There are 2 types of people in the world: One, who live to eat; And second, who eat to live. As per scientists, the average American adult eats about 525 pounds (238 kilograms) of food each year of his or her life! If a person lives to be 70 years old, he or she will eat about 35 turkeys, 12 sheep, 880 chickens, and 770 pounds (349 kilograms) of fish. Yes, that’s how much we eat. And we want variety in eating too. So, the noodles we eat today have to be different tomorrow, and what will make them different? The Recipe needs to be creative. Hence, the recipe book designs also have to be creative. Before that, In case you are a restaurant owner, check out this article for some excellent cookbook designs.
Let’s delve into making some creative recipe book designs.
Classic Recipe Book Designs
The age-old designs that we have been used to seeing and the ones we see very frequently is the classic recipe book design. This is probably the design that you created when you were writing down your grandma’s recipe in a book. There are no special characters or extra designs added. Just a picture of the food, the ingredients, and how to make it.
The above example is so very indigenous and hits home with its pencil drawings and handwriting. Also, the tinge of yellow used in the recipe makes it very delightful and one wants to try out the recipe shown in the book.
We at Design Shifu can add more elements to your classic recipe book design through creative fonts, better pictures of the food, and also formatting the text in a more presentable way. So, reach out to us to take care of your design needs.
Minimalist Recipe Book Designs
This one fits into the modern look, which beliefs in minimalistic design. Use of more whites, greys, and blacks with more emphasis on the presentation of the food picture and the text, rather than the usage of too many colors.
Very creative fonts and typefaces are avoided and a lot of focus is given to avoid embellishments and decorative designs.
In the above example, the presentation is quite structured and has used very less space on the entire page. The colors used are also basic, with hardly any decorative fonts used. A very modern design for the ones who look for aesthetic-looking designs.
Pro-Tip: To maintain the minimalistic tone, ensure that the copy used is also compatible with the overall theme of the design.
Illustrative Recipe Book Designs
This one is for lovers of illustrations and cartoon strips.
The Blueberry Pancake recipe as mentioned above is presented in a fun and diagrammatic way. The colors and the illustrations used are striking and compel the readers to read through the recipe. Each step of the recipe is shown using text and also the progress of the dish till that step. This type of book design are very convincing and adds a little bit of flavor to the otherwise boring and usual designs. Also, you will find a lot of these behind processed food packs, where step by step flowchart is given to make the final dish intended.
Another example of illustrative recipe book design is this. Here, using the assistance of a cartoon character Dopey Dwarf and his favorite food item, the recipe is presented. This helps in the relatability factor with the ever-loved cartoon characters.
Pro-Tip: The similar kind of recipe book can be designed using characters from favorite sitcoms, movies, etc. These will be an instant hit with the younger generation of readers and chefs.
If you are looking for some custom illustrations for your recipe designs, check this out.
Photos Recipe Book Design
A visual delight is what makes the book also extremely absorbing to the reader. Only plain text with just the final product image will probably bore the ones not really into reading books, even if it’s a recipe book.
This salad-making recipe book is filled with a lot of pictures and delectable-looking salads which makes the readers get easily attracted to the book and would want to make one for themselves. Such kind of recipe books is also designed when there is a variety of things made from one type of food. For eg: Cake. The base ingredient changes, whereas the procedure to bake the cake remains the same. So, the writer can use different types of pictures to showcase the assortment of cakes one can make using the same recipe.
Another example of a photo recipe book design is this. In this type of design, the writer has not used text at all, except to only write the name of the dish. The entire recipe is shown through pictures which is quite refreshing. The only drawback here is that a picture-only recipe book will be very difficult to create when one has to show how to make elaborate dishes.
Pro-Tip: Ensure that the photos are aesthetically shot because, at the end of the day, those pics are the hero of the book.
Along with recipe book designs, if you are also looking for making your restaurant logo, take inspiration from here.
Storybook Recipe Book Design
Stories are loved by all. And when these stories are combined with food, the result is unbeatable. Each family has their special recipes that are passed down through the generations. And when one notes down the recipe of a particular dish with a backstory attached to it, the recipe becomes much more delectable.
In this particular example, the lady has attached a few pictures of her family with the recipe for fruit tart. However, this kind of recipe book design is more like a personal collection rather than a commercial one, because unless the names mentioned in the stories are of well-known personalities, the masses wouldn’t be interested in the lives of other people.
We can also call this kind of design an heirloom design since it runs completely n the family. Another example is this.
Pro-Tip: A wooden hardcover would be very apt for a recipe book like this because it passes through many hands. Also, one has to ensure that the stories are well-connected with the recipe mentioned.
If you have an idea in mind for your family recipe book design and want to see it executed, why not reach out to Design Shifu to make it live? We also have great pricing options for you.
Menu Design Recipe Book
This kind of design is for those dishes that are restaurant styled. It gives an exact measurement of all the ingredients with exact bifurcation between preparation time and cooking time.
Such kind of a recipe book design also has some footnotes attached for the reader to not overwhelm the reader with too many measurement details mentioned above.
Pro-Tip: The only care that much is taken for such a design is that it should be created in such a way that both beginners, as well as advanced-level chefs, can make the dish without any discomfort.
Food Guide Recipe Book
This kind of recipe book is usually recommended by doctors or nutritionists. They provide a complete range of food items as well as a method of preparation for the reader.
This kind of book also gives a lot of footnotes for the reader to follow as well as alternatives. These books are usually customized, however, mass production can also be done.
Another type of food guide recipe book is this. In this example, the various types of drinks and starters to go with the drinks are mentioned.
Pro-Tip: Avoid giving too many alternatives to the readers and center the alternatives around the main food item that is mentioned in the book.
Though we have not specifically mentioned any bakery-related books, you can create your recipe books around the bakery using the various recipe book designs mentioned above. Also, if you are looking for a logo for your bakery design, then we have a superb article that you can take inspiration from. You surely won’t be disappointed.
Conclusion
A good recipe book requires a clear thought process. It should reflect your brand voice and how you as a CHEF would like the world to see and create your dishes, the way you have created them. Hopefully, the above design ideas gave you a head start on how you would like to design your recipe books. The ideas given above are exhaustive and would ensure that you create an excellent recipe book that looks better than the yummy food you cook. If you are still struggling, take the help of a professional. Get a dedicated designer and unlimited graphic designs for just $399 per month from Design Shifu.
