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Information Design / Project 1: Instructable Poster


10/03/2026 - 21/03/2026 (Week 5 - Week 7)

Chang Wing / 0367807 

Information Design / Bachelors of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Project 1: Instructable Poster


TABLE OF CONTENTS




INSTRUCTIONS

Figure 1.1 Module Information



PROJECT 1: INSTRUCTABLE POSTER (20%)


Selected Recipe Tutorial Video

For this project, we were required to select a tutorial video from the Pasta Granny YouTube channel and extract the recipe steps, then transform them into an instructable poster.

Figure 2.1 Selected Recipe Tutorial Video:
Nonna Laura makes a Rustic Potato Pie from Puglia! | Pasta Grannies



Figure 2.2 Recipe Website: Pasta Grannies - Laura's Pitta di Patate Salentina


Gathering Information

When watching the recipe video, I captured screenshots of all the key steps involved in making the traditional pitta di patate salentina, a rustic potato pie (Figure 2.3). Compiling these made it easier to get an overall view of the process and decide how the illustrations should look, as well as how many steps needed to be illustrated.

Figure 2.3 Compiled screenshots from recipe video


I also noted down all the steps mentioned in the video to estimate how much text would be included in the poster (Figure 2.4). These steps will be simplified later to better fit the layout and design, and also clearer and easier to read.


Figure 2.4 Recipe steps & ingredient gathered



References & Inspiration

I started off by searching infographic designs to learn and get some ideas about how the posters organise ingredient information and cooking steps. Below is the posters where I like its clean vector art style and information organisation and composition (Figure 2.5).

Figure 2.5 Vector art style references from Pinterest




Since the recipe comes from a small town in southern Italy, where Laura prepares the traditional pitta di patate salentina, a rustic potato pie similar to the Neapolitan gâteau di patate but richer and more homely, I wanted my poster to reflect that same traditional feel. 

Because of this, I looked at Italian-style posters as references for my colour scheme (Figure 2.6). I liked the classic cursive fonts used in them, I think they give off a strong traditional vibe that fits the dish well.


Figure 2.6 Color palette and style inspiration from Pinterest



Design Process

After looking through the references, I developed some ideas and produced initial sketches for the poster (Figure 2.7).


Figure 2.7 Poster sketches


I also sketched out the individual steps to better visualise the scale of each illustration (Figure 2.8). This helped me experiment with different compositions and figure out how much space each step would take within the overall layout.


Figure 2.8 Steps sketches


I then digitalised some of these sketches so I could move elements around more easily and explore layout options more efficiently (Figure 2.9). This also allowed me to make the illustrations clearer and easier to trace when working in Adobe Illustrator.


Figure 2.9 Digitalised composition sketches


Moving into Adobe Illustrator, I first decided on the colour palette (Figure 2.10). I based it on the colours of the Italy flag (green, red, and white), but replaced the white with beige to create a warmer, more homely feel that suits the traditional home-cooked dish.


Figure 2.10 Deciding on a colour palette


I also used colour generator websites to quickly explore combinations and see which colours worked well together (Figure 2.11).


Figure 2.11 coolors.co


This is the final colour palette used in my instructable poster, with darker tones applied for shadows in the illustrations to add depth (Figure 2.12).


Figure 2.12 Final color palette


I moved on to choose the fonts in my poster, I experimented with a lot of fonts to see which ones fits well together (Figure 2.13).


Figure 2.13 Font choice



I chose Beau Rivage as the main title font, Freestyle Script for the subtitle, and Lato Regular for the body text (Figure 2.14): 

- Beau Rivage has an elegant cursive style that fits the classic, traditional vibe I’m aiming for

- Freestyle Script adds a more playful, old-school friendliness with its softer and more rounded forms which helps to balance the more refined feel of Beau Rivage

- Lato Regular as the body text because it is highly readable on digital screens, making it suitable for longer instructional texts. Also its rounded and open letterforms makes it feel more friendly and approachable, so the instructions don’t look too stiff or intimidating


Figure 2.14 Final font choice


Then I proceeded to create the illustrations (Figure 2.15). While illustrating, I referred to real food images to see the light and shadows fall on real ingredients. This helps me make the illustrations' shading more accurate and give the illustrations a more natural look (Figure 2.16).

Figure 2.15 Illustration (Recorded snippets of process)


Figure 2.16 Illustrations reference images


I played around with different layouts to find the most suitable one (Figure 2.17).


Figure 2.17 Different layouts


After deciding on the composition layout, I added all the step-by-step text. In Figure 2.18 (Left) some of the descriptions were too wordy, so I simplified them by either rephrasing them into fewer words or using chunking to break longer instructions into smaller parts in Figure 2.18 (Right)

I also made sure the text size was readable, with the smallest font set at 14pt (body text). When placing the text, I kept it within the margins to create more breathing space and ensure the layout doesn’t feel cramped or at risk of being cut off during printing, as pointed out by Mr. Kannan. I also aligned all body text to the left (flush-left alignment) so it is easier to read and creates a consistent reading flow.


Figure 2.18 Comparison of before and after text organisation

For longer instructions, I used the chunking technique by breaking them into smaller and more digestible parts. Instead of placing everything in one sentence, I separated them and paired each part with visual indicators pointing to the corresponding illustration (e.g. breaking "Add 100 g Grana Padano + 100 g Pecorino, 2 eggs, and 200 g durum wheat flour" into individual labels linked to each illustration of ingredient) (Figure 2.19).


Figure 2.19 Simplifying text information

Figure 2.20 shows the final composition and visual flow. The larger end-product potato pie is designed to catch the viewer’s attention first, which also helps guide them to read the preparation time and serving size first (1).

From there, the eye moves to the left to read the ingredients list (2). Then, it flows from top to bottom through the steps in a smooth, slightly curved path. I scaled the earlier steps smaller and gradually made them larger towards the front to create a sense of moving from back to front, making it easier for viewers to follow and understand the sequence (3). The numbered steps ensure viewers read steps in correct order.

Next, the eye naturally moves to the layering section. While viewers might initially read it from top to bottom due to the downward arrow, I added numbering to clarify that the actual sequence flows from bottom to top (4). This is because, using the law of proximity, I placed the earlier steps for the base layers closer to the bottom. The logical understanding that the bottom layer is prepared first will also guide viewers to naturally read the steps from bottom to top. I chose to present the layering in one combined visual instead of separating it into multiple steps, so viewers can directly see all the layers easily at one glance.

After completing the layering steps, the eye is guided back down to the final baking step (5), and finally returns to the end product.

Figure 2.20 Visual flow (Marked in blue)


I checked the colours on both laptop and mobile screens to make sure they looked consistent across devices. I adjusted the colours using the Recolor Artwork feature in Adobe Illustrator until they appeared correct under normal display settings (without Night Shift or any filters). I also quickly experimented with different colour variations, as the Recolor Artwork tool allows colour adjustments across the whole artwork, which made easier to compare different palettes and refine the final look (Figure 2.20).


Figure 2.21 Recolor Artwork


Lastly, I finished by adjusting the brightness and contrast in Adobe Photoshop (Figure 2.22)


Figure 2.22 Screenshot of process in Adobe Photoshop


Final Outcome

Figure 2.23 Final design



Figure 2.24 Final design (PDF)






FEEDBACK

Project 1: Instructable Poster (20%)

Week 5 (10/03/2026)
Feedback: The sketches look good and the references are strong. Just make sure to find a way to simplify the steps (but never remove steps), since there are 19 in total. Can try numbering each step to make it clearer. It would be even better if the layout naturally guides the viewer through the sequence, maybe by using size, spacing, or arrangement to create a clear visual flow.

Week 6 (17/03/2026)
Feedback: -

Week 7 (21/03/2026)
Feedback: -





REFLECTION

This project allowed me to apply the information design techniques learnt in class, such as the LATCH method, especially sequence and hierarchy. The steps are arranged in a clear sequence using numbering and visual flow, so viewers know exactly where to start and how to continue. At the same time, hierarchy is created through scaling, like the larger final potato pie and the gradually increasing step sizes to guide attention and emphasise importance.








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