The Monster Mash | Art_204 / GRAPHIC DESIGN

Project_01 Specs

The initial project will take on a classic form: The Coffee Table Book. That’s right, despite the rise of e-readers, iPads, and digital media, the coffee table book is still something that people look to for visual inspiration, great photography, and immersive design experiences. Instead of low-res images on an ephemeral screen, these massive tomes become the stand-in for their owners’ hobbies and eclectic interests. From the cover, this type of book must be eye-catching and dynamic, it must capture an audience’s attention. It must convince someone to pick it up. That will be your primary goal in the project.

In considering the “montage” and “cut-and-paste” aesthetic that we have been exploring thus far, there will be a sub-theme in the project: MONSTERS.

You will have a choice from three hypothetical “books” for your project:

“Monster Waves: A Chronicle of Humans Vs. Nature”
“Monsters of Rock: The Sounds that Shook the Earth
”It’s Alive: How Biology Will Create the Monsters of Our Nightmares”

So, the actual project will be to create the concept-driven “dust jacket” design for one of these oversized books with 27” x 11.25” as the final output. This may seem large, but it also includes two 4.5“ leaves, and a 1” spine (more details on these elements will follow). Resolution for the document should be 300 DPI.

The piece will be a 4-color print job, created using Photoshop and the final output can be printed as a whole, or tiled for presentation.

In the midst of this monstrous project, there are two additional requirements:

You will have access to any imagery you would like to use (from
the web, from scans, textures, etc.) but NONE of the imagery you use can be directly connected to the theme of your book. In other words, if you choose the “wave-themed” cover, you CANNOT use ANY images related to surfing, the ocean, the beach, etc.
You can use ONLY photos as source material. In other words, NO VECTOR ART DRAWINGS, and essentially NO TYPE. You CAN create masks, but you cannot technically ADD anything that is not somehow originating from photos. The only place you will be allowed to use type will be on the interior leaves.

Graded Deadlines:

Tue 02/04: Three 7” x 3” rough concept sketches for individual discussion
Tue 02/11: Type additions and treatments check
Thu 02/13: A printed draft for group peer review
Tue 02/18: Completed project image submissions and critique with mounted prints

Primary Issues:

In considering your MONSTER, there are many approaches you can take — here are some key issues I would like you to really think about…

First things first, this isn’t just a montage — there needs to be a concept behind your design. What’s your angle? What sort of mood will you create? HOW will you create that mood?

Think about atmosphere — think about what would actually BE in the book! Think about the nature of monsters:

Frightening
Large
Mysterious
Strange
Haunting
Weird
Disturbing
Funny?
Mischievous?

HOW can you create these qualities?
HOW can you use the same ingredients and make something unique?

You’ve got to create something that is eye-catching and dynamic, something that makes big bold gestures, but draws me in with more intimate moments.

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A Big Hint:

Think about the SUBTITLE of your book. This will be the key to really telling your story with visuals.

* * * *

Think about how the type will be integrated into your
design. We’ll start to talk about this soon, but
this will be absolutely critical to your project.

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Bring your SKETCHBOOKS by NEXT class!!!