Recpie card evaluation of others

Recipe cards

Layout: The layout of this card is very simple, there isn’t much going on. The right hand side has got 2 columns running down it that are both about the same length. The furthest side is the ingredients and the right column is the actual method on how to make the food. This is made clear by the headings about each column, although they do not stand out. The colours of the text of the right side are boring and dull, but they all match up (gold and purple), the gold being the main colour and the purple being used more sparingly. Above this text there are some shapes that represent baubles to keep the Christmas theme running throughout the card, they also hold text with information which is neatly and discreetly placed. The other thing that has been placed inside one of the baubles is a small picture of the food again. The edges of the picture are running over the bauble and the placing of the picture is not even, or centered. I think this looks messy, un-neat and unprofessional. The left side of the recipe card’s layout is also very simple, but it isn’t in keeping with the christmas theme, are the colour pallet hasn’t been followed, the colours used on this front cover are white, gold and green. I think this lack of colour matching makes the recipe card look unprofessional, and also like the picture on the front isn't the recipe that is stated. The heading is in the top left corner which catches the eye, but the white colour of the font and the placing of the text in front of a white bowl means that the text blends in a little bit, so it is not 100% clear and easy to read.

Colour scheme: The colour scheme in this recipe card is very simple and not very complex, which is actually good, so that the reader can see it clearly and it doesn’t require unnecessary effort to read. The text is a grey which contrasts gently with the background. The gold text is used for the headings and the bullet points, which stand out next to the grey, so it is easier to differentiate between which is which part of the recipe card. The colour pallet is fairly pleasant on the right side of the recipe card, with the purple and greys you get a mild christmas feel to it. The colour pallet does not follow through on to the front cover of the recipe card, I think that this is one of the most important parts of the recipe cards, the front cover gives the first impressions and the initial decision if the viewer is going to take the card, and because the colours don’t match then the customer has no feeling that this is a christmas themed recipe.

Use of font: The fonts used on this card are very simple and clear to read, they are not italic or bold, just a standard font. The fonts used, one is san-serif which is the most used, for the method and recipes and the serif font is used this is to give the recipe a more contemporary look, that is more modern rather than traditional which is not the look and feel the society are going for. The headings however are a serif, bold font, the reason for this is because it is the heading and it needs to be a bit more fancy to stand out from the boring, regular text. Although the text is serif it isn’t a posh, traditional font, it is more modern, to still fit in with the theme of the society.

Writing style: The way the recipe card has been written is in a fairly informal style, so that the person who is cooking doesn’t feel intimidated, like the use of complex, proper cooking terminology isn’t used, and just simpler words have. Also adjectives explaining how the food should look assuming the reader is not experienced at cooking. The text I also very informative and doesn’t leave any little details or steps out.

Quality/Technical details of photography: The image on this recipe card features the meal that is advertised in the title. The perspective of this photo is captured from just above and on an angle to make the photo look more dynamic and eye-catching. The depth of field is shallow, making sure that only the food is in focus, so that the background is out of focus and contrasts against the main focal point to make it even more eye catching. The colour of it has been edited, to make the colours more saturated and fuller, so that the food looks tastier and more wholesome. The green garnish that has been added on the top has been placed there to break up the colours of yellow and orange which are very similar, they are also associated with unhealthy foods, so the green is to make the colour of food look more appealing. The detail and focus also adds to the look of the food, making it look crispy, so the concept is to get the viewer to make good assumptions about the food, before they even try it.

The over-all appeal: Over all as a whole this recipe would appeal to adults, of any gender, but not for children (16 and under). The instructions and guide on what to buy for the recipe and what to do is good and helpful, they are easy and simple, anyone with any kind of experience could follow the recipe. The colour scheme needs to be constant and not changing to keep a more professional, sleek look. Also the theme needs to be more prominent, as the recipe could be a christmas one, its not obvious and could be a little confusing. The picture is of a good quality that shows a good amount of detail. The colours make the food look appealing and tasty, which will attract people to want to make it. The font and typography is fairly basic and could be improved, but it is clear to read and simple.

Layout: The layout of this card is very simple and clean. It is divided into 4 sections, one is the picture of the food, one is the ingredients, the other is the method and the last is the information about the food (servings, time to cook, calories and amount of fat). There is a simple colour scheme that is running throughout the card, which is orange, grey and white. This is also very simple and relates back to the company’s logo, because quorn’s logo is orange and white. The headings are orange and the other text is grey, the orange stands out compared to the grey, catching the viewers eye and also so they know where it is clear to look. There is no other shapes or illustrations on this recipe card like the last one, which had did have shapes that made it more interesting, but this recipe card doesn’t have anything else on it apart from text, charts and a picture, which makes the card look very dull, there is nothing to attract someone to pick this recipe over another one, nothing is eye catching or dynamic. The only thing that is different about this recipe card compared to others is the information about what’s inside the product, fat wise and calorie wise. This is good for people watching their weight, wanting to be healthier, or people who just want to know what is going into their body. Although I feel it could maybe be a bit more detailed and have more information about what kinds of protein and vegetables are in it, concentrating on positives of the food as well as the negatives, so its not one sided.

Colour scheme: the colour scheme in this recipe card is also very simple. The theme is obviously just in keeping with the Quorn logo of orange and white, which they have kept up in this recipe card and kept it consistent and running throughout all their cards. The colours are very minimal and spare, as the background is just a plain white. The headings on the card are orange and the rest of the text is mild grey colour, the bright orange stands out against the dull, unsaturated grey. The charts underneath the picture of the food also is in keeping with the colour theme of orange and grey, two of the charts are orange and two are grey to keep balance with the colours.

Quality/Technical aspects of photography: The photo that is in this recipe card is of the meal that the recipe is advertised. The perspective of the photo has been taken from above, like you are looking down on the food, so you can get a good look at all of the food, so you can see the majority of the food, and what it should look like in real life. The depth of field on this is quite shallow, so only the main bit of food is in focus, so this is the focal point, where the readers eye is drawn to straight away. The environment around the food, which it is set in gives the food a homely warm feel, like it has been prepared in an average home kitchen, making it more attractive to viewers so they are more likely to have a go at making it. The lighting in this photo is artificial, it has been lit up with studio lights, but these are not too intense, they just light the food up perfectly, so all of the food is visible without it being over exposed and looking too white. The lighting also has a warm tint, to give it a comforting feel, also so it looks tastier and more appealing. The colours that have been used in this photo are saturated and deep, to make the food look more wholesome and healthy, the range of colours that is also used makes the dish look more interesting, like the red and green peppers breaking up to brown colour for more variety.

Writing style: the style that the recipe has been written in is very sparse and vague. There is limited instructions in the way of detail, only simple language and vocabulary has been used. This language is clear and easy to follow but may not cover all aspects of making the meal, like it doesn’t describe the consistency or how the meal should look at different stages. The language is simple, so this means that there is no complicated terminology to battle with, just simple words, which will seem more attractive to amateur cooks, the simple language also makes the dish seem easier to cook.

Use of font: The font that has been used is a very simple plain font, which is quite dull and not very interesting. The font features in the companies logo, so this is matching and is also easy to tell that the recipe is related to the company ‘Quorn’. The font throughout the recipe card does match, all of the fonts match each other, which gives off a professional look, which is also neat and tidy, and makes you trust the card more to be legit and truthful. The font is san-serif, which gives off a more modern feel to the recipe card, like the meals are up-to-date and healthier.

The over-all appeal: In conclusion I feel that this recipe card would appeal to all genders, because of the colours and the font are very minimalist, there is no gender bias, or specific patterns or colours to suggest that this is a man’s or a woman's product. I feel it would attract busy parents or busy adults who want to cook healthy meals fast, and because of the simple language any experienced cook can make it whether it be no experience or a professional chef. I think that this recipe isn’t suitable for children under 16, as it has no safety warnings and allergy warnings on it.

Making the page look messy. Looks as if paper is stuck on, and dirt already on the page. This could make it seem more fun and child friendly, not serious.

Text is in a clear easy to read font with rounded edges in order to make it easier for children to read. Blue is also a contrasting colour to the yellow of the page, making the text stand out much more.

Quite a small depth of field used to take photos of the food. This draws your attention to the bowl of food, which is meant to be the most important part.

Use of the logo of the front cover as with all of their recipe cards. Though it is inside a big white splash and at a slight angle, making it more fun but readable.

Image of a child on the front, making it more relatable for children.

It is made very clear that the intended audience for this recipe card is parents and children. The colours, pictures, language and page design would all appeal to children. Though it states on the front that they are “recipes for children and adults to prepare and enjoy together”.

They have used a list format for the instructions, and have used wide spacing between each line to make it easier for children to read.

On this recipe card they have used a lot of the colour green. Usually this colour is associated with the earth, plants and vegetables. This colour could have been used for the recipe cards to signify how the company is promoting eating healthy and vegetarian, and being environmentally friendly.

Lots of bright and contrasting colours on this page making the food look more exciting to children.

Small pictures that look like child’s drawings, making it seem more child friendly.

Use of the word ‘Kids’ rather than children’s making it seem more informal and friendly.

Things people will want to see most such as calories and fat content are in orange. The orange used is the same as in the logo. So using it for the recipe cards will remind the reader of the brand.

Main colour scheme is white and orange with some grey. This is because the logo is orange and white.

Ingredients and method laid out in a list format making instructions clear and readable.

Includes serving size and cooking time on the front so that people are mindful of adjustments they may need to make before they proceed.

Again, the camera has been set to quite a small depth of field to take photographs of the food. This seems to be quite conventional of food photography.

Title and subtitles in orange, making you remember the brand and highlighting the most important things.

The intended audience for this recipe card would perhaps be adults, as the layout and colour scheme and font is basic. The recipe card only gives information in the clearest simplest way, and only includes one image. This recipe card doesn’t resemble the children’s recipe card at all.

As this is a Christmas recipe, they have made use of festive gold colours. This could be to get people thinking more about Christmas and feeling festive.

They have used Christmas decoration shapes to contain certain information about the recipe, separating it from the rest of the page showing its importance.

They have also used these Christmas decoration shapes to highlight the numbers in the list.

As with all the other recipes, this one has used a list format to make it clear and readable.Again the

photograph has been taken using a small depth of field, making the background blurry and the objects close up clear. This will have been used to draw attention to the food that they want the audience to be looking at.

Making it clear that it is a Christmas by using phrases like “deliciously festive”. Around Christmas time people will be looking up idea for what to do for Christmas dinner, so by using this language it will drill the idea to use this recipe into peoples heads.

As with all the vegetarian societies recipe cards, they have included their logo on the front to remind people of the brand and to conceder using more of their recipes, getting more involved or donating to them.

They have sectioned off parts of the recipe by starting a line with gold writing. The gold seems to as if it is being used to section off parts of the recipe card.

As well as using Christmas decoration shapes, they have incorporated gold festive patterns, with swirls, bells and gold and white sparkles. The pattern at the bottom of the cover between the image and the text has been used to separate the image and title from the main text.

I think this recipe card was mainly aimed at adults as they are the ones usually thinking about what to cook for Christmas dinner. Though there are patterns and shapes on the card, they seem to be more sophisticated rather than child like, showing that they were not trying to appeal to children.

From looking at the font of the title and some of the text I can see that they have tried to make this recipe card look more formal. The flicks at the end of each letter and the fact its in italics gives a more formal impression.

Text sectioned off within labels are in purple and white.

Recipe card includes a large picture of the food to tempt people into making the food, and show them what it should look like.

The main colour used on the card so beige. This could be to reflect the colour of the food as it is mostly beige other than the apple skins.

The card features their website in the bottom corner to remind people to visit it.

They have made the layout neater by sectioning off different parts of the text. As well as the different font separating the ingredients from the method there are lines above the texts sectioning them off.

A label within the picture that says “Chef George Duban” may make the audience have more faith in the recipe. The title “Chef” would suggest that they know about food, so if they created the recipe then that would suggest that it is good.

As with most recipes, the instructions are laid out in a list format to make instructions clear.

Title and the Youtube logo loom hand drawn. This gives the recipe book a much more friendly feel. It seems very personal, as if they have drawn it out just for you.

The cartoon of the dragon coming out of the noodles illustrates the title perfectly, as it is called “dragon noodle soup”. This will have been used to appeal to the creative side of people, and to add a little humor. The type of dragon featured in the cartoon is the type that is normally associated with Asia, and as this is an Asian dish the image is very fitting.

The image at the bottom shows someone eating the noodles. Though you cannot see who is picking up the food, you can see the chopsticks are raised about to dig into the food. This seems more informal than an image of still food, as it is suggesting just to get stuck in and eat rather than concentrating on presentation.

Text is in a plain font making it clear and not too fancy. The general theme of this recipe is informal and a bit rough and ready, so fancy text isn’t needed.

This recipe is set out a little less like a list. Though they do list the ingredients they don’t separate the method into sets. This makes it slightly more effort to read than if the method was set out like a list.

The writer has used chatty informal language in the first few lines. For example “slurp” and “sesame-y” are informal words, that maybe would typically used when talking to friends.