card throughout. This clean font type makes the instructions
clear and simple understand. The sans serif font varies in size with the headings being larger than the rest of the text. This draws the attention of the
reader and informs them of hat the section will be about. Under the headings are sub-headings in italics explaining slightly more. One piece of text is a
serif font repeating the title of the meal in a very fancy and stylistic font. This draws the eye of the reader them because of the complicated style and the
interesting way it has been places, overlapping certain bits of text and image. All of the main text in this card save for the footer on the reverse side and
that actual Veg Soc logo, is in lowercase, which is a style not found in more refined and traditional designs as it looks unprofessional and untidy. However,
when combined with a sleeker design with simple shapes as seen here, the lowercase contributes to making a much more modern theme that helps to
make the card very legible.
Layout-The recipe card has been laid out very simply
with information and images set out into two columns
and two rows of writing in a grid format. This is slightly
dull, but works well for this purpose as it means the
text and images are very cleanly and neatly set out
and the instructions can be followed easily. The two
columns in the top row include the ingredients for
both the stew and the dumplings and the lower row of
text instructs the reader on the cooking method. This
layout is logical as the ingredients need to be bought
before cooking can take place so must come first on
the recipe card. The card in general is quite corporate
in design and has likely been designed to be given out
for free in mass numbers, which would explain the lack
of more complex design elements as opposed to
simple geometric shapes used for the header and
footer.
Images-There are two images on this recipe
card, one on the front cover and one on the
back with the instructions. The front cover
image is of the finished stew served up with a
fork on the bowl taken from above at a candid
angle. I believe the inclusion of the fork in the
image works well as it gives the reader the
impression someone is about to eat this food
and may entice them and have them believe
they want to eat it as well. The image is very
high key, with a lot of light illuminating the
food, and the contents of the bowl are very
crisp and in focus allowing the viewer to see
them perfectly and again become enticed and
want to cook it for themselves. The image that
is incorporated into the instructions is a close
up of the meal, again high key lit. Attention is
drawn to the green garnish placed on the food,
this piece of green will appeal to the
vegetarians viewing the card. The image works
well to break up the text and stop it looking like
a page full of text, something that may be off-
putting for a reader.
Colour Scheme-This recipe card has a very simple colour scheme using different shades of green. The colour has connotations of freshness and
nature. This makes sense with the card being for the vegetarian society. The simplicity of the colour scheme reflects the simplicity of the recipe and the
lack of very bright colour’s or a huge range of colour could be due to the target demographic, probably adults, who will appreciate the clean, simple colour
scheme of the card. The shade of green used also extends to the text on this card, which helps to form more of a overall scheme that may have been
broken by using the standard black for text that is present in some other cards by Veg Soc.
Writing Style- the writing style of the
recipe card is very formal and its clear that the
purpose is to instruct. The writer has not used
full sentences but instead short instructions and
information often numbered or bullet-pointed.
The language used is quite basic, with no hugely
long or complicated words being used to ensure
the text can be understood buy a lot of people.
Most of the text on this card has been written
solely for the purpose of the recipe: there is no
enticing description of the recipe or any
background behind likely there might be on
some more detailed and complex cards.
4. Font-This recipe card uses a sans serif font throughout. This font is very simple and easy to read and makes the instructions simple for the reader to
understand, it also has amore modern, clean feel to it and this could give the recipe card a current and up to date feel to it. The title at the top of the page
is in a larger font size and draws the eye of the reader, informing them what the recipe card is instructing, this entices the reader and makes them want to
learn more. The rest of the text is a smaller font size but the headings are differentiated by being the same colour as the main title as opposed to the
standard black. Unlike other existing Veg Soc cards, this card does not use serif text on the basis that sans-serif is generally thought of as a more modern
and sleeker font while serif is typically used in situations where the design is more refined and traditional.
Colour scheme- The colour scheme for this recipe card is very simple, using only different shades of red and a white background. The red is only
used underneath the photograph on the front as a box to frame information on preparation time, cooking time and how many people it will serve and for
some of the text in the title, sub-headings and numbers. Beetroot and rhubarb are both red, so the colour choice of red makes sense and links the recipe
cards colour scheme back to the food itself. White has been used as the foundation colour on this recipe card to improve legibility and make the recipe
itself easier to read for those who may be distracted by lots of artistic design elements found on the other Veg Soc cards.
Image- The photograph used in this
image was taken with a wide aperture and
so has a shallow depth of field, this allows
the main part of food to be in focus and the
background of the image to be blurred. This
draws the attention to the hero and the crisp
focus of it allows the viewer to see the food
properly and will entice them and make
them want to cook it. The image takes up
most of the front side of the recipe card and
this large image draws the audience to the
recipe card. Lighting has been carefully
controlled in the image to emphasize the
shape of the finished dish and make it
appear much more endearing to potential
users of this recipe, so much that it is very
difficult to make out what objects in the
background, bringing all the attention to
dish at hand.
Writing Style-The writing style of this
recipe card is quite formal using full complex
sentences instead of the short bullet pointed
instructions on the previous card. The writer
hasn’t used hugely large words in the
instructions to make sure they are accessible
and easily understandable for the target
audience. There is a lack of an enticing
description of the recipe which can be
sometimes found in other, more mature
recipe cards that use traditional design
motifs, which is likely due to this card’s more
simple and minimalist approach.
Layout- The layout of this recipe card is
very clean and simple, with all aspects of its
design made to allow it to be understood
and the instructions followed easily. The
second side of the card is laid out in two
columns and rows, the first column includes
the ingredient amounts and the numbering
of the instructions. The second column holds
the body of the text. The separation of the
columns makes the text look neat and
breaks it up slightly so it doesn't look like a
large amount of information to take in. This
card has been designed to have the recipe
done quickly and does not take up the
reader’s time with a lengthy description of
the meal, getting right into the recipe.
5. Text:
This recipe card uses a bold, fancy serif font for the front cover of the recipe but then uses a
normal sans serif font for the recipe itself, making it clear and easy to read for anybody,
including those who may find it hard to distinguish individual letters. The font used on the
cover is particularly interesting as it differs from the recipe font, and gives the card a nice
festive feeling with the purple colour, tying it in to the Christmas image of this recipe. The
subheadings on the recipe page are in gold, which is one of the main colours set for this
card and blend nicely against the white/grayish background.
Image:
The chosen image of the
finished pie has been staged
with set-up side dishes and
other crockery which builds a
scene for a Christmas lunch or
dinner. This helps to put the
recipe into a real life scenario
and make the dish seem more
appetizing. Lighting has been
controlled to put emphasis on
the pie by highlighting the
puffiness of the pastry, making
it look a lot bigger and more
filling. The photographer has
arranged the pie so that a slice
has been cut out, exposing the
insides. This gives the viewer a
complete look of the dish by
showing both the crust and the
filling.
Font:
This recipe card uses a combination of sans serif and serif for
its text and copy. Serif, which is not present in other Veg Soc
cards, has been used here in the headings and the
titles/subtitles to create a more formal and stylish atmosphere
which is fitting thanks to the fact that the recipe card is for a
Christmas dish, which is a traditional family gathering. Sans-
serif is used for the recipe itself, likely to make the instructions
more easier to read and keep the clean theme which is found
in the other recipe card sets from the Vegetarian Society.
Content:
This recipe card has utilized a lot of
extra decoration that signifies its
status as a seasonal recipe and one
that doesn’t appear all year around,
thus making it more specialized and
unique. The designer has
implemented several traditionally
Christmas themed elements in the
design, such as baubles, that are
used to contain information such as
prep times and how many servings
the recipe will produce. They are
also used as the step numbers in
the actual recipe. In addition to
this, several swirly motifs are used
throughout the card, creating a
more formal and sophisticated
design.
Colours:
The colours used in this recipe card are chosen to represent the theme of
Christmas and the festive occasion. Gold is used in the bauble and floral
motifs to signify a more mature theme as well as a deep purple, which is
used sparingly in the title and some of the captions on the reverse side.
The background of the card is white with several patches of light grey,
which creates the illusion of snow falling behind the text, further tying into
the recipe’s intended season and theme.
Layout:
The layout of this particular recipe card is simple and very effective at conveying its
information. Although it is not trying to be majorly unconventional there are several
ways that it breaks the geometric styling present in other Veg Soc cards. On the
bottom of the cover the banner has been cut out with a smooth curve, which adds
some flair to an otherwise basic shape and helps to build upon to stylized theme that
is present throughout the card. On the reverse side, bauble motifs are used in place of
simple boxes to relay information such as prep time and number of servings. Below,
the method has been laid out similarly to existing recipe cards, being in a simple
numerical format in clear next. On the left the ingredients are listed and their
measurements listed clearly .
