New Character

I was trying to develop some episode ideas recently and I have been struggling as I feel there is no real conflict within the restaurant, so I decided to design a new character. (This was pretty easy as I used a head that I had already developed).
He is the deputy manager and has let the illusion of power corrupt him, and as a result nobody likes him. (I felt they all needed a common enemy.)

Below is the new character line up

Interiors 18.10.11 - 22.10.11

Looking more into the set design aspect of my project I have researched into how current popular fast food chains layout their restaurants. I found a reoccurring theme of curves; they seem to be very 'in' at the moment in the fast food world! I plan to incorporate some of these into my designs, to make the setting more believable and look as if I have actually paid attention to current trends and existing examples of fast food restaurants.


I found some example images of blue prints showing the general layout of some restaurants and some images showing current interiors and the curved theme I spoke about earlier.

Order Points - 18.10.11 - 22.10.11

Here are the order points I mentioned in the last post.

They are laid out very systematically in straight lines for ease of access for the customers, with large lit displays above the tills that show the menu.  The advantage of this is so the customers can see from the back of any queues and speed up the ordering process, enabling the restaurant to remain 'fast'.

Kitchens - 18.10.11 - 22.10.11

Here's some research I did last week into the kitchens and preparation areas at the back of fast food restaurants.

The main thing I noticed was that everything is made from stainless steel. This is due to bacteria and hygiene regulations, the stainless steel is easy to clean and as it says in its name, it is stainless to things don't stick to it.

There are also a lot of computer screens in the back, this is to make sure that none of the orders are missed and they all go through correctly. I found that the floors are normally tiled or vinyl, this is again due to cleanliness as it is easier to keep clean and again to comply with hygiene regulations.

You'll notice as well that the food preparation area is lined up in a systematic way to keep things running smoothly, for example the buns, burgers, lettuce and sauces.

I also did some research into the order counters, seating areas and general layout of the restaurants during the week. I'll put these up in the next post.

Some Colour Theories

This website shows each colour and theories behind how they make people feel and what emotions are brought out by each one  http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html


With a particular section at the bottom stating;


"Food for Thought

While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.

Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant."

Colour Schemer Blog again states that red used by may fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King and KFC is "high-energy, bustling and most importantly fast". They also say that green appears as a more natural colour when used with food, as it is the most common colour in nature.

There appears to be more truth to this than I first thought...

The Psychology of Colour by Walter Graff again states that red is linked to appetite. It is really interesting and I recommend actually reading it and not just taking my word for it.

Fast Food Restaurants

So again it's been quite a long time since I posted anything on here, arguing over mine and Mat's 3 minute project starts to take over your life!


Anyhoo...I have done some research into existing fast food restaurant exteriors to see how they lay them out and to see things like colour schemes and why they use them. Now I remember hearing that red and yellow make you hungry...I thinks that's why a certain large fast food chain use those 2 as their only logo colours!


I am going to do some real research into that theory and see if I can apply it in someway to my own design and logos for the restaurant.


There is a little drive thru research too as my restaurant is going to have one I thought it was pretty necessary.

I like the below selection of buildings, the top right and bottom middle in particular, with the slanted rim around the roof and the name standing on top.

Next I'm going to be looking at the interiors of the buildings, the seating area, tills and kitchen area at the back.