Penguin Design Award - Final Developments & Production

Penguin Design Award - Final Developments & Production

Digital developments
Expanding on the idea of repurposing a typeface to reference Russian Constructivist & Soviet ideals I began to design my own typeface including the ideas of basic square shapes and contrasting curves, this way the transition from good to bad could be subtly applied to the key focus of the brief. The use of typography. 

The addition of angular ligatures, ornaments, extensions and the reversing of type helped further support the visual representation of Russian constructivism. 

A 3D effect was achieved by doubling up the glyphs, this added a physical feel to the typography making all aspects of the book feel real as a touch point expansion of adding colour and reality to the books textual content.

A feeling of chaos and order was achieved by breaking up the glyphs and words within a structured grid, the typography is the main focus of the design so it holding a concept relating to the books content is important but it also needs to be readable and legible, the vertical alignments are OK in a sense but there needs to be a better element of readability within the design.

Still using the typography as a key delivery for the concept a few layouts where tried to expand on the idea of deconstruction and construction with the legible and easy digestion of the text. The balance was all off though and it was clear there needed to be other visual elements added to tie the whole design together as one, everything felt too loose. Adding colour was a starting point, taking pastel shades from key constructivist work but this felt too childish in small additions like this. 

To maintain the raw feel monochrome schemes where brought back, the fading of tones also helped add to the feeling of a transition of behaviour. A key touchpoint of the concept. Keeping everything centre aligned help maintain legibility and this layout had a very traditional bookish feel, something important when transitioning from traditional print/publishing distribution to digital publishing limitations. An important consideration within my methodology. 

Angling the individual glyphs is something common in soviet and constructivism work and bunching the letters together then deconstructed the way they are positioned strengthened the idea of deconstruction and construction, or chaos and order to represent the behavioural transition. While also bringing motion into the design within how everything positioned and the eye reads the separate elements.

The black background and white type has impact, an important aspect of the brief but combined with the layout of the glyphs and words legibility and digestion of information is an issue again. 

The positioning of the text and the shapes they make work well though if these where to be placed into shapes.

Bringing back the pastel shades using the colour blocks using the contrasting colours and tones, still looks childish a connotation that really doesn't suit the book, the layout of the text as a text only design works well though and balances well within the page layout. 

Taking strong influence from El Lissitsky use of circles and abstract alignments of type this design represents the 4 main characters from a birds eye view with there top hats on, the fading tone represents the alienation of the 1 character while also showing a change of behaviours as a secondary support concept. 

The use of contrasting curved shapes and angular shapes works well with and compliments the typefaces contrast of sharp and curved, acting as containers that provide a structured feel within a deconstructed layout. Without them the words feel lost and the idea of chaos is too strong, the contrasting tone further supports the idea of a transition while the alternative angles and positioning of the type has an abstract aesthetic that supports the overall look and feel of the book. 

Production
The grid system helps create structure when playing around with alternative alignments of the text content to maintain a feeling of structure. Bringing in warped images to visualise elements of the book, like religion and the idea of a warped mindset of the main character. 

Bringing in the idea of a physical page in a digital repurposed way, adding corners to the page makes it look like an offset page, bringing in the idea of technology and traditional print but also the triangles add a further constructivist feel with the angled quote further supporting this idea. 

The neutral tones have a very industrial and robust feel, something quite important when considering the urban setting. The greys and monochromes have that futuristic feel to support the era the book is set in.

The addition of texture within a monochrome layout supports the gritty feel of the book, the addition of the 4 circles was brought back to represent the characters with the white contrasting circle symbolising the alienation of the main character.

Each visual element lines up with another, be it in the grid or the background lining up with foreground shapes, this brings the idea of chaos into something more structured.

The idea of contrasting the back and front cover from structure to chaos is shown here with the minimal addition of visual elements, while the addition of gradient adds further visual reference to a transition of behaviour. 

Key visual icons where brought in like the top hat and top hat all created using the same simple shapes found throughout the design, there are 21 visual elements within the design to represent the number 21, the symbol of maturity. A finishing point for the transition of behaviour from bad to good.

The altering alignment, angles and positioning of type further show the change and warping of perspective and behaviour throughout the book.

Playing with colours that represent Russian constructivism, feedback suggested the green and red. The blue and yellow feel too contemporary and futuristic, there needs to be a balance between the old and the new.