Behind the VBS “Lunch for Missions” Menus 🍔🎨

🎯 Starting With the Why

At the heart of this campaign was a simple idea: kids and families could purchase lunch, and all proceeds would go toward missions. That meant the design needed to clearly communicate the value of each day’s meal, feel accessible to both kids and adults, and match the joyful chaos of the larger VBS theme.

Zach had already laid a strong visual foundation with a bold, comic-style branding package full of neon slime splashes, retro fonts, and high-contrast color blocking. That gave me a creative playground to work in. From there, my task was to build daily menus that could feel consistent with his branding, while being unique enough to draw eyes to what’s being served each day.

🧩 Piecing It Together in Illustrator

The menus were designed in Adobe Illustrator using a layered system that kept things flexible. Here's how I approached the layout:

• Color-Coded Days: I gave each weekday its own color banner—blue for Tuesday and Thursday, pink for Wednesday, green for Friday—to help visually anchor each day at a glance. This mirrored the playful rhythm of a comic strip layout.

• Comic Book Fonts & Shadows: I used bold, layered typography for headings like “SERVING TODAY” and meal options. Drop shadows and outline strokes helped give that pop-art feeling while maintaining clarity.

• Slime as a Design Element: The iconic slime blobs (from Zach’s branding kit) became more than accents—they framed the content and gave the designs energy and depth. I adjusted their placement for visual balance and to guide the viewer's eye.

• Cutout Photography: Photos of VBS leaders and kids, masked with strong outlines and shadows, made the layout feel dynamic and personalized. The human element helped make the messaging more relatable—these weren’t just menus, they were about people.

Each version was exported as both static images and slides for our screens, giving us the flexibility to display the menu in print or digitally.

💡 The Role of Collaboration

Working with Zach Gibson is always a creative boost. His approach to branding is rooted in clarity and creativity—everything he builds serves a purpose while still feeling fresh and bold. Having access to the “What a Mess!” brand kit let me jump in and start creating with guardrails that helped accelerate the process.

Our conversations helped shape small but key decisions—like using a checkerboard background for texture, or how far to push the cartoonish outlines before they became too busy. It was a great reminder that the best work happens when collaboration fuels direction.

🚀 Final Thoughts

Designing these menus wasn’t just about listing food. It was about inviting people into a bigger mission—and doing it in a way that felt fun, engaging, and aligned with the spirit of VBS.

From typography to slime splats, every detail helped tell the story of “What a Mess!” in a way that was organized and exciting. And thanks to a strong branding framework, the creative process was fast, collaborative, and joy-filled.

Want to see the final designs?
👉 [View the Lunch for Missions gallery here.] (Insert your image gallery or link)

Tools Used:

• Adobe Illustrator

• Layer-based export for print and screen

• Brand kit from Zach Gibson

• Fonts: ChunkFive & Comic Serif Pro

• VBS energy level: 💯