Editorial design · Digital & print
Menus, guides and printed matter for independent businesses. Thoughtful layouts that help people find what matters—and enjoy reading the rest.
Find your format Clear structure. Considered type. Room to breathe.01 / The formats
A single page can welcome, explain or help someone choose. Start with the job your content needs to do; the right format follows.
Turn a collection of choices into something easy to scan. A focused format for food menus, service lists and considered product selections.
Give visitors or new customers the information they need in a sensible sequence. Useful for arrivals, appointments, events and getting started.
Bring longer stories into focus. An editorial home for a collection, a body of work or an introduction that needs more than one page.
02 / The point of view
The most useful question is not “What should it look like?” It is “What does someone need to understand?” That answer gives every design decision a purpose.
Group related ideas, establish a clear hierarchy and remove repetition. Make the content easier to use before adding visual character.
Let a few deliberate choices do the work: an expressive headline, a distinctive color, a well-placed pause.
A phone screen and a folded sheet ask different things of a layout. Choose dimensions, text sizes and output requirements early.
03 / A considered process
These four stages provide a practical framework for planning an editorial design project, whatever its size.
Identify the reader, the purpose and the destination. Collect the text, images and brand material you already have.
Build a content outline. Decide what needs attention first and what can sit quietly in the supporting detail.
Explore the layout, then review it with real content. Check the reading flow, missing information and practical constraints.
Agree the final file formats. Check links for digital use and confirm production specifications with your chosen printer.
04 / Your starting point
Turn a loose idea into a short project outline. Choose a format, describe your reader and name the one thing the piece should help them do.
This tool creates a brief you can save. Your entries stay in this page and are not submitted or stored by the site. No contact details needed.05 / A few useful answers
Start with an outline and mark what is missing. A layout needs realistic content lengths to work well, so aim to settle the main sections before detailed design. The brief builder can help establish the purpose first.
Choose a guide when the reader needs practical answers or a sequence of steps. Choose a booklet when the material needs a narrative, several sections or space for imagery. Page count is a consequence of the content, rather than the starting point.
The content can be shared, but the files may need different treatment. Screen versions benefit from clickable links and comfortable reading sizes. Print versions need dimensions, margins and file settings matched to the production method.
Bring a draft of the content, any existing logo and brand guidance, images you have permission to use, and examples of the intended format. For print, include specifications from your printer if you have them. Flag gaps clearly rather than filling them with temporary facts.
This page provides format guidance and a local brief-building tool. It does not accept project enquiries or payments. Save your outline to use when discussing scope, timing and costs with a design partner.