Julie’s Noodles

Redesigning the menu for the best soup dumplings in Austin, Texas

Tools

Figma, Adobe Illutator

Context

School assignment - Solo project - 2023

Skip to Final User Screens 
PROBLEM

Julie’s has an outdated menu

  • Hard to read

  • Poor contrast

  • Visually unappealing

  • Poor hierarchy

GOALS

Take what works & leave the rest

  • Reorganize menu

  • Keep traditional Chinese elements

  • Use logo and restaurant for inspiration

SOLUTION

Re-designed Menu

  • Separate Mandarin and English menu (front/back)

  • Traditional Chinese elements

  • New modern graphics

  • Clear hierarchy

The Process

INSPIRATION

Restaurant Interior & Original Menu

  • Maroon and cream color scheme

  • Traditional Chinese elements

    • Wood-carved texture

    • Iconography (i.e., lanterns, dragons, clouds, etc.)

    • Emphasis on horizontal composure

  • Basis for color scheme

  • Animation style for new graphics

Existing logo

IDEATION

Mood board

  • Aerial view or graphics of foods- creates appealing visuals and portion expectations

  • Modernization in the direction of the existing logo

DESIGN CONCEPTS

What didn’t work & why

Simple or minimalistic designs. Julie’s menu offers a large number of food options.

Vertical layout. Vertical layout does not align with traditional Chinese design.

Use of pictures for each menu item. With so many menu options, including pictures for each item, the design would become crowded and busy.

What did work

Modernizing without sacrificing brand identity

  • Lantern and noodle iconography in the style of the existing logo

  • Border elements with a traditional Chinese “wood-carved” feel

  • Lighter background for a fresher, brighter menu while maintaining the same color scheme

Layout and Hierarchy

  • Cleaner and more readable

  • More effective in quickly locating items

Final Design

Reflection

Future Steps

The timeframe for this project was about 1 week. With more time, I’d love to do the following:

  • Try out a textured background with Chinese cloud graphics

  • Improve spacing

  • More red incorporation

  • Test different font combinations

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Got Feedback? Let me know!

I welcome all critique and criticism about my designs. There’s always room for growth. Use my anonymous submission box for any feedback you may have.