Collage of a salmon and lemon dish on aluminum foil, with a child's purple drawing placed on top. Salmon shot by Jonathan Cooper, found on Unsplash

I HATE [ ]

I designed and produced a physical dummy cookbook representing two sections of an original publication.

The goal was to create a cohesive editorial system that balances readability, visual rhythm, and tactile experience while remaining practical for real kitchen use. I chose this topic because it reflects something personal.

Growing up, my mom loved telling people how not picky I was. When it came to food, I ate everything! That led me to the opposite idea: a cookbook for parents dealing with picky eaters.

Bird's eye picture of the open book on the "Hidden Veggie Pasta" spread.

Baby girl eating her heart out of a toast, crumbs all over the table. Shot by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA

Dark Turquoise Background with white type saying "I Hate [Seafood]" in the center

Red Background with white type saying "I Hate [Tomatoes]" in the center

Burgundy Background with white type saying "I Hate [Meat]" in the center

Taupe Background with white type saying "I Hate [Sauce]" in the center

Green Background with white type saying "I Hate [Anything Green]" in the center

Purple Background with white type saying "I Hate [Onions]" in the center

Mustard yellow Background with white type saying "I Hate [Cheese]" in the center

Woman with bright orange sweater holding child on her lap. Found on Death to Stock :"Parenthood" Shot by Daniel Farò

I HATE [ ] organizes recipes around ingredients children often refuse to eat. Instead of avoiding these foods, the book offers recipes designed to make them more appealing.

The design prioritizes clarity and speed. Parents cooking under pressure do not have time to read long stories before step one, so recipes are presented in a single-column layout with concise instructions. Small “parent hacks” appear in the corner of each spread, offering quick tips that feel like advice from someone who understands the frustration.

A structured grid system and strong color backdrops create visual rhythm while also producing colored page edges, allowing readers to quickly flip to a specific ingredient section. I bound the book as a hardcover with exposed sewn binding and no spine, allowing it to lie completely flat on a kitchen counter.

Glossy interior paper helps resist stains, while the textured linen cover adds durability and reinforces the slightly gritty, honest tone of cooking for picky kids.

The final result is a fully bound dummy including endpapers, title pages, an introduction, a section opener, and five recipes.

Bird's eye view of the mostly burnt-orange front cover of the book. "I HATE" repeated 7 times vertically in each of the section's colours.

Child in an orange sweater giving the bitter side eye to the left. Found on Pexels Shot by Ketut Subiyanto

2d IPad Wireframe of Chicken "Fish" Sticks recipe for the I HATE [Seafood] section

Vertical shot of the open spine of the book, showing the first two section's colours (blue and red) as well as the thread.

Father looking at his child eating. Both at the dinner table, tungsten cozy lighting. Found on Death to Stock "FATHERHOOD" Shot by Ahmed CHREDIY

Close up (even closer) of the spine to show detail of the thread.

Woman cutting vegetables with a little girl. Shot by August de Richelieu