This project aims to create a visually appealing and functional cookbook along with an accompanying business card design. The cookbook will serve as a comprehensive guide for culinary enthusiasts, featuring a diverse range of recipes from various cuisines, while the business card design will effectively represent the chef or the business behind the cookbook

Otten, Olivia W

English

DigitalCommons@CalPoly

1 2 ContentsAbout meAbstractProblem StatementObjectivesTimelineProcessResultsReflection3468101114183 about meHello! My name is Olivia Otten and I am from Dallas, Texas. I am currently a senior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo studying Graphic Communication with a concentration in Design Reproduction Technology.I am an ambitious and diligent designer currently located in San Luis Obispo, California. My education at Cal Poly SLO immersed me in Adobe Creative Cloud, heavily in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop. I have worked both collaboratively and on my own in a professional setting and have had the opportunity to add posters, brochures, social media posts, logos, business cards, photography, and more to my portfolio.44 Abstract4This project aims to create a visually appealing and functional cookbook along with an accompanying business card design. The cookbook will serve as a comprehensive guide for culinary enthusiasts, featuring a diverse range of recipes from various cuisines, while the business card design will effectively represent the chef or the business behind the cookbook.5 5Overall, the end result will be an aesthetically pleasing and enticing design that helps to expand Serafina’s Bites and increase the amount of clients.  6 Problem statementSerafina typically cooks three-course meals, cakes, or pastries for a variety of different events. She constantly has clients coming to her and asking how she made certain dishes or for a business card. Serafina’s Bites currently does not have recipes located in one, organized area as they are scattered in different journals, loose papers, and binders. Additionally, she uses handmade business cards that lack brand identity and she is In need of a stronger social media presence. A cookbook is an opportunity for Serafina to keep her own recipes more organized and to share her recipes with clients. Additionally, replacing her handmade business cards with more professional cards and designing promotional social media posts will allow for her to reach a wider audience and expand her business.67 78 ObjectivesThe success monitors for each of my deliverables are as follows: To measure the success of the cookbook, I will have a finished, printed, and bound book without printing or type errors and a finalized color palette and fonts. Additionally, I will have a finished mockup and a PDF available of the completed book. I will have 2-3 photographs of each recipe (final product, ingredients, setup, etc.) that are edited and ready to be used for a cookbook or social media. Business cards printed without errors that include the business name, email, and Instagram while maintaining brand identity. If time permits, I want to produce 15-25 copies of the book and ~50 business cards printed through a digital print service online or the University Graphic System. I will have the book bound in a certain way depending on the number of pages (ie. Less pages = saddle stitch).  The end result of this project is a cookbook with appetizers, entrees, and desserts made from Serafina’s Bites and photography of the food as well as business cards.89 910 TimelineBrainstorming and planning for the project began in April 2023. I started background research to get inspiration and then created a mood board before starting to create some design ideas by mid-April. The design, photography, and printing continued through the end of May up until the Senior Showcase at the end of the month.1011 mood board11I began the design process by getting together with Serafina in order to understand the look and feel that she wanted to convey with the cookbook and business cards.12 Type and logoThen, I began figuring out a type and logo to convey that tells the brands story.  1213 To keep the feel of the old business cards, I applied the hand lettering to the business cards and cookbook cover.1314 ResultsThis project was a way for me to apply what I have learned in studying Design Reproduction Technology to the “real world”. The final goal of this project is for Serafina’s Bites to expand its business and have a stronger grasp on the look and feel of the brand.1415 1516 1617 1718 ReflectionWhat went well: I was definitely very nervous coming into this project. I was worried that my deliverables were too ambitious or that the food I cooked would not turn out how I wanted it to. However, I did surprisingly well with time management. I started the work early and carved out plenty of time in my schedule to have time to work on it. This project helped me learn a lot about my time management style.Tips or techniques that helped me:Gantt Chart Although it was a bit tedious to fill out, I definitely think this chart helped me to see everything that I had to do laid out in front of me. It also held me more accountable especially since I had to update how it actually went at the end of the quarter.Research Looking into other cookbooks and styles on Pinterest helped me get a clearer focus on what I wanted to do. I went on Pinterest with my mom and created a mood board which helped me get a better sense of her vision for the brand. Additionally, I took a trip to Barnes and Noble to look at some of the most popular books at the moment to get an idea of what should be included on each page.Identifying objectives early on Having a set time early on in the process to define my objectives helped me a lot. I had an idea of what I wanted to do but did not know the exact deliverables that I wanted. Talking to my professor about her thoughts on my deliverables also helped me narrow things down.1819 Problems I faced: Print not turning out well I think the printing of the final cookbook turned out well for the price. I was able to print one book for $20 whereas if I had ordered it online it would have been $50. The photos came out a bit grainy on the paper and also way too saturated. Finding time to cook It was hard to find the time to cook between class and work. Since the sunset at around 5 or 6 at the beginning of the quarter, I had to find the time to cook in the afternoon so that I would have time to take photos using natural light before the sunset.Not getting enough feedback I would have loved to have gotten more feedback from professors or others with a design eye. I feel like if I had done this I would have avoided one of my professors giving me a critique on one very minor detail on the day of the Senior Showcase after I had already finished everything which was not the best feeling.What I would do differently:I would have tested out my prints before paying someone to do it. Ideally, I would have liked to print it myself on the KM, however, it was a bit too complicated to do that.Email professors or peers early on to set up meetings for critiques.This is not necessary, but if I did not have enough time for photos or did not want to stress out as much I could buy some kind of studio light so I get the same color and lighting in all my photos.1920 21 

BITE Cookbook and Business Cards

https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/context/grcsp/article/1258/viewcontent/Olivia_Otten_BITE.pdf

BITE Cookbook and Business Cards

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@CalPoly