Thematic

Word Book
Hannah Snow
AD 205-002
Do Gyun Kim
December 13, 2022
 Assignment
The ability to develop a typographic message
using the visual properties of type and space to
amplify content is an important skill for a design-
er. This project evolves into interesting type com-
positions with 4 sentences expressing a thematic word
in a 4-page accordion-fold book format. This project
develops an understanding of the inventive potential
of typographic form. As a message carrier, typography
can intensify and expand content and meaning.

As I started this project, I experimented

a lot with the animal I wanted to use. My
initial ideas were the capybara, earth-
worm, jerboa, and baby seal. I ultimate-
ly chose the capybara because it was a
Statement

more interesting animal compared to the

worm and seal, but wasn’t as complex as
the jerboa. I thought it was a happy me-
dium. I spent a lot of time on thumb-
Design

nail sketches because I wanted to perfect

my ability to capture the capybara in a
simple and cute style. I didn’t want to
overcomplicate the illustration style so
not to overshadow my words.
Research
Thumbnails
Black & White
Refinement 1
Refinement 2
Final Design
Final Design Statement
As I completed this book, I was overall proud of
my final product. I was a bit disappointed in the
print job quality, but that wasn’t in my con-
trol. I worked hard to connect the spreads through
colors and themes, and I think adding the mouse
friend also aided in cohesiveness. I also had fun
encorporating the colors of watermelon since that
was mentioned in the book. I spent a substantial
amount of time tuning up my shadows and eliminat-
ing harsh blacks and whites from my images. For
example, using light greys instead of white and
dark browns rather than black.

Reflections
Overall, I learned about what makes spreads co-
hesive. I also improved upon my use of color and
typeface, and worked on time management issues
throughout this project. Drawing many sketches
helped me plan out my ideas and made to process
go faster. In terms of printing, I have realized
that it is best to avoid changes in opacity in
Illustrator because it oftens skews the printed
appearance. I wish I had known this before de-
signing my book, but it stands as a lesson for
future projects.