Menu Design
Client : Individual
Overview : The client was an individual home chef who was catering home cooked meals to individuals locally. Being the primary person to cook and not having a team to help, we were able to understand her needs and vision.
Understanding :
The client was an elderly person who did not want to grow too big. Her requirement was - only to cater food and earn some money through it. Client didn't want to grow too big as currently she was the only person in charge of cooking. She wanted to give her best to her cooking. Her budgets were also not so high currently as it was in a very prelimnary stage. She didn't want to go on to social media and wanted to consider only phone or whatsapp for taking orders.
The problem / hurdles :
As we talked, we got to know that - she was not able to express her food specialities and pricing properly. Customers were also reluctant to try out her food. While word of mouth marketing was happening - people were not able to communicate properly as there was no set standard marketing material - who to contact, what to order, when to order, etc. were some of the noticeable points addressed.
The Solution :
We decided to start with a Menu Design for our client. We gathered a list of items and the way these could be clubbed (combos, specialities, etc). The pricing for each of these items was also provided. We then decided to go with a simple name Logo for the client's Menu. This would be used for her whatsapp profile photo, and the menu would be used in her whatsapp status and to circulate. This also would be used to print it out later in future, if she decided to go with it. The cherry on the cake for this Menu Design was - her food Photography. We used her prepared food to present it out on her Menu. This was her feel good moment because it was her art that was appearing on the Menu! The client loved it!
Note : We did not add social media links as there was no requirement from the client. They were happy and flourishing with the contacts and requests they were getting on Whatsapp. While social media may be a good way of building credibility, presence and trust for a business - one must also keep in mind the nature of business. In this case - there was just a single woman involved with budget constraints and limited social media handling capabilities. As designers - we must always try to get into the depths of any business endeavoure one has and try to get to know their intentions and capabilities. :) As a bonus - we also added a small animated video to attract and that could be put on her stories along with these images.
Take Away : While small businesses or individuals may not have the extensive budgets for designing expertise - as a designer - we can ask questions and be open about their budgets and negotiate to create a win-win situation. With the budget provided by our client - we were able to not only give her a menu, but also a logo and tips on how to market and use the branding materials to spread a word for her. Also having her food photographed and presented on her menu - gave her another level of happiness and pride because - that's what she is catering! :)
