How to Choose Your Food Truck Graphics

Posted by Firouzeh Tahbaz

Choosing the graphic design for your food truck is a huge decision as the exterior of your truck will give customers their first impression of your brand. Giving thoughtful consideration to the overall design is an important (and fun!) process in starting your food truck business. You want to have graphics that are eye-catching and unique but also match any existing branding you have. Consider factors like choosing the right graphic designer, colour emotions, and overall brand aesthetic when designing your food truck graphics.
Depending on what food you sell your food truck business is better suited to a minimal or maximalist design. Who is your audience? Is it families and kids? Perhaps a more exciting and vibrant design would create the right impression.  If your guests are millennials or Gen X, a more minimalist design approach might be more appealing to them.  Consider where your location will be as well – special events, amusement parks, construction sites, and art shows may all attract a different kind of audience! Here are some examples of minimalist vs maximalist design:
Thai Food TruckGather Cafe + Kitchen Food Truck
Depending on how detailed your design is you will want to fully paint your truck in a colour of your choice and do partial graphics or do a full vehicle wrap. We will determine that once your design is close to being finalized.
For your food truck design, do some research to find a graphic designer that matches your creative aesthetic. Each designer has their own distinct style. It may help to create a mood board you can share with your designer, so they have a good understanding of your vision. You can either have the graphic designer create your logo and food truck design or create a design based on your existing logo. We are happy to help you select a graphic designer that is a good fit for you. When you are in the food truck design stage, we will provide you with templates for the food truck, so your designer has the exact measurements of your truck. This ensures your graphics will go on perfectly and according to your expectations.

You may already have some colour ideas in mind for your food truck exterior but be sure to talk to your graphic designer about how colours and food interact with each other. Colour can elicit strong reactions from people without them even realizing it! Red is a colour that tends to correspond with feelings of hunger. Blue is a more calming colour, while yellow creates a more approachable and happy vibe. Green is a colour that corresponds with health, nature, and sustainability. Orange makes people feel energized. Although colours vary in shade, it is good to know how people respond to them and how you might work this in your overall food truck design.

We hope you enjoy the fun process of designing your food truck and layout. We are here to help you if you need a second opinion on anything. Ultimately, this is your business, and it is so important to make sure you are happy with the finished results before you hit the road.