Project Brief
The Client
This project began from a desire to editorialize an unadorned online essay. I chose an essay written by Erik Carter, titled ‘Do You Want Typography, or Do You Want the Truth?’
My Role
The body copy was written by Erik Carter, who is not affiliated with the project. I am responsible for all efforts in this project.
Timeline
32-40 hours over 5 weeks.
Project Results
The Problem
The essay written by Erik Carter was published in Walker Magazines website. The essay protests the many ethical dilemmas designing for-profit creates, and advocates contributing towards more ethical projects that can help your local community. I felt that the personality of the essay was assertive, brash, and dramatic. My goal was to find a balance between my design style and the author's personality.
The Solution
The final product is an 8 page saddle stitched booklet sized at 5.5”x8.5”. The personality of the author comes through in the matter of fact typesetting, harsh contrasts between the header and body section, and in the glitchy cover and image treatment. The design compels the reader to continue reading through a balanced design system which enforces a strict information hierarchy.
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Design Highlights
Balanced Texture
X-ray Treatment
Linocut Cover
Playful Styling
Project Methodology
Type Pairing
This booklet uses ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro due to its dramatic angularity, and trademark ligatures & alternate character sets. For body type, Museo was chosen due to its proportional similarity to Avant Garde Gothic.
Experimental Layout
I wanted to create a directional system, and decided to dedicate an entire column to headings and “structural” information. The reader could flip through the booklet and easily find the various sections of the essay, and the body would always be located in the same places. I decided to have the ‘outer’ column be the structural area, and the two inner columns be the informational areas. This allowed for less eye movement, and created a natural rhythm.
Conclusion
This project was extremely successful at creating a polished deliverable for an otherwise plain and standard essay. My hope would be for this booklet to be published in a zine format, reaching passionate users who would not have otherwise heard of the author. This is an example of how my design style is suited to the client and context, and shows the passion I have for robust design systems.