INFORMATION DESIGN - PROJECT 1

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INFORMATION DESIGN - PROJECT 1: RECIPE

Fig. 1.1 Project 1 Recipe Infographic proposal cover.

WANG JIHENG

Student ID: 0378904
Module: Information Design
Project: Project 1 - Recipe Infographic
Recipe Topic: Midnight Spaghetti / Creamy Garlic Pasta
Date: June 2026
Programme: Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

LIST

  • MIB
  • PROCESS
  • FINAL SUBMISSION
  • FEEDBACK
  • REFLECTION

MIB


                                                                                  Fig. 1.2 


PROCESS

Recipe Selection

I first selected a recipe that could be explained visually. I chose Midnight Spaghetti / Creamy Garlic Pasta because it has simple ingredients, but the cooking process still contains interesting information such as emulsification, pasta water ratio and step-by-step timing.

My recipe reference was Ina Garten's Midnight Spaghetti video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAzwoWGrek4

Fig. 2.1 Recipe reference and initial process analysis.

After watching the reference, I broke down the recipe into four information groups: preparation, cooking process, assembly and serving. This helped me decide what information should appear in the final infographic poster.

Recipe Information Breakdown

Fig. 2.2 Ingredient information breakdown.

I organised the ingredients into functional groups. Pasta, garlic and olive oil formed the base of the recipe. Pasta water became the key catalyst because it helps create the creamy sauce through emulsification. Butter and parmesan added richness, while basil, chili flakes, black pepper and salt worked as garnish, seasoning and visual contrast.  

I also planned to use proportional visualisation to explain the relationship between olive oil and pasta water. This made the poster more informational instead of only being decorative.

Cooking Process Breakdown

The cooking process was simplified into six clear steps: boil pasta, cook garlic, add chili flakes, add pasta water, emulsify the sauce, then garnish and serve. I wanted the viewer to understand the recipe quickly through small icons and short instructions.


Fig. 2.3 Cooking process breakdown.

Moodboard Development

At the beginning, my moodboard was too close to final poster references. I later revised it based on feedback. Instead of only showing complete poster examples, I collected different visual elements that could explain my design language: typography, hand-drawn illustration, ingredient icons, process diagram, sauce science diagram, warm paper texture and small decorative details.

Fig. 2.4 Revised moodboard showing visual direction.

The moodboard helped me confirm the final poster direction. I wanted the poster to feel like a vintage cookbook page combined with a fashion editorial layout.

Colour Palette

I changed the original cold colour direction and replaced it with warm colours from the final Midnight Spaghetti poster. The palette includes Warm Paper, Pasta Gold, Garlic Cream, Basil Green, Chili Brown Red and Espresso Ink.

Fig. 2.5 Colour palette extracted from the final Midnight Spaghetti poster.


These colours support the warm food feeling while keeping the poster clean and readable. The cream background gives a vintage paper atmosphere, while the darker espresso colour keeps the text clear.

Visual References

I studied references that focused on central composition, editorial typography, white space and ingredient visualisation. These references helped me understand how to balance decorative illustration with clear information hierarchy


Fig. 2.6 Visual references for composition, typography and information hierarchy.

Typography Direction

For the title, I wanted a Bodoni / Didot / Vogue-style serif direction. This type style has high contrast strokes and an elegant editorial feeling. It supports the title MIDNIGHT SPAGHETTI and makes the poster feel more like a vintage recipe magazine page.


                                        Fig. 2.7 Typography direction for the Bodoni-style editorial title.


Information Hierarchy

I planned the poster from macro to micro. The biggest information is the title and central spaghetti illustration. The second level is the cooking process and ingredients. The third level includes the sauce science diagram, ratio guide and short notes.


Fig. 2.8 Information hierarchy planning from macro to micro.


Sketch / Wireframe

Before moving into the digital stage, I explored the poster layout through hand sketches. The sketch helped me plan the main structure of the poster, including the title placement, central spaghetti illustration, cooking process, ingredient section and sauce science diagram.

In the first draft, I tested a vertical editorial structure. The main dish was placed in the centre, while the cooking steps and ingredients were arranged around it. This helped me understand how the viewer would read the information from the main title to the smaller details.


Fig. 2.9 First sketch and wireframe planning.


I chose this direction because it gave the poster a clearer visual focus. The central pasta illustration attracts attention first, then the viewer can follow the surrounding cooking steps, ingredient information and sauce explanation.

10. Digital Development in Adobe Illustrator

After confirming the sketch direction, I moved into Adobe Illustrator to refine the poster digitally. I started by setting up the vertical poster layout and separating the information into clear sections: title, central illustration, cooking process, ingredients, sauce science and ratio guide.


                                     Fig. 2.10 Digital poster layout development in Adobe Illustrator.


The title area was refined with a Bodoni-style serif typeface to create an editorial and vintage feeling. This made the poster look more like a designed recipe infographic instead of a normal recipe sheet.

Fig. 2.11 Title typography refinement.


The central spaghetti illustration became the main visual anchor of the poster. I adjusted its scale and position so that it could become the strongest visual focus while still leaving space for the surrounding information.


Fig. 2.12 Central spaghetti illustration refinement.

For the left side of the poster, I organised the cooking process into clear steps. Each step uses short text and small visual elements so that the viewer can understand the cooking sequence quickly.

Fig. 2.13 Cooking process section development.

For the ingredient section, I arranged the icons and labels into a cleaner visual group. This helped the viewer identify the key ingredients before reading the detailed cooking process.


Fig. 2.14 Ingredient icon section development.



FINAL SUBMISSION

This is my final recipe infographic poster for Midnight Spaghetti / Creamy Garlic Pasta. The final poster is designed as both a practical recipe guide and a vintage editorial kitchen poster.


Fig. 3.1 Final Midnight Spaghetti recipe infographic poster.

FEEDBACK

The main feedback I received was about the moodboard. My earlier moodboard showed too many complete poster references, so it looked more like final poster inspiration instead of a design process moodboard. I was reminded that a moodboard should show visual elements, not only final poster examples.

After receiving this feedback, I revised the moodboard by collecting more specific visual references: Bodoni-style typography, hand-drawn pasta illustration, ingredient icons, process arrows, sauce science diagrams, paper texture and small vintage decorative elements. This helped the moodboard explain the final visual direction more clearly.

I also improved the colour palette because the older blue-green version did not match the final Midnight Spaghetti poster. I changed it to a warmer palette with cream, pasta gold, garlic cream, basil green, chili brown red and espresso ink.

REFLECTION

Through this project, I learned that an infographic poster is not only about making the design look visually pleasing. It also needs to organise information clearly. At the beginning, I focused more on the poster mood and visual references. However, during the proposal and feedback process, I realised that the poster needed a stronger information hierarchy.

The most important improvement was turning the recipe into different information sections. The cooking process explains what to do step by step. The ingredient section helps viewers quickly recognise the recipe components. The sauce science diagram adds a more informative layer by explaining the emulsification process. This made the final poster feel more like information design rather than only food illustration.

I also learned that the moodboard should support the design process. It should show typography, illustration style, icon style, texture and layout logic instead of only showing complete posters. This helped me understand my own design direction more clearly.

Overall, I think the final poster successfully communicates the warm, vintage editorial feeling of Midnight Spaghetti while still explaining the recipe clearly. If I continue improving this project, I would document more step-by-step Illustrator screenshots and test more layout variations before finalising the poster.

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