Good form always follows function.  A good buffet is no exception.  The basic layout should be designed to allow for the most efficient function (so we’ll start there) and then additional aesthetic tips can be layered on for even greater effect.

How to Set a Functional Buffet

Buffets are an area where nearly everyone seems to just “do what’s always been done” without thinking.  But some buffet layout habits are inefficient and frustrating.  Taking the time to think through how a plate can be put together with the greatest ease produces some subtle — but extremely helpful — changes.  Here are some tips for laying out a buffet that works smoothly:

• Put the plates/bowls at the very beginning.  This one is so obvious that nearly everyone gets it right.  The first thing you need, in order to fill your plate — is a plate!
• Put the utensils and napkins at the end.  Here we start to diverge a bit.  Nearly everyone puts the utensils and napkins with the plates.  But why?  You don’t need them until after you’ve finished filling your plate and are ready to sit down, so they just make 2-4 more items you have to try to juggle (and not drop on the floor) while you’re getting your food.  If you’re trying to fill a plate for yourself and one for your child, this juggling act becomes even more difficult.  Just save the utensils for the end.
• Place the condiments right after the foods they go on.  Think hamburgers.  Most people open up their hamburgers to add the ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.  If you’ve already filled your plate, where do you put the top of the bun while you have it opened up?  If there’s little or nothing else on the plate yet, you have room to work while you top your burger, and then can replace the bun and move on to the rest of the plate.  (Of course, if two or more foods require the same condiments, group them accordingly.  Put hamburgers, then hot dogs, then condiments, not hamburgers, then condiments, then hot dogs.)Condiments also have a tendency to hold things up a bit, because it takes longer to “fix your burger” (or whatever) than to dish something onto your plate and go on.  If you happen to have two tables, or be using two different sides, is it possible to arrange it so the condiments make up the end of one table/side?  If so, the other table/side may flow more uninterrupted.
• Group like items.  All the main dishes first, then all the sides, with the all the chippy things and dips together, etc. makes decision-making easier than if they’re all mixed in together.
• Label foods, if you can.  If people have to try to figure out what a given dish is, they will stop movement of the line.  If those with food allergies will be eating with you, including the ingredients on the labels can be a huge help.
• If you have the space, put drinks in a separate location.  People don’t usually try to carry drinks and plates at the same time.  It’s easier to just go put your plate down and then go back for a drink.  If this isn’t possible, put the drinks after all the food, and be sure to leave space for people to put their plates down while they fill their cups.
• Pay attention to direction.  Where are people starting from and ending from.  If you have a separate drink and/or dessert table, is the traffic crossing over, making people trip over each other?  Depending on your space, you may have few options available, but do take a couple minutes to think about whether your traffic flow it the best it can be, or whether you could improve it by reversing the buffet table, swapping the food and drink locations, etc.
• If it’s going to be set out for any length of time, take measures to keep hot things hot and cold things cold.  This isn’t so much about making the traffic flow effective, as making sure no one gets food poisoning!  Slow cookers, hot plates, etc. can help keep hot things hot.  (Be careful where cords end up, to avoid tripping or pulling hot foods off the table!)  Insulated bowls can help keep cold things cold, or you can layer dishes inside of bowls or (lipped) trays of ice.

How to Beautify a Buffet

Once you’ve ensured your buffet is functional, you can take extra steps to make sure it’s also beautiful.  Some people just seem to have a knack for this.  Others (ahem…me) don’t.  Even if you don’t have a knack for making it “naturally” beautiful, though, there are a few things you can do intentionally that make a difference aesthetically.

• Vary the height.  This is the one thing that probably makes the biggest difference.  The most beautiful buffet tables usually have some things that sit flat and some others that are elevated.  I wouldn’t try this with a potluck, but if you’re setting up your own buffet, you can add height in several ways.  Using taller containers is an obvious option — like a cake stand or a tiered plate stand designed for buffets.  But if you don’t have those, you still have options.  You can turn containers upside-down to use as stands for other things.  If they’re beautiful — like a lovely bowl that just happens to be upside-down — you can leave them as-is.  If they’re not (like a cardboard box), then place them under a tablecloth, napkin, etc. so they’re hidden.
• Vary the colors and textures of the food. Your buffet will be more interesting if everything doesn’t look and/or feel alike.  (More variety is more likely to equal more balanced nutrition, too!)  Dips or spreads add a textural balance to crispy dippers, which are different still from soft-but-solid items like cheddar cheese or ham sandwiches.  And if everything is neutral — say, turkey and white cheddar and crackers and chicken salad and liver pate — it looks a little bland.  Either introduce some colored foods — maybe some orange cheddar, some cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots for dipping, etc. — or add garnishes to items like the chicken salad.  Or both.  (Of course if a given color is your party theme, that may be an exception.)
• Vary the shapes. Unless your theme is “circles” or something, you can add interest to your table by varying the shapes included.  Maybe you have short, stubby chunks of cheese, and long, slender carrot sticks.  Apples are cut into wedges, and crackers are round.  You can vary the shapes of the items you choose, the way you cut them, and also the way you lay them out.  If you’re using lunch meat, can you overlap the slices instead of piling them all up in a plain stack?  Put dippers in a circle around a central dip container?  Just take a minute to see if simply moving something around or cutting it into a different shape will introduce more visual interest.  Are you noticing a theme here?
• Add “a little something.”  Nothing says the table has to only have food on it.  Obviously you don’t want to include anything that would be confused for food, but decorative flags or frilled toothpicks in your cheese or olives add a little pizzazz, a container of flowers adds a splash of color, and a candle breaks up the swath of food.