From Proof of Concept to Product: Editorial Design and Branding for a Vegan Travel Ebook

Mar 7
5 min read

Updated: Jul 13

The client had a solid idea and a clear intention, but the execution was not aligned with the experience she wanted to offer. Together we refined it and turned it into a tangible product that can live comfortably in a boutique hospitality setting.

The ebook was full of restaurant recommendations, food markets, useful phrases, cultural nuances and practical tips for vegetarian and vegan travellers in Málaga. The content was thoughtful and well researched. What it lacked was a visual language that matched that level of care.

The client was not looking for a quick fix or a prettier template. She wanted a deliberate editorial object: something that would feel at home on the coffee table of a boutique hotel lobby, be offered as a premium digital resource, and eventually grow into a series for new cities and future editions.

Our role was to take a well worked proof of concept and give it the structure and presence of a real product.

My project was already underway, but I needed specialised collaboration—specifically someone who could offer strategic insight from a design and marketing perspective. From the very first assessment, I was impressed by her ideas, and we immediately began the process of redesigning my eBook, both in digital and print formats. Sonia has been attentive to every detail, not only in terms of design but also by recommending suitable platforms to print the product with the expected quality. She also suggested valuable marketing tools to help support the sale of the eBook. I am deeply grateful for her contributions and confident that we will continue working together on future projects. – Mariela Ching, Editor-in-Chief at Vega Vista

The Challenge

The first version of the guide had been created in Canva. It was a good starting point, but several details worked against the guest experience the client had in mind. Pages felt uneven: some margins compressed the content and others left it too loose. Mixed alignments disrupted the reading rhythm. Headings did not follow a clear hierarchy, blending chapters, sections and subsections without a logical structure.

The main colour, a rich deep green with strong potential, had been applied very broadly, to the point where it felt heavy and tiring over time. Underneath all of that, the ambition was very clear: a curated, confident guide, ready to become a branded product rather than just a downloadable file. The challenge was to let the form support that intention, giving the content the frame it deserved.

The Intention

Together we defined a simple but demanding objective: transform her work into a considered editorial piece, designed for both screen and print.

We focused on:

Refining the visual structure for smooth, comfortable reading
Creating a consistent system for titles, chapters and sections
Designing a cover with enough character to lead a future collection
Preparing print‑ready files that remain elegant in digital format

The result needed to feel at home in hospitality environments: calm, confident and worth picking up and keeping.

The Audit: Revealing the Potential

Before designing, we listened carefully to the client, her context and the future of the project. From that conversation and the initial review, three key opportunities emerged:

The cover: visually pleasant, but not presenting ‘Vega Vista’ as a distinctive title. It risked looking generic rather than clearly branded.
Brand potential: the concept could expand to other cities, but the design did not yet suggest a series or an underlying system.
Content flow: the intellectual structure was solid, but could be reorganised to match how a traveller actually uses the guide during a trip.

From these insights, we anchored the project in three priorities: legibility, visual consistency and editorial positioning.

The Design Approach

Instead of chasing aesthetics alone, the design approach was based on restraint. The guide needed to feel like a well considered dining room: nothing random, nothing noisy, everything placed with purpose.

Margins and Space

We established consistent margins throughout the ebook, giving the content enough space without pushing it to the edges.

That simple decision changed the experience: pages are easier to navigate, the eye can rest, and the guide feels composed and cared for rather than improvised.

Alignment and Hierarchy

Next, we defined a clear typographic logic.

A single, consistent alignment, avoiding visual jumps from page to page
A hierarchy with distinct levels: main title, chapter titles, page titles, subtitles and supporting text

This orients the reader. Wherever they open the guide, they can intuitively understand where they are in the journey of the content.

Colour as an Accent

The deep green was not the problem; its use was. We repositioned it as an accent. The colour now supports the brand quietly, giving identity without fatigue.

At chapter openings
In icons and structural details
In subtle highlights that guide the eye through the page

A Cover With a Future

We explored several directions for the cover. The brief was not just “beautiful”, but recognisable: a cover ready to become the face of a collection.

A design that creates curiosity by partially veiling the image, inviting guests to open it
A food‑centred cover that celebrates the vibrant tones of plant‑based cuisine
Options with prominent city naming, anticipating future city‑specific guides

From List to Curated Experience

For the restaurant section, we treated the design as part of the guest journey, not just a way to present data.

A clean comparison table for quick scanning
Individual cards for each restaurant, including service style, price level, address, icons for dietary preferences, and room for a description or photo

These cards turn information into experience and invite the reader to explore at their own pace. Every layout decision considered print costs, balancing visual impact with operational realities.

Beyond the Page: Hospitality Thinking

Although the core of the project was editorial, it was never conceived as “a pretty book” alone. From the start, we worked with the idea of how this guide could integrate into the guest experience and brand strategy once finished.

An intentional landing page to build interest before launch, with clear copy and a simple form to collect subscribers
Trackable links in the digital version to understand how readers interact with recommendations
QR codes in the print version to connect directly to online content and keep the guide alive over time

In this way, the ebook stops being a static object and becomes a piece that supports both the traveller and the hotel: a hospitality experience that connects lobby, screen and the guest’s real journey through the city.

The Result: A Guide With Presence

The finished ebook now:

Reads comfortably, thanks to consistent margins, spacing and alignment
Feels professional and composed, supported by a clear typographic structure
Expresses the brand through intentional colour and layout
Performs well in both print and digital formats
Is ready to grow into future editions without needing to be reinvented each time

The content was always strong. The design elevated it into a product with weight, coherence and quiet care.

For Brands Who See Their Materials as Part of the Experience

This type of work is for teams that value both their content and their guests, and who do not leave details to chance. It is relevant if you are shaping a:

Guide, menu, in‑room booklet or editorial piece created in a DIY tool that no longer matches your brand
Resource intended for both digital and print use
Product that carries your name, taste and promise directly to guests

You may not need more features or more pages. You may need alignment: between what you say, how it looks and how it feels in the hands of the people who matter.

That is where Preszia comes in, calmly and carefully, to turn considered ideas into experiences that belong in the spaces you have worked so hard to create.