Refining specifications of decorative/indicative balance in menu design

The general notion of balance in visual design is apparent, but what is lacking is a more precise specification of how that balance is defined in concrete terms and achieved with specific design techniques, the exact location of the tipping point, as it were, between effective and overused colors, forms, and imagery. This paper will report results from an empirical study of restaurant menu design, with findings that can be generalized to Web page and help menus. Participants agreed that too much color and too many images overload the senses, making it almost impossible to glean any information about the food. Participants also agreed that colorless presentations felt bland and uninviting. Menus designs that achieved balance were found to deploy unified decorative effects and a limited number of indicative strategies, consistent with principles discussed by Amare and Manning (2006, 2008).