'Picture books [have] the power to hit a chord with young readers, giving them tools to understand the world around them through the power of stories...these books affected parents just as much as their young audience...we want to... inspire a sense of magic and wonder about the world — but be rooted in fact, giving readers the ability to think critically and feed their curiosity...children are born explorers or “divergent thinkers” – a trait that artists continue to foster as they age.' - Rachel Williams (2016)
This external collaboration between graphic designer and illustrator sought to produce a progressive children's book story that touched on themes of cultural appreciation and gender, masked under the universal notion of fearing the dark.
This brief took on a lot. From writing a story, ensuring it was contextually accurate and relevant, to designing and managing the art direction, as well as printing, binding and photographing for production. The timeframe from start to finish was around a month, with other projects going on alongside. This was all made achievable due to a successful collaboration, that although experienced a few hiccups, was ultimately useful in the progression of my practice.
The nature of the project meant the design really relied on the efficiency of the illustrator, which was hard at times. Specialising in different pathways meant we had differing ways of approaching the project. The process took an entire different direction to how initially envisioned. Originally the design had an invested idea for how the visual output would look, which in hindsight was limiting to the designs development. Having an illustrator with their own style and methods of production, meant the design was forced to be more open, which in turn allowed it to learn a lot more.
Thus, the project allowed for a successful collaboration, whereby both parties learnt a lot from each other. I was able to develop my technical skills on Illustrator, which is something I have always lacked, and the illustrator learnt the intricacies of modes of production, and the importance of planning. These are skills that are vital for industry.
Furthermore, the collaboration was also well organised through the use constant emails, meetings and google drive folders. During development and production we were able to work side by side, on the same files, allowing for a constant alignment of both our joint tastes and skill sets - which was reflected in the outcome. We were able to build a lot of trust, which meant easy compromising as we got a better understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses.
With more time the animated outcomes would be of better quality. Small details that were only noticed on reflection, like the cloud being behind the balloon, that could be tidied up. Additionally the production photographs could not be taken in a studio, meaning lighting was poor and not consistent. Also, due to having to do a perfect bind, some pages between finishing and photographing started to come loose, affecting the overall look and fold of the pages. Nonetheless, now the files are all completed and hard copies printed, there is much scope for the project to develop - from meetings with publishers, to a digital version for online, a sequel and so on. The collaboration sought to make the production as ready for publishing as possible for this reason.
Overall, feedback for this project was strong, with almost every critique saying they would buy it for their child (hypothetically). This showed the production is relevant in targeting the next generation of thinkers. The end production visualises night in a fantastical way, aiding the appreciation for natural phenomena. The adventurous protagonist is never specified as male or female, allowing the children to imagine for themselves, and many cultures are represented through simplified contexts that set a basis of knowledge.
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