The Penny Farthing Menu

For the Course Graphic Design & Typography 

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For the course Graphic Design & Typography, we were asked to redesign a menu. I'd visited the Penny Farthing many times, but the menu hadn't stuck with me. Menus are a tool for internal marketing, an item that must both be easily understandable for restaurant-goers and an opportunity for customers to snap photos to share their eating experience.

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On their website, The Penny Farthing describes itself as “rustic and cozy,” as well as having a “spacious and comfortable” atmosphere. The logo and name of the restaurant itself, a penny farthing, is an old style of bicycle from the Victorian era. While considered dangerous in the past, it seems to stir up more whimsical connotations now. So, in response, I wanted to create a menu that felt just like that: whimsical, rustic, and cozy. It needed to feel personable, but aged.  

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On the whole, the typography and imagery chosen were inspired by Victorian ads for The Penny Farthing. These ads were full of different fonts, each with plenty of personality, which could easily feel chaotic. Instead, they were often successful in not being too much for the eye. Ultimately, I did want to limit myself to three different fonts. In reference to the ads, I included the wording “Top Quality Brunch,” as the ad’s wording mimicked with phrases like “top quality" and “high standards.” 

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Finally, the food, price, and descriptions were all in the same font. In order to maintain hierarchy without changing the font, I opted to italicize the description and provide a separation line between the menu item and its price. In the corner, there is a vintage-appearing illustration of a man riding a penny farthing.

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Finally, I’d recommend placing this on a wooden board, held with bands, as shown in the mockup. I think wood textures compliment the restaurant very well, as it is primarily wood and brick design. The logo could be carved into the backside of the wooden board.