This project is the Struggle Meal Cookbook, designed for broke college students who need to eat without making their wallets cry. The goal was to create a cookbook filled with budget-friendly meals that are easy to make, practical, and still a little creative. Each dish needed to be functional enough for everyday cooking while having its own personality, proving that eating on a tight budget doesn’t have to mean surviving on instant noodles alone.
Recipe Project
How it turned out:
Flat Design:
This is the current version of the design, and thankfully, things have improved quite a bit! After experimenting with different colors and backgrounds, the overall look feels more put together while still keeping some of that creative flair. The darker background adds a nice contrast and gives the dish a different look from the usual lighter designs. It's a small change, but it helps give the page more personality.
Of course, getting the colors to work together was a bit of a challenge. The original color scheme was a little TOO different, making the design feel less cohesive than intended. The current version does a better job of balancing those colors while keeping the layout interesting. There's still a need to make sure the main dish stands out clearly, since the last thing anyone wants is to play Where's Waldo with their dinner. Overall, it's a much stronger design that balances creativity with readability without making the food disappear into the background!
This is the current version of the Struggle Meal Cookbook, and thankfully, it has come a LONG way from the original. After rethinking the layout and toning down some of the extra details, the design is now cleaner, more organized, and easier to follow. The goal was to make the cookbook fun and appealing to broke college students without making the pages look like they were fighting for their lives.
The current design keeps things simple while still adding enough personality to make it interesting. It strikes a better balance between creativity and functionality, allowing the food and recipes to take center stage without sacrificing the overall style. Turns out, a cookbook doesn't need to wear every accessory in the closet to look good. Who knew?