02 Editorial Design:
Worlds Apart
Brief summary:
This project required students to develop a unique concept for a hardcover printed book dealing with someone whom we perceive to be a person of worth or a person whose story is worthy of telling. Students were required to conduct in-depth research on/with the subject, develop an editorial concept and narrative strategy, write partial original text, develop a design concept and execute selective imaging components of the book. Students were also required to produce convincing prototypes – presentation boards with 3-D mock-ups. Please note that students were not expected to execute a complete book, but only selective parts. All text and imaging are original and self- generated by students without exception. If other people’s source materials were used, they have been reworked substantially to ‘make it my own’ and original sources are appropriately credited. The book is non-fictional and has been conceptualised for print production, even though the prototypes are submitted in a digital format.
Project deliverables:
A. Editorial spreads
01. Dust jacket
02. Cover (front, spine, and back)
03. Endpapers
04. Title page
05. Imprint page
06. Content page
07. One completed chapter
08. Chapter titles and additional text spreads for each remaining chapter
B. Presentation boards of spread mockups
click here to view flat dust jacket & cover
click here to view flat spreads
Design strategy:
The person I perceive to have a story worth telling, and thus the subject of my story, is Ryno Harding. He is a recovered drug addict and alcoholic. At the age of nine, he became a victim of sexual assault and rape. After many thorough interviews with Ryno, I felt equipped with enough sympathy to write sporadic chapter summaries based on different phases in his life. When discussing his rock bottom, he showed me pictures of the wounds he had from the beatings he had endured and I noticed that he has many tattoos. It turns out that each of them are sentimental, so I decided to recreate them in ink and manipulate them digitally for my imaging component. To make my illustrations innovative, I photographed Johannesburg's nightlife and added texture to these photographs with cigarette butts and ash. I kept in mind that although my subject matter was inelegant, I had to adapt my executions to be suitable enough for the target audience. This book would be for bibliophile adults who collect limited editions and high-end illustrated books – this implies that the presentation was expected to be of exceptional quality.
Initial ideas:
Visual strategy:
Many of the visuals are a recreation of Ryno's tattoos. The descriptions above are Ryno explaining to me what his tattoos mean to him.
Process work:
Presentation boards:
