contents - issue 01 - spring 2016 -
6 Intro
8
14
22
Market Research
Target Audience
Purpose
28
32
36
Tone
Materials
Conclusion
introduction - Before We Begin -
6 | intro
Have you ever wondered how a cookbook materializes – from a delicious idea in a writer’s head to splattered pages in your real-life kitchen. Within this guide, you can have a peek inside the process of creating a cookbook. Using the skills that I have learnt as a designer combined with my love of food, I will put to paper the steps you will need when producing your own cookbook. We will start by looking at the market and various trends within it. We will also review target audiences, what the purpose of your book is, the tone of the book and finally, what materials you will decide on.
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1 market research
The first step in creating a cookbook is to get inspired. Doing your own research into a variety of areas really helps to start the juices flowing. Looking through your own cookbooks at home, different artists styles, biographies from chefs, foodie websites and blogs, and especially food photography are all really constructive starting points.
10 | market research
examples of cookbooks Browsing through cookbooks in a relaxed atmosphere and frame of mind can help you start thinking creatively in more ways than you might originally think. You can come up with your own recipes inspired by what you read, find out what style of writing is
used, see how the recipes are illustrated and what layouts you find easiest to read. You can also discover what materials have been used, as well as the type of binding.
artist styles Looking into artists that you may not have considered using as inspiration is just as important as researching further into artists that you are already fond of as you might find that even if you don’t like an artist or the work they produce, they might use a technique that could ultimately improve your design. Finding new artists is an excit-
ing way to keep up with current trends; one of the ways that I enjoy looking for new artists is browsing through the work on debutart.com and illustrattionweb.com. Collecting all of the images that inspire you most online by using Pinterest is a good way of compiling everything that motivates you. 11
chef’s biographies When creating your cookbook, you will need to find a good balance between recipes and writing. Whether it is the openings to chapters, or discussion that punctuates the text, the pace of the book is a key aspect. By reading chef biographies, as well as cookbooks, you will gain a deeper understanding of this counterbalance. I would recommend Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater and My Family Kitchen by Sophie Thompson, both of which have brilliant humour, memories and anecdotes.
cookery websites Blogs and cookery websites are also a great approach to seeing food trends, writing styles, layouts and design techniques. The advantage of having an online presence means you can interact globally and discover different peoples cultures and opinions. Setting up and writing your own blog is an easy way to practice writing as well as advertising yourself. Even including hash tags in your book can attract people to create an online following. A website well worth visiting for in12 | market research
spirational purposes is theydrawandcook.com. It has the Internet’s largest collection of illustrated recipes created by artists from around the world. This online space is where creative people share their love of both food and art through illustration, so it is a perfect community to get involved in and gain a perspective of what can be achieved.
food photography
Before you begin putting your cookbook together, you need to get visual and creating mood boards is a very exciting and satisfying part of the process. Finding a style that reflects the content and grasps the mood of your book is important, especially for consistency. Sometimes stopping the research process to just look at pictures and photographs is what you need to search for what expresses the feel of your book. If you plan to include food photography in your cookbook, it needs
to be executed well. The reader needs to be drooling over the images. There are lots of tips online for improving your food photography skills, including current trends of how to present the food as simple, clean and as naturally as possible. Food photographer David Loftus, in collaboration with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, has a series of master class videos on YouTube known as “FoodTube� which make learning the skills and techniques needed easily accessible. 13
2 target audience
who buys cookbooks? Another point to consider when deciding on your target audience is who actually buys cookbooks. You need to contemplate different genders, ages, professions and even dietary requirements. Then, with whom you choose in mind, research further into their needs and what they look for in a cookbook. For ex-
ample, if it is aimed at students they would be looking at a low price for the book and ingredients whereas more experienced cooks might expect more complex dishes.
personal or professional? If your cookbook is personal, for small-scale distribution between friends and family for example, then you can do pretty much whatever you please in terms of style, tone and layout. However, if the project you are undertaking is professional then it is important to disregard any personal preferences. Remember,
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depending on whom you a producing your book for, there may be a lot of guidelines and specifications regarding things like logos and colours. It is crucial to keep in mind what the client wants, but perhaps more important what the target audience wants.
The next step in developing your cookbook is researching into your chosen target audience, as well as deciding whether it is going to be for personal or professional use. It will need to have a main focus as trying to appeal to every demographic often results in a bland, characterless product. Start with thinking about your own demographic, who will buy your book? You will need to review who buys cookbooks, what is currently popular and finally, what gaps there may be in the market. target audience | 17
what’s popular? Looking into what’s popular with your target audience is a necessary exercise that shouldn’t be overlooked; it would be careless to assume the reader’s preferences. Finding out what is approved of is as simple as going to a bookshop and observing the trends within the cookbooks. Another way to find out what different groups of people
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think is by creating a simple online survey with questions relating to what you need to know.
gaps in the market Spotting a gap in the market isn’t one of the easiest tasks but it is well worth undertaking. When we hear the phrase ‘gap in the market’ we think of success and it is one of the classic keys to success in many different sorts of business. Noticing this void is automatically remarkable, it is being able to provide something that no one else can. The most common
way to find a gap in the market is to research into what other people are doing in different countries or cities and work out how you might be able to adapt it to where you are. You can find more original ideas by absorbing yourself in what’s happening in particular markets, researching into certain areas, especially those which are not altogether obvious.
target audience | 19
recipes, learn from your mistakes,
“ Try new
Julia Child My Life in France
�
be fearless, and above all have fun!
3 purpose
It is important to think about what motivated you to create your cookbook, whether it was compulsory, voluntary or inspired by an idea for a hook. Considering what influenced you to begin will encourage you to commit to achieving a worthy end product. Establishing an effective hook will increase the appeal of your cookbook to the readers in your chosen target audience.
24 | purpose
motivation
A good place to start is also to determine what has motivated you to create a cookbook. Consider what gave you the idea in the first place and whether your motivation can be applied to the style and development of your book. Whether it is a way of organising your own recipes into one place, preservation of family traditions, means to raise money
or simply your passion for food that encourages you to do the project, you need to feel a sense of excitement and dedication to accomplish the task at hand.
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At the heart of every good book is what’s known in publishing as “the hook” and this undeniably applies to cookbooks. Your hook is what will capture the attention of the readers; it needs to be something that gives a fresh energy to the topic. Note that your hook and underlying theme are not necessarily the same concept. The distinction between the two can be subtle, but a clear understanding of each one can mean the difference between writing a long-term success or a flash in the pan. The key is to hone in on the unique set of details that makes your cookbook different from everyone else’s, while at the same time managing to capture that universal feeling that people in similar circumstances experience.
26 | purpose
This magical combination results in a book that is simultaneously new and relatable. A hook can make your good book a great one by building elements into your theme that are meaningful to you and you alone, but appealing to readers interested in your topic. Effective hooks can include: bringing something new to the table, going beyond the theme, being provocative and memorable and can be summed up in a sentence or two. Once you understand what a hook is and what a good one should and should not do, you’re ready to get to work identifying the best one for your own cookbook.
what is a hook? 27
4 tone
tone of text
Before you begin writing, you need to decide on the tone of the text, how will you communicate with the target audience? This is important to decide in the beginning stages for consistency throughout the book as a whole. The tone of the text could be: formal, informal, authoritative, playful or many other possible attitudes. Whichever stance you decide
to choose should also relate to the tone of the design. For example, if you chose to have an authoritative approach then the layout of the recipes and illustrations could be very specific in that it is uniform throughout.
tone of design
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Using the tone of the design to relate to the tone of the text can be approached through many distinct techniques including: graphic style, colour, font, layout, illustration or even through info-graphics. The reason for this correlation is to create trust with the reader, so that they feel comfortable with navigating and interacting with the cookbook. Through design and functionality, you can then offer your readers a better experience overall. Building regularity in your designs also helps to strengthen your brand. Designing with consistency also has an advantage for you, if you design with consistency, you are going to be able to spot patterns in your design that will help you when you’re in the
development stages, speeding up your development and reducing the amount of time you have to spend figuring things out. It’s also important to think about consistency on the whole. Rather than just thinking visually about how things might look and how to keep those things consistent, instead also think about the interactions and behaviour patterns in your designs. Think about how the reader will interact with your cookbook, think about the recipes and methods and how they will be found. If you change these patterns drastically from page to page, you’re only going to confuse your readers.
Another aspect to creating a successful cookbook is to have a continuous tone throughout. This will help to build trust between you and the reader, when people identify a tone of voice; they’re also identifying a personality. They start to form an image of a person based on the tone you present. By doing this, readers feel like they’re getting to know the writer or brand, bringing with it a sense of trust and familiarity.
tone | 31
5 materials
Choosing the materials and type of binding for your cookbook is key in not only the aesthetics of the book but more importantly, the functionality. Of course, the book must be attractive but you need to consider how the reader will use the book. In addition, you need to take into account how the material relates to the tone and target audience.
34 | materials
relationship with tone and target audience Think about how your target audience will make use of your cookbook, will the material you appoint be suitable for their needs? For instance, a page with glossy qualities will be relatively easy to wipe away any splashes and splatters compared to a matte quality. But would a glossy shine connect well to your tone? You will want to find a satisfying balance between the two as-
pects. The possibilities of different materials to use for your cookbook are almost endless. Research thoroughly into what you think would work with the most relevance to the book as a whole. Including different textures and weights of paper is also a nice way to exaggerate certain pages.
binding
The type of binding is usually selected based on the function of the book, the number of pages it contains and the printing budget. Strangely, aesthetics are usually considered last in the decision-making process, unless quality is a priority and budget is not a factor, or the binding itself is part of the conceptual design. Taking the readers needs into consideration is vital when choosing what type of
binding you will use. Make sure to keep in mind that when reading a cookbook whilst cooking, you need the book to be able to lie flat without a struggle. The best types of binding to use for this design to have an effect are wire and spiral.
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And finally, the biggest step, starting. Everything you need to know to make a strong start, you’ve learnt throughout this book. From researching the market to choosing the appropriate materials, you now have everything you need to share your creativity with the world. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a clear vision, each step in the process will help to build a coherent end product. As well as having a book at the end of it all, something you can actually hold and read and cook from, it is also the creativity that you share with other people. A book is never just written. It is created. 36
conclusion - A Final Word -
conclusion | 37
special thanks Brent Hardy-Smith Spencer Roberts Rob Lycett Tracy Lannon Nick Deakin Anneke Pettican Julia Child
All prints, design and text by Charlotte Harris See more work at behance.net/charlotteharris Or contact me charlotteharris@live.co.uk