A dessert cookbook positioned from an angle on black background

brief

Develop a concept, visual identity, and a complete design of an original themed cookbook titled “Haunting Dessert Recipes. The book is targeted towards an audience that is drawn to goth aesthetics and atmospheric visual storytelling.

Open red spread of the cookbook that shows introduction section

approach

The initial inspirations for this project were classic goth novels. Such books used elegant and simple approach in terms of page layout, and conveyed the dark aesthetic through the use of detailed monochromatic illustrations and subtle details thematic icons. Observing those books helped to define the key words that would describe the desired feel of the cookbook — elegant, dark and monochrome.

A spread of the cookbook showing the black desserts section

A spread of the cookbook showing the red desserts section

solution

The cookbook is split into to two defined sections —
red and black desserts. The visual direction of the book embraces a dark and elegant aesthetic through the subtle thematic details such as crosses, skull icons, and expressive typographic elements. The primary display typeface used for headings — Runholdy, was chosen for its combining of both modern sans serif and blackletter styles.