Booky Food Maps

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B O O K Y F O O D M A P S

While working as an in-house illustrator under the marketing department for Booky, a food and lifestyle discovery and discounts app based in the Philippines, I helped to visually create and develop — in collaboration with people from the content team and some designers in the creatives team — one of the most engaging formats for the app's social media platforms, food maps. These food maps would usually focus on specific areas with lots of restaurants and highlight the ones Booky would recommend. Many Booky users and online audience would share these maps with their family and friends and even save them for their next hang out or food trip.

Since September 2019, I've worked on at least one food map a month. Along the way, however, these maps would grow and evolve in style and design. Sometimes, changes would be made to pique the interest of our audience and other times, it was to make the map better in its visual hierarchy, readability, and design. Below, I go over the design and illustrations for these maps, while also providing critique.

0 1

The food map style that we started out with was pretty straightforward in the sense that it was a map and it had food on it. We kept roads as geographically accurate as possible. For the food illustrations, we tried to make use of a limited color palette, while still keeping close to the actual colors of the dishes.

There were some problems with these maps: the inconsistency in perspective of the food illustrations and readbility issues in spaces that were too cramped (due to food illustration placement being dependent on the location of the restaurant on the map). However, the strength of these maps lies in their strong background colors which helped make the maps stand out and also helped to make the illustrations pop.

Here are a few of my favorite food illustrations that I made for the Tomas Morato food map.

Binondo Food Map: Content by Niki Paz, illustrations and layout by me and Mary You

Maginhawa Food Map: Content by Niki Paz; illustrations and layout by me and Mary You

Tomas Morato Food Map: Content by Kyle Alejandro; illustrations and layout by me

0 2

To solve the design problems of the first map style, I placed the food illustrations outside and around the map instead. I also organized it in a way so that none of the lines that connect these illustrations to the restaurant location dot would overlap. This map design is a lot cleaner and more organized, making it a lot more readable and clearer in visual hierarchy.

The illustrations for this version of the food maps also have a new approach. All the dishes were drawn as if viewed from a more or less 45-degree angle. They also have a softer, organic, and hand-drawn look. The colors of the food are realistic and aren't limited to a certain color palette, which I believe helps to make the food illustrations look more appetizing.

Here are a few of my favorite food illustrations that I made for the Greenhills and Kapitolyo food maps.

I usually like to put things onto paper first before transferring it onto the computer for digital illustrating. Here are some of my sketches while working on the Greenhills and Kapitolyo food maps.

Greenhills Food Map: Content by Coco Oei, illustrations and layout by me

Kapitolyo (East Capitol) Food Map: Content by Coco Oei; illustrations and layout by me

Kapitolyo (West Capitol) Food Map:Content by Coco Oei; illustrations and layout by me

0 3

With the latest food maps, I wanted to take some of my favorite characteristics from the first and second sets of food maps and combine them into a third style. These food maps have a strong background color and a very limited color palette. Food illustrations were drawn as if viewed from a consistent angle and textures were used on the map to bring in an organic look. The restaurants to be highlighted were also strategically split into two so that they could be placed on the maps in a way that would avoid elements being too cramped.

Something new that we've placed in these maps that we didn't incorporate in the previous food maps are the illustrations of restaurant interior or exterior, which help to give a peek of a restaurant's unique ambiance.

This food map style is definitely a lot more bold and eye-catching than its predecessors. It feels like a strong statement, which would work best with special themed maps (such as this one, which was created for valentine's day).