MENU DESIGN
My goal with this menu design is to use the themes and principles of Y2K design to develop a menu for a casual Japanese dining experience. Although Y2K was popularized in the US and Europe during the 90’s and 2000’s, it is actually rooted in older Japanese design. I want to use one of Japan’s most famous art forms in sushi making as a vehicle to spotlight and reintroduce Japan’s unknown Y2K design style as an art form in the mod- ern era. I want the user experience to feel natural and flawless, customers should be thinking about what looks good on the menu rather than strug- gling to navigate it. Customers should feel upbeat and energized skimming through the menu, reading the stylish fonts and looking at the illustrations while spending time with friends and listening to good music. I want to in- clude a combination of illustrations and photographed images depending on what is being pictured.
The design concept of this restaurant is based on the Y2K era of cul- ture that was popularized from the late 90’s to the early 2000’s. It was a very unique style of design that combined things like electronic music, futuristic technology and hardware, and fashion that all were popular during this transition into the new millennium. It was this time period’s version of the future, but even though it never came to be, it left us with one of the most influential design aesthetics that we still see today without even knowing. All these different aspects of Y2K are what make its design style so interesting. Vibrant color schemes, bold typefaces, and spontaneous shapes and geometry are the framework for Y2K design.
