Recipe Cards Task 3

Aby and Shania

Content: The way that the content has been laid out is very similar to other recipe cards, it’s a simple format that is easy to read and follow, it’s very neat. I like the way that they have listed the ingredients, it makes the whole card look a lot more professional. I think I will definitely adopt this sort of easy, simple style in to my own recipe card designs.

Writing Styles: just like every other kind of recipe card, this one is formal and intends to instruct the reader, I think this recipe card is aimed at adults wanting to try something new, it does seem like it could be for the more experienced cook as it’s written in quite a complex way, the only writing that hasn’t been put in to quite chunky paragraphs is the list of ingredients. I don’t think this is the type of style that I will be incorporating in to my own designs as I think I’ll be aiming more at people who are less experienced and therefore need more simple, easy recipe cards.

Font: the font that has been used on this recipe card is much like the fonts on other recipe cards, this doesn’t mean its bad, but it does mean that the creators of the card knew to use a common font - such as: Ariel or Calibri - with the intention of the writing being easier to read - I think I’ll definitely involve this kind of font in my design for the same reasons, although I may change some aspects, such as the title e.g. use a serif font etc.

Quality of Photography: I really like the way the photographer has taken this photograph and at first glance, I know it’s the type of photography I would like to incorporate in to my own design: I think it’s a very effective photograph, showing the viewer what the dessert will look like once finished, I think it’s smart how they have used aperture to create this ‘all but one item blurred’ effect – it brings out the detail in the food and allows the viewer to aim for this desired look.

Layout: This is a very simple and very common layout, although it does give the viewer all the information they require, it shows the end result on one side and has a separate box for the instructions and ingredients and a lot of negative space around the boxes to make the recipe look more professional – it also looks like it’s been cut out and stuck somewhere with the shadow at the sides and bottom of the pages, it’s almost an illusion i.e. on a wall, as if it looks like it’s been taken out of a recipe book – I only assume this is the desired effect. I like the way it’s laid out and I’ll probably adopt the same style although I don’t want to use as much negative space.

Overall Appeal: I really like how inviting this recipe card is, from first glance it looks clean and is quite aesthetically pleasing, I really like how simple it is as I have already previously mentioned, I also enjoy the colour scheme with the use of bright colours – excluding the titles - i.e. Ingredients, which are the same sort of chocolate brown as the actual food itself. Honestly I think I’m going to adopt some of the ideas used in this recipe cards to put in to my own.

Content: The way that this card has been laid out is quite unique compared to other Recipe Cards, it’s all on one page and there is the lack of a photograph, despite this, there is still images that contribute towards the recipe – for example the cartoon peach. I like how simple and child friendly the whole format is and I’d definitely consider using the idea in my own designs, although I’d add an image of the food.

Writing Styles: again, the recipe card is formal and it’s main objective is to instruct the reader using a, ‘how to’ basis. This recipe card in particular seems more aimed at a younger audience, I think this because of the use of bright colours, the images that are involved, i.e. the spoon, the peach and the flowers at the bottom of the card, it’s also very easy to follow and almost in steps – the ingredients have actually been split in to columns, whether that was for easier reading or to fit it on the card, the method is in sentences and is easier to follow than a paragraph. I don’t like the way that this has been designed in comparison to the first card and thus don’t think I’ll be using this recipe cards writing style in my own design.

Font: The type of font used on this card is larger and very easy to read – it’s very similar to the font used on various other recipe cards – this is so it’s easier for the viewer to read and follow, this is even more important as I definitely think that this recipe card was aimed at younger cooks. The only difference in font is the title (VEGAN MINI PEACH COBBLER), the company (LASSENS NATURAL FOOD MARKET) and the slogan (Real Food, Real Recipes). I do like the range of fonts used and I am considering using it in my own designs.Quality of Photography: There isn’t any use of photography in this recipe card, although there is still images – the image of the peach which looks like it’s been drawn and turned in to a cartoon, the spoon which looks like it’s resting on some sort of surface, the texture like pattern used as a border around the whole thing and then the flowers that mimic the same texture as the background – I really enjoy this idea they’ve used to create a very natural vibe and I would definitely put it in to my own designs - it’s unique and interesting, it draws the viewer in.

Layout: this is still quite a simple layout, although it still gives the viewer all the information they need to make the meal, however, it’s done in a very unique way – the ingredients have been split in to columns to make it easier for the viewer to read and the actual method has been put in to almost a paragraph type setting – even though it’s actually a list, this does make it quite a bit harder to read, viewers may lose track of where they’ve read up to or have to put markers down, because of this, I won’t be using it in my own design.

Overall Appeal: I really do like how this recipe card looks, it’s my favourite so far, I like the way the textured border makes the whole thing almost look three dimensional, I like the illustrations too, the use of the cartoon peach and the spoon, the flowers, it’s using a very natural colour scheme by using greens, browns and the orange and red for the peach, this will entice the viewer as it’s the sort of colours they would associate with their meals. I would definitely adopt a few ideas for my own designs.

Content: The way that the content has been laid out has managed to leave quite a bit of negative space, both the ingredients and the method have been put in to either bullet or numbered points – it looks complex from first glance but after further inspection it’s actually quite simple – I like the way that they have set this out, I will definitely think about including it in my own designs.

Writing Styles: This recipe card is very formal and has the intention of instructing the viewer, I think this card is definitely aimed at a more elderly audience with cooking experience due to the way that it’s been set out, the way that some things - i.e. the ingredients - have been bullet pointed almost makes it seem like it’s applying to a younger audience, however, the explanations of the methods go in to quite a bit of depth instead of just sticking to simple sentences that are easy to follow and understand. And the way that everything has been set out is quite complex.

Font: the type of font that has been used in this card seems a lot smaller and harder to read than the previous recipe cards - proving my point further about it being aimed at an elderly audience – the title (Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake), the sub-heading (method) and the writing inside the companies emblem are all different in comparison to the main text as they are serif not san serif, they are bold and slightly larger than the main text– I like how they have used a variation of text and I would definitely include it in to my own designs.

Quality of Photography: There is only one image on this recipe card, it’s a high definition picture of the food product that the recipe card intends to make – I like the way that they have both taken the photograph and framed it – the photograph shows every bit of detail in the cake and the photographer has effectively used aperture to blur everything except that one cake, although still showing the other ones.

Layout: the layout for this recipe card looks complex and hard to follow at first glance but after further inspection it’s actually quite simple, the ingredients cut in to the method although somehow it makes the whole thing seem neater and in the end a lot of negative space is created around the writing, making it easier to read and not jumbling it up with the other text which could confuse the viewer, I dislike how the creator of this card has made the emblem for their company larger than the picture of the actual product – it would grab the attention of the viewer at first glance and they may become dis-interested. I like the style but I’d definitely change that one aspect.

Overall Appeal: I really enjoy this recipe card, it’s my favourite so far, I like how elegant it looks, it would intrigue me from first glance, I like the colour scheme of dull and dark greys which is quite gothic and unique with the contrast of the full colour photograph which is what draws you in, I like the range of fonts used and I like how it’s been set out – I would definitely take a lot of ideas from this design to incorporate in to my own.

Content: this recipe card in particular is very simple but straight to the point – it has a minimal amount of writing that is listed in columns for the ingredients and in a very small paragraph written in simple sentences that makes the process look quick and easy, it almost looks like quick notes rather than a recipe card, there’s also a high definition picture at the bottom and a very decorative border around the whole thing, I like how simple it is and I admire the art used around the border – I would definitely consider involving some of the styles from this recipe card in to my own designs.

Writing Styles: This recipe card seems quite informal compared to the other cards I’ve analysed, it almost feels like it’s being applied to a family setting, therefore I think it’s more aimed at elderly, experienced cooks who might be cooking for a hobby or for those younger than themselves, I think this because there is minimal amount of text and the instructions are very easy to follow. There isn’t much text at all which has left a lot of negative space to fill out the rest of the page.

Font: The font is very simple and similar to the font used in other recipe cards, it’s easy to read and understand, they probably used Ariel or something in relation to that type of font, even though I think it’s aimed at a more elderly audience, I feel like they’ve used more modern fonts as the font is san serif rather than the traditional san serif. The only time they have used san-serif fonts is in the titles i.e. ingredients, directions, Pumpkin Bread.

Quality of Photography: the image used on this recipe card is in high definition, however, the photographer hasn’t used aperture effectively, it’s focused mainly in the centre of the cake meaning that only a small part of the cake is actually detailed and in focus whereas the rest is blurred out – this doesn’t look very professional, neither does the bow that has been added around the border of the image – it blocks out some of the image and makes it a little hard to focus on the actual picture – I wouldn’t adopt this method, I do like where the actual image is placed though.

Layout: the layout for this card is very simple, there is minimal amount of writing, it’s a very simple design and there’s enough negative space to make the card to make it almost look professional but keep it’s family setting appeal. I like the way they’ve managed to do this and I’d like to incorporate that idea in to my own designs.

Overall Appeal: I really like how it has that family, homelike feel about it, it draws you in and makes you want to bake it just because of that reason, it manages to create this effect with its use of colours and the border, I really admire the art used on the inside of the border, it’s nice. It’s very aesthetically pleasing. It’s also extremely simple looking due to the minimal amount of writing – this could also pull people in because it looks easy and quick.