So, I wanted to share a little project I tackled recently – designing a dim sum menu. It wasn’t for a massive restaurant or anything, just a little something I was putting together, and I thought, hey, why not make the menu look decent, right? I figured I’d walk you through how I went about it, kinda like my own little journey.
Getting Started: The Brain Dump
First things first, I just grabbed a big sheet of paper and a pen. Old school, I know. I started jotting down every single dim sum item I could think of. Seriously, just a massive brain dump. Har gow, siu mai, char siu bao, cheung fun… the list went on and on. I wasn’t worried about order or anything at that point, just getting it all out there. I even asked a few friends what their absolute must-haves were, just to make sure I wasn’t missing any crowd-pleasers.
Then I started thinking, okay, this list is huge. How do people even choose? So, my next step was to group them. This felt a bit more organized. I ended up with categories like:
- Steamed Goodies
- Fried Delights
- Baked Treats
- Sweet Stuff
- And a special section for Chef’s Recommendations, just to highlight a few things.
This already made it feel a bit more manageable, you know? Not just a scary wall of text.
Figuring Out the Look and Feel
Alright, so with the content somewhat sorted, I started thinking about the actual design. I’m no professional designer, mind you. I just opened up a basic word processor at first, then tried a free online design tool. I wanted something clean, not too fussy. I’ve seen some dim sum menus that are just crammed, and your eyes don’t know where to look.
My first few attempts were… well, let’s just say not great. Everything felt either too empty or too crowded. I played around with fonts a lot. I wanted something easy to read, but with a little bit of character, not just plain old Times New Roman. Finding that balance took a while, a lot of trial and error. I’d change something, stare at it, then change it back.
I also considered adding pictures, but then I thought, good photos are hard to get, and bad photos are worse than no photos. So, I decided to focus on really good descriptions instead. Short, snappy, and making your mouth water a bit. For example, instead of just “Pork Buns,” I went for something like “Fluffy Steamed Buns with Savory BBQ Pork Filling.” Sounds better, right?
Adding the Little Details
Once I had a basic layout I didn’t hate, I started adding some finer points. I made sure the names of the dishes were prominent. Consistency was key. Same font size for all main dishes, same for descriptions. I also thought about how people order dim sum – often by ticking boxes. So, I made sure there was enough space if I wanted to print it and let people mark their choices.
I also played around with a simple border, nothing too fancy. And I thought about maybe some subtle background texture, but decided against it to keep it clean. I did add some very simple icons next to category headers, just little things like a tiny steam basket icon for the steamed section. It felt like it added a bit of visual interest without being distracting.
Pricing was another thing. I made sure it was clear and easy to find for each item. No one likes hunting for prices. I also added a little note at the bottom about allergens, just a general disclaimer, which felt like a responsible thing to do.
The Final Polish (Sort Of)
After a bunch of tweaking – moving things around by tiny amounts, changing a word here and there – I finally got to a version I was pretty happy with. It wasn’t going to win any design awards, but it was clear, easy to understand, looked appetizing (I hoped!), and actually made me want to order everything on it. Which, I guess, is the whole point!
Looking back, the main thing I learned was that even for a “simple” menu, there’s a lot of thought that goes into it. You’re trying to make it easy for someone, appealing, and informative all at once. It was a fun little exercise, and honestly, I’m pretty chuffed with how my little dim sum menu turned out. Maybe I’ll actually use it for that pop-up idea one day!