List: 3 Menus Using Data Viz

Inspired by a post by Jane Zhang, I have decided to explore menus in Singapore to see if they contain any data viz. The post by Jane Zhang is about her redesigning a Korean menu with data visualisation. The use of data viz on menus is interesting as such visuals may allow customers to have a better idea of what is in their food and drinks or even how they taste like. It may also be a form of marketing, leaving a memorable dining experience for the guests.

Here are 3 examples of using data viz on the menus:

1. Fun Toast

The coffee chart except this is the Singaporean way of ordering coffee at a coffee stall in Singapore. The use of proportions and visual cues to show what each order of coffee mean helps people new to ordering coffee in Singapore. 

2. Tanuki Raw 

A different take on the coffee chart. This Tanuki Raw menu for their coffee not only visualises the ingredients that go into the drinks but also the amount of espresso. Although it may be confusing at first, it is a radar chart in disguise with half the circle for the ingredients and the other half for the amount of espresso.  

3. KOI Thé 

In addition to using icons to illustrate their top drinks and toppings, this menu uses colour bars to represent the ice and sugar level for their drinks. The uses of red on this menu are interesting as red represents too much sugar in one bar and high temperature in another.

All in all, using visuals on menus is not something new, but it is not commonplace. Perhaps, a conclusion on whether such visual cues are helpful or not can only be drawn with careful survey and research.