Study Task 04

Typesetting.

Study Task 04 requires the selection of a takeaway menu to analyse and critique before re-typesetting the content more successfully, considering newly gained knowledge in readability, legibility, information and editorial design. The takeaway menu I have chosen is that of Thai restaurant Sukhothai. A page extract demonstrating the visual language featured throughout is documented below: Analysis of Sukhothai extract shown above: Negatives Every part of space is filled, with no white space for type or visual information to breath or appear dignified. Layout overwhelmed by text. Patterned background featured for decoration purposes only, distracting from content and making visual language unnecessarily complex. All upper-case dish titles are more difficult to perceive due to no differentiation in character height, causing legibility issues in addition to existing task in reading another language. Menu features multiple widows. There is questionable readability caused as a result of kerning between dish number and name is too tight. Read as a whole rather than two sources of information. All information is very compacted and condensed to fit the page. Too much featured.  There are multiple questionable rag lines.  Positives  Rag lines are generally good throughout. Flush-left text making line distinction clear and therefore more easily read. Use of red coloured dish-headings for easy distinction and readability via contrast. Two distinct columns, even in width as a result of grid-use. Use of bold to differentiate sub-headings from type at the same point-size. Serif typeface used to deliver dish descriptions, theoretically making for an easier read. Re-typeset/designed Sukhothai Extract: The above re-typeset/designed Sukhothai is more successful and effective in its communication of featured information because: The Sukhothai visual language is maintained through established colour scheme, symbol and pattern. The pattern, faded out in order to ensure there is no complex or visual confusion around the typographic information, and symbol have been set at the top of the menu within open space to create a less condensed, overwhelming aesthetic in which elements are able to breathe and be communicated distinctly. Only the starters have been featured on the page, so pages are completely sector specific. By featuring less a slightly increased line spacing has been used for more clear communication and ease of readability.  More space has been created and therefore room in which the dish-numbers could be featured above the dish-names within red stripes that help to differentiate and identify individual dishes with more ease via clear separation.  The dish-names have been set as standard with no all-upper-case stylisation, meaning the legibility of the information is enhanced via the differentiation in character height. The typographic information is flush-left, making line distinction clear and therefore the menu more easily read. A serif typeface has been used to deliver the dish descriptions, theoretically making for an easier read. Information is identifiable in groups via the use of bold and non-bold style, as well as colour through contrast. A grid has been used to produce two even-width columns with space in between for ease in differentiation and identification.  The rag lines of each descriptive dish paragraph have been edited and formatted to achieve the best optical results.