The Challenge
A brief of redesigning the interior and exterior of an existing book was assigned. Different types of brainstorming and research were conducted in order to compile the best possible elements and principles of design to “modernize” a public domain book, The Great God Pan, published in 1894.
The premise of the novel is that a lobotomy is conducted on an innocent woman in order to meet “The Great God Pan,” an allusion to being able to see the darkest and most chaotic imaginable things considered invisible to the human eye. This woman gives birth to a child, who grows up and winds her way into haunting many people from different perspectives in the novel. The story itself is chilling and eerie, alluding greatly to man’s fear of the unknown.
The Process
Upon reading the book, I was instantly inspired to compile images of “eldritch and Lovecraftian horrors”. My intent was to bring the subject matter of the book to the surface—to the best of my ability.
Sketches
I used my mood board as a bouncing-off point to create rudimentary thumbnail sketches of dust jacket covers. Although this assignment was for a typography class, I knew I wanted to create something detailed and expressive that stretched my Photoshop muscles.
The cover imagery was altered into a blue colour in order to fit the ominous, depressing and eerie feel of the story. The photo of the girl was firstly adjusted to remove her tattoo, and then the image of the skull was superimposed onto half of her face in order to represent the themes of the story (lobotomies, multiple personalities, fear of death, etc.). Several adjustments were applied in order to create a cohesive image that almost appears untouched as if everything was staged and prepared together in a studio.
The Results
The typefaces Cinzel Decorative, Avenir and Georgia were selected for use in this design project. Cinzel Decorative was utilized for the dust jacket title, as well as headers within the interior of the book. Its stylized design pairs well with the creepy, slightly “off” feeling that the story gives the reader. The typeface was paired with Avenir on the dust jacket in order to retain some modern appeal. The two faces paired well for a streamlined cover that would likely pique the interest of an avid reader. Georgia was utilized for the interior body copy of the book due to its high legibility and formal appearance. Its look makes the story a pleasant one to read, even though the subject matter can be discomforting.
The dust jacket went through several iterations as I balanced content and typographic detail—as well as made minor improvements on print bleeds.
Finally, I reached an iteration I was proud enough to print, trim, and slip onto another old book (as well as get the opportunity to display it in a case on campus).
Project Information
Project Type
School Project
School
MacEwan University
Date
April 2019
My Role
Mood boarding and sketching
Image editing
Book interior and exterior
Typesetting
Printing, trimming, and binding
Design Tools
InDesign, Photoshop