London-based client work: Turkish restaurant menu cover illustration

The Brief

A small marketing studio sub-contracted me to illustrate a menu cover for their client, a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant located in London. The aim was to replace their existing menu design.

The diner wanted the cover to feature some of their most popular menu offerings. This included their Türkiye-style grilled meats, grilled fish and hot Turkish beverages.

They also wanted the artwork to move away from their classic aesthetic so as to appeal to families and a younger audience.

The Process

Although the client wanted an illustration that reflected the Turkish and Mediterranean food culture, the branding of the restaurant leaned towards minimalism. Notably, illustrations were non-existent in their menu design at the time, which was typography-based.

To make sure I understood the new direction, I sent in some questions. As it turned out, the client specifically asked for a drawing they had seen in one of my older illustrations, a traditional Turkish tea cup and saucer set.

The Solution: A Consistent Colour Palette

Since the marketing studio’s scope of work did not include the full rebranding of the client’s restaurant, I did some research to learn more about their existing brand aesthetic. I looked at the interior design of the restaurant itself, their website and their social media feeds.

I then picked out the colours I thought were most used in their branding, before creating an illustration with a colour palette that tied in my artwork with their overall brand identity.

Afterwards, I offered them two menu cover illustration options. The one shared in this portfolio entry is the final artwork.