Digital experimenting

• The hand made type is extremely impactful and gives an interesting composition, tying in nicely with the main visual element
• I wanted to show this idea of being trapped in a bowl of water, referencing a gold fish alone in a bowl of water, a metaphor for the protagonist's struggles throughout the book.
• My other concept was this idea of a 'wall of water' with the protagonist being washed up by a vicious wave of judgement. 
• I am definitely happy with my outcomes as I think I have drifted away from the obvious and tried to think of the concepts with a hidden meaning but still captured that pivotal emotion present in the book.
• I'm also very happy with my progress on Illustrator and becoming a lot more comfortable with using it

Reflection #1

I have been working on designing a book cover for ‘Wonder’ for the Penguin student award. Ben recommended that I gave this brief a go as he felt it would fit my graphic aesthetic. Designing a book cover is something I haven’t really experimented with before but after reading half the book already, I am currently feeling extremely motivated by the project. I have truly immersed myself into the plot, analysing the book throughout and trying to find hidden meanings and motifs which I could make interesting imagery from. There is something really exciting about recreating an existing piece of work but putting your own spin on it, interpreting it in a way which is personal to you and your aesthetic.I have always enjoyed reading books as I tend to get so wrapped up in the storyline and engaged with the characters that my imagination goes a little crazy and takes me away on this incredibly visual journey. This is specifically what’s happening with ‘Wonder’. I am really enjoying creating imagery for it as I have so many ideas on trying to represent the book or capturing the real essence and core if what the book is about through imagery.

I am finding it difficult to balance my COP project with Extended practice however as the deadline for COP is fast approaching so feel i should probably invest more time in perfecting that before continuing with this one. Going into my Tutorial I was feeling confident with my extended practice work and motivation but not so much with my Cop.

Crit feedback:

• Keep creating work for wonder, continue with the development and sketching. Successful!
• Do what you do best. Make your own type
• Create a timetable so you find it easier to balance your time.
• Aim to finish the book before Christmas.
• Maybe start to look at graphic design projects?
• Think about your personal projects as side projects
• Look at the 'era of Disinformation' brief
• Gif for women empowerment

Going forward:

Reflecting on my crit and where I am at with this project, the best thing for me to do is to complete this book cover as soon as a I can and then over Christmas, start making a plan for future projects. I think I still want to continue with book cover designing is this is a project i feel very motivated by and really enjoy. I will definitely be attempting the other book ‘Norwegian Wood’ in the Penguin design competition and hopefully this will lead me onto more graphic design/book briefs. I also intend to use Illustrator a lot more, as I feel like if I were to potentially look into having a career in publishing, my skills on Illustrator will be hugely beneficial as it is something which employers look for.

Overall, I am feeling a little stressed about COP but the prospects of this module is actually keeping me going and excited. I look forward to really getting stuck in and making work which I am genuinely interested in doing after I graduate.






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