Honouring Tradition: Birch Biting-Inspired Menu Design for Capissisit Lodge
Introduction
This project focused on redesigning the restaurant and breakfast menus for Capissisit Lodge, a hospitality landmark in Oujé-Bougoumou. I developed a new visual style that blends Cree traditional art with modern restaurant design. The menus feature a custom birch biting-inspired pattern created in Procreate, paired with local photography and cultural storytelling Menu-spreads.
Client: Capissisit Lodge
Project type: Editorial / Print Design
Programs used: Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
Client: Capissisit Lodge
Project type: Editorial / Print Design
Programs used: Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
The Challenge
The goal was to design a culturally inspired and visually balanced menu system for Capissisit Lodge — one that honoured Cree artistry while enhancing readability and user experience. The challenge was to transform traditional elements, such as birch biting and local photography, into a modern restaurant design that felt both welcoming and sophisticated. Each layout needed to celebrate culture without overwhelming function, ensuring guests could connect with the story behind the design while navigating the menu with ease.
Creating a digitally rendered birch biting pattern that preserved the delicate texture and symmetry of the traditional art form while adapting it for high-quality print.
Reimagining the menu layout and information hierarchy, balancing dense content with visual harmony and flow.
Integrating cultural symbolism — including geese, blueberries, and cedar — in a way that felt authentic, respectful, and contemporary, reinforcing a sense of place and identity throughout the design.
Creating a digitally rendered birch biting pattern that preserved the delicate texture and symmetry of the traditional art form while adapting it for high-quality print.
Reimagining the menu layout and information hierarchy, balancing dense content with visual harmony and flow.
Integrating cultural symbolism — including geese, blueberries, and cedar — in a way that felt authentic, respectful, and contemporary, reinforcing a sense of place and identity throughout the design.
The process
Research: I studied birch biting, a traditional Cree art form where designs are bitten into thin sheets of birch bark to create symmetrical floral patterns. I also explored Cree symbolism to incorporate natural and cultural elements (blueberries, geese, cedar branches).Ideation: I sketched and tested pattern elements in Procreate, experimenting with line thickness, spacing, and flow before finalizing a repeating motif. I also created layout sketches to explore ways the text and imagery could complement one another.Execution: I combined the birch pattern with photography by Willy Bosum, integrating natural textures and cultural motifs. Typography and spacing were carefully adjusted to create a menu that reads easily while retaining artistic beauty
The Solution
The final deliverables included:Breakfast Menu featuring a warm, inviting design with detailed sectioning for classics, omelettes, and kids’ mealsMenu-Breakfast.Restaurant Menu (spreads) with expanded categories, storytelling sections (A Word from the Artist, Local Artist Acknowledgement), and cultural symbolism woven into the layoutMenu-spreads.The birch biting-inspired pattern is central, symbolizing heritage and healing, while geese, blueberries, and cedar add layers of meaning connected to Cree life and land.
The Outcome & Learning
This project strengthened my skills in:Editorial design & layout problem-solving, treating text and imagery as puzzle pieces that must flow naturally.Cultural storytelling through design, creating work that both honors tradition and feels contemporary.Pattern design & digital illustration, by building my own birch biting motif from scratch in Procreate.The client appreciated how the menus not only showcased their offerings but also reflected Cree culture and values.
Reflection
If I revisited this project, I would explore adding bilingual Cree/English headings to strengthen accessibility and cultural presence. I would also experiment with augmented reality (AR) features where scanning a section of the menu reveals the story behind each cultural motif.This project reminded me that layout design is not just about readability, it can also serve as a canvas for cultural pride and storytelling.
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