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Design and the Play Instinct
A book for designers
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Design and the Play Instinct5
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New Design Book17
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Design and the Play Instinct (concept)
Client
Paul Rand
Design Constraints
-Limited choice of fonts
-Black and white + 1 spot color of choice
-Given text and images only
Tools Used
InDesign, Photoshop
Contributions
Layout Design, Design Research, Art Direction
Representing the idea of "Play" through color and typography.
The core of the book was the idea of "Play" which I wanted to reflect in the spot color choice. The goal was something bright and attention-grabbing that would leave an impact. To balance the heaviness of the solid hot pink shapes, I mimicked the composition of the text or image on the opposite page of the spread.
I played with the negative and positive space using the layout of the content, typography, spacing, and graphic page numbers. I wanted an additional graphic element to create movement and engage readers which is why I then added page numbers that pop off the page. I emphasized balance through symmetry or lack thereof. Through consistency of type and layout, I ensured the pages individually looked like they belonged in the same book.
Process — Color, Type, and Layout
When exploring the provided type options, I found Akzidenz-Grotesk Bold Extended to be the most unique and full of personality. I decided to base the color scheme off of the sporty look of it.
The first thing that came to mind was the team colors of F1, specifically the iconic McLaren orange. The thrilling movement of the sport captured the qualities of "Play" I wanted to represent. However, in the end, I went with a hot pink because the feminine quality of it contrasted well with the masculinity of the bold and extended font.
Colors considered
Type exploration
Storyboarding the layout
Results
Select spreads
Reflection
Challenges:
1. Ensuring a cohesive look across every page
2. Fitting all the images and accompanying text on the same spread.
Solutions:
1. Playing around with various layout styles and connecting them by maintaining certain repeating graphic elements across the book.
2. Not treating each spread like they are two separate pages but rather one continuous page. This allowed me
to place images in the center of the page, given that the content would still be understandable.
What I learned:
1. Avoid ending a line of text on shorter connecting words like "an" or "of". Instead push them to the following line
of text to avoid interrupting the eye's reading flow.
2. Treat each spread like an uninterrupted canvas. They are part of the same flow of content, therefore are allowed
to connect across the book's gutter.
3. Balance can be created between image and text
by mirroring the opposite's composition.
4. Anything can be developed into a graphic element, including something as simple as a quotation mark or page number to create visual interest where there's plenty of negative space.
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