This time around we’ll take a look at spa menu design. To begin, we’ll examine the different types of spas and treatments, which invariably influence the design of the menu. Afterwards, we’ll take a look at some of the rules of style, to craft the best type of menu copy possible.
The Type of Spa, The Type of Spa Menu Design
When designing a menu for a spa, we need to consider several things. First of all, it’s vital to understand that there are different kinds of spas and this naturally means that menu design will likely be different depending on the establishment.
Types of Spa
There are different types of spas and each specific variety will dictate differences in the spa menu design needed. Indeed, a resort will likely require a larger menu than, say, a day spa. The latter may use a menu that is probably a lot more specific and pointed. The resort menu, in turn, will most likely be larger, featuring more things. This same dynamic occurs with the other types of spas, such as beauty spas and similar places. Each will have differences in the way they create and design their spa menus.
Recommendations for Design
Originally, a spa was created as a location to provide medicinal baths, by using spring or seawater. Spas have been continually evolving and these days they can offer a vast array of health treatments, in equally diverse settings. In fact, spas may be known as spa towns, spa resorts, hot springs resorts, and day spas among others. This may pose a challenge when creating a spa menu design. When starting a project to design the menu, we need to take a full account and overview of all the services offered by the establishment.
Consider for one, the spa menu design for a day spa. In this case, we’re looking at an establishment that is more than a beauty salon but a bit less than a destination spa. In other words, a day spa will offer a fair amount of service but no overnight accommodation (and the services related to such overnight stays).
A destination spa, on the other hand, usually offers more services. In the case of spa menu design for such a place, we’ll probably need to make room for a more extensive offer which may have services such as special diets, exercising, coaching of various sorts, etc. A spa menu design for such a place may be ampler, similar to what a tourist resort could offer, complete with restaurants. In fact, it may be decided that a destination/resort spa will need separate menus for the different services that it offers.
Treatments in a Spa
It’s important that we understand that different spas will offer different treatments. This will evidently influence the creation of the menu. Many spas offer ‘body treatments’, and a vast array of cosmetic treatments. We’ll take a look at each treatment and also give out some pointers to incorporate in their spa menu design.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is based on using aromatic materials that may accrue health benefits for the person being treated. These aromatic materials may include things such as essential oils, aroma compounds, and similar materials. Aromatherapy is often described as a form of alternative medicine or complementary therapy.
When including aromatherapy in spa menu design, it may be useful to exhibit the whole range of aromas and therapies available. Each specific blend used by the aromatherapist may bring about specific benefits. It may be useful to include these purported effects and benefits in the spa menu design. It’s also useful to note down if the aromatherapy will be applied topically, via massage or through water immersion etc.
Bathing
As described earlier in this article, spas really were born as a place to receive treatments based around water. As such, bathing treatments are usually the largest offering in many spa menu designs. These may include things like:
- Artificial waterfall
- Cervical waterfall
- Hot springs
- Mud bath
- Hydromassage
- Sauna
- Steam bath
- Vichy shower
When including the bathing options in a spa menu design, there are some things to remember. It may be useful to include information such as the duration of the treatment, its benefits, the options that each individual treatment may offer, etc.
Body wraps
Body wraps, or mud wraps, are a common fixture in spas. The skin is essentially covered in mud for a certain period of time. Such wrapping causes sweating and this process can bring about certain benefits including slimming and toning of the boy, hydration of the skin, relaxation, easing of inflammation and joint pain, etc.
When including an offering of body wraps in a spa menu design there are some things that may be worth mentioning. Such details may include things such as the duration of the treatment. It may also be useful to include the specifics of each body wrap or mud wrap and what their benefits are.
Massage
Massages as we know, consist of manipulating soft tissue. There are many techniques. Their ultimate goal is to achieve health benefits and relaxation and decrease stress or pain. There are different types of massage, including:
- Swedish
- Deep tissue
- Structural integration
- Sports massage
- Thai
- Medical massage
Massage will likely be featured prominently in spa menu designs. When including massages in a menu design there are some things to remember. For one, it’s important to note that there are a lot of different styles of massage. Since this is the case, a spa menu design will probably need to account for the different types of massage on offer and their individual benefits.
Now then, since each massage is different, they also may require different instruments and tools. These may include things like massage tables and chairs, therapy pools, dry-water massage tables, Vichy showers, among others. Apart from that, there’s the obvious assortment of lotions, oils, and gels. It may be useful to include these items in the spa menu design. The menu could have a brief description of each individual massage and the items that it may include, such as the options of gels or oils on offer etc.
Beauty Care
There are several things which we can call beauty care on offer at spas. Such offers may include hair care, manicures, pedicures. Another typical beauty treatment is the facial. When we talk about a facial, we’re usually describing a large array of skincare for the face such as steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, facial masks, peels, etc. In this case, a spa menu design may choose to explain each offer. Descriptions may be pithy.
The Elements of Style in Spa Menu Design
When creating a spa menu design, there are certain things that we shouldn’t forget. It’s certainly important to understand spas, the different types of spa and treatments offered. Likewise, it’s vital to know how best to present the information and to express it graphically. A final, but no less important feature though, is writing great copy.
A spa menu design is evidently composed of a lot of writing. Such copy must be extremely well written, lest we bore the reader and render the other items (such as graphics and layouts) ineffective. To achieve great results, we must remember certain basic elements or rules of style.
Omit Needless Words
When creating copy for a spa menu design it’s important to avoid the tendency to use excessive words. The more vigor and pithiness the writing has, the better.
Eventually, though, it may be fine to use a bit more words. Imagine, for example, the description of a particular massage, complete with the benefits and gels that will be used. It’s fine to write a bit more here and even to craft stylized passages of copy. Whenever we use more words, however, it’s important that they not lose their potency. Each word must really count, even if, perhaps especially if, the passage is going to be lengthy.
Don’t Overstate
A typical mistake when creating copy is overstating. This is very much related to using needless words and excessive prose, like we wrote above. It goes a bit further though, into the realm of writing style.
A typical mistake of a writing novice (and in this case of a copy-writing novice) is to use a florid style to describe and create a text. Such a style is usually full of ‘weasel words’ (words which are used too much in copy-writing and are thus cliches of sorts). Let’s try to explain this with an example. Consider the following passage, for inclusion in a spa menu design:
“Come with us to a magical world of sensual delights and pleasure and make use of the different dreamlike bathing available in our spa. You can choose to make use of our enchanted and incredible artificial waterfall to achieve total relaxation, as you’re transported into a fantasy world of total serenity.”
Surely such a passage could be cut down to size. Not only does it have excess words. It also overstates the benefits of the artificial waterfall, to the point where they become unbelievable. Why not tamper down the excess prose and write more vigorously and even curtly? Also, try to lead with the offer itself, and make it stick in the mind of the customer. The refurbished passage could be as simple and potent as:
“Enjoy our artificial waterfall and achieve total relaxation.”
Note also that since we’ve cut down the flab in the passage, we can add more interesting and vigorous text which may actually explain more about the waterfall itself.
The Bunny Studio Way!
When looking for first-rate spa menu design, think of Bunny Studio. Our talented designers are ready to create your spa menu design. Our talented team of writers is also ready to assist you. Bunny Studio can create all elements of your spa menu from start to finish.
Go to the Bunny Studio website, click on ‘Chat With Us’ and write us. The Bunny Studio staff will immediately assist you and the process can begin!
