Jurassic Text Layouts:

Children’s books need to be engaging and educational, text can make or break this balance; a spread can pop off the page with text or it can be made completely dull and boring depending on its placement and treatment.

I was concerned that text would make the book boring, or trip up on the illustrations that I have produced. To see how other illustrators/publishers have treated text throughout their books I took a trip to WHSmith to get some hands-on time with contemporary children’s books. The above images are type experiments over a double page spread to try and see how type could work throughout my recipe book.

The most successful experiments, I feel, were those that separated the text and the image. Integrated text works throughout some books, but as there isn’t much room on my illustrations for text, artwork was being covered which I would really rather avoid.

The typefaces that I used through my narrative recipe book were Clare Hand and Amatic.

Forma:

London-based designer Arjun Harrison-Mann created this custom typeface based on the history of design and typography. The type’s layered structure represents the complexity and connectivity of memory, and more specifically, how ephemera can trigger different memories about a certain event or place.

A nice piece of design, this layered style of design is becoming increasingly popular, but Forma seems to offer something new to this growing typographical market.

When describing his work, Arjun says:

‘A typeface inspired by the history of type, specifically
Aztec and 3rd century Coptic mark making, entitled ‘Forma’.
This typeface was custom made for my final major project based on
autobiographical memory and how ephemera can trigger memories.
Therefore I chose to use a layered structure to represent the complexity
and connectivity of autobiographical & triggered memory.’

- Arjun Harrison-Mann

To see Arjun’s Forma project, or any other piece of his work, check out his Behance page here.

Liam Edwards - Illuminati Editorial Design:

Every Final Major Project (FMP) must resolve an issue, a vast amount of careful research must be put in place before beginning the creative challenge. Before I embark on my journey towards completing my own Final Major Project, it is important that I gain a broader understanding about what makes a good research project, and how to overcome the creative challenge that lies ahead.

In his FMP Liam Edwards has created a developed, well structured piece of editorial design that looks to put forward a fictional campaign to expose ‘The Illuminati’, a secret society/greater power that rules the World behind closed doors. In his work he describes what ‘The Illuminati’ is, symbolism to look out for, how they control us on all levels, and who is under their control.

A very well thought out idea that has been clearly researched, and overall executed to a high standard. The colour overlays used throughout provide a solid graphical system, and he has used the triangle (an Illuminati symbol) as a geometric starting point to base his design on. An inspiring piece of work that is based on a strong concept and thorough research.

To see Liam’s editorial design FMP, click here.