julie’s noodles

the best soup dumplings in austin, now with a new menu.

Tools

Figma, Adobe Illustrator

Context

School assignment- Solo Project - 2023

PROBLEM

Julie’s has an outdated menu

  • Hard to read

  • Poor contrast

  • Visually unappealing

  • Poor heirarchy

GOALS

take what works and leave the rest

  • Reorganize menu

  • Keep traditional Chinese elements

  • Use logo & restaurant for inspiration

SOLUTION

re-designed menu

  • Separate Mandarin and English menu (front/ back)

  • Traditional Chinese elements

  • New modern graphics

  • Clear hierarchy

the process

restaurant interior & original menu

INSPIRATION

  • Maroon and cream color scheme

  • Traditional Chinese elements

    • “Carving” 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 & 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 & 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 & Hierarchy

  • Cleaner and more readable

  • More effective in quickly locating items

Reflections

  • Try out a textured background with Chinese cloud graphics

  • Improve spacing

  • More red incorporation

  • Test different font combinations

Future Steps