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BOOKS
Case Study: “Simple Cooking For Smart Men” |
Background
“Simple Cooking for Smart Men” is a cook book and a popular TV show by celebrity Chef Karen Anand, The book targets Indian men, especially the younger generation of students and bachelors. The book aimed at introducing them to cooking, and convincing the Indian man that cooking is fun and simple, and also has fringe benefits like attracting the opposite sex!
The challenge
To attract the usually non-interested Indian man to buy a cook book, the book was to be priced at a very effordable range. To keep the costs down, the book needed to be printed in one colour without the use of any photography.
The challenge was to design a cook book completely in black colour without the use of any photography, at the same time it could not be monotonous page after page of text which would make the person feel that the recipes are complicated, and require a lot of work .
The book had to be designed so that men could relate to it. At the same time, it was considered that there was a high chance that women would buy the book as gifts. Hence the design needed to appeal to women, just as much as men.
The Solution
We worked in close collaboration with publishers, editors and authors during our design process. By including all the three entities at the early stage of design, and working closely with them throughout the design process we ensured a smooth and efficient design process.
Our main focus on the design was that the Men should not feel that cooking is complicated. This needed to be translated in the design of the layouts as well. Minimalist and modern design layouts were combined with bold playful illustrations to give the reader the visual assurance that the recipes were easy to do.
To make up for the absence of imagery, the book was heavily illustrated with a unique style, and experimental layouts were also used for subsections to create an interesting visual impact which would appeal to both men and women.
The book was a bestseller, and is now already in its second edition.
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