About the Project
A few years ago, I interviewed a woman named Pamela who traveled extensively through Europe and other parts of the world. I recorded our interview, created some illustrations that pertained to our discussion, and compiled it all into a booklet. Now in 2022, I've decided to revisit that project and refine it further.
Reasons for Reworking
The first iteration of this project was done during the first year of my design program, so my design skills have improved considerably since then. The project was a bit rushed, and it resulted in the illustration style being inconsistent from one drawing to the next. The usage of type in the book could also be improved, many of the fonts used were too decorative and the layout was a bit confusing.
The color scheme was lightened overall, but used many similar tones. The title on the first cover page (left) didn't stand out because of the names of the countries, so I opted for abstract illustrations instead (which are also included throughout the rest of the book).
A Selection of Spreads from the Book: Before and After
Table of Contents
The table of contents spread was okay before (left), but could have better legibility. It also felt like it didn't belong with the rest of the book spreads (below). I used a less decorative font for headers in my second design of the book (right), so I incorporated that into the table of contents. I also removed unnecessary items from the table of contents page, such as the footer and page number, to make sure the most important information stood out. I also repurposed the cluttered cover pages into an inside cover decorative element, which fits much better stylistically and makes the spreads more cohesive.
Traveling New Zealand (2 spreads)
The first spread with the penguin had a lot going on: the illustration, the blue squiggle, different colored text and several typefaces. I had attempted to use two different colors of text for each person speaking (myself and Pam) but in hindsight it made my work much more difficult.
In the reworked version I decided to use the same typeface and color for both speakers, but use text placement and different weights to create the distinction. I also decided to scrap the countryside illustration in the second spread in favor of the abstract squiggles, which I updated by using multiple colors and adding texture. The goal with this was to create more "breathing room" between sections with lots of text by using decorative spreads and lots of negative space.
Safety Traveling Solo
This spread was one of the ones that was really close to looking good, but just needed to be cleaned up a bit. In the first iteration I tried creating a checkerboard-type layout to create interest because I felt it was too simple otherwise, but now I appreciate the cleanness that comes with simpler layouts.
Pam's Travel Tips
This spread was also very cluttered, many elements were crammed into these two pages because I was reaching my page limit (16 pages) and still had a lot of information I planned on including. Simplifying the text layout by using cleaner type choices, smaller text, and spacing it appropriately throughout the book actually created more room in the new design, which allowed me to expand this spread and create an index page for the map.
The map in the first version felt like it didn't belong stylistically with the rest of the illustrations. It felt too clean and computer-based, whereas the others had a more painterly feel to them. To make this map feel more hand-drawn, I re-drew it using a textured brush and simplified by cutting out the world map. The section of the book that references the map is talking solely about Italy, so I felt it was an unnecessary piece to include.
Final Assessment
When I first designed this interview booklet, I was an inexperienced designer who was trying to figure things out, and it shows in this book. At the time I was quite proud of it, but now I can tell that my design skills needed refinement. I'm sure in a year or two I will the same way about this new version, or some of my other projects on this portfolio site, but I feel it's important to acknowledge progress and practice the ability to edit one's own work.
This new book was cleaned up substantially. I lightened up the color palette, incorporated some more abstract illustrations, simplified the layout to increase readability and clarity, selected new fonts to increase legibility, and removed/reworked illustrations that were not stylistically cohesive. It is now much easier to read as a result, the flow makes more sense and the illustrations fit well with the text on the page. Abstract illustrations break up large sections of text, and no single spread feels overwhelming to look at. It is a big improvement from the original document.
Mockups found through Freepik