Go retro using contemporary tools
Creative Cue: Think about AI as a tool in your design toolkit
This prompt is straight from a class I’m teaching this semester where we explore the rich history of the graphic design discipline—from its early roots in visual communication to its future— including emerging technologies and GenAI use.
For this brief, you are asked to create a vintage-inspired recipe book using modern software, showcasing classic recipes with a nostalgic touch. Collaborate with a large language model (like Claude) to source recipe content and gather ideas for the cookbook name, leveraging AI-generated suggestions to evoke the charm of old-fashioned cooking.
Embrace the aesthetics of vintage typography, layout, and illustrations to design a cookbook that looks retro but utilized contemporary tools to bring the project to life.
Software
Use Adobe InDesign (recommended) or Adobe Illustrator for the layout.
Explore Photoshop’s new (still beta) AI-generated features or Adobe Firefly (also in beta) to generate relevant images using text prompts.
Use Claude as your copywriting assistant to come up with retro-inspired recipes and content.
Deliverables
Recipe book (6 pages, 5” x 8”)
Ready to share?
There is no deadline to complete the work. Start, finish, and share whenever you’re ready. Can’t wait to see what you create!