Urban Backyard Cafe Menu
EDITORIAL DESIGN | ART DIRECTION

Urban Backyard is a small NYC coffee & cake shop that is big on sustainability and community. I designed their menu for a UCLA class assignment. The menu was designed on black recycled Kraft paper as a nod to both their black chalkboard display menus and their sustainability values. I wanted the design to be simple & boho, with line art plant illustrations as accents. 

 

It was originally planned to be a gate fold with a rounded top. I had chosen this shape and fold to grab attention but still feel casual and welcoming. The menu isn’t too large, so I wanted the paper menu itself to be on the small side. I wanted it to be easy to grab and look at while standing in line to order, and even share with the person standing next to you because of how it opens up.

 

After a fellow student pointed out in a critique that the rounded shape reminded them of a tombstone, I couldn’t unsee it. I changed it to a simple rectangle and felt that it still overall worked well.