BRIEF: The title of this brief was Joybringer and the topic of the brief was open to interpretation.

“What do you do – or what would you like to do – to create a more balanced and happier existence? Choose a subject that has a widely (or perhaps lesser) known well-being benefit and tell us its story.”

RESEARCH/CONCEPT: When researching the ways in which people find joy in their day to day lives, it was revealed to be a spectrum ranging from rainbows and puppies, all the way to whips and chains, and even beyond. By looking into these less spoken about and stigmatised pass-times this book aims to understand and demystify those who find joy in them. This book is a no judgment zone, with only the aim to educate and inspire the reader to embrace their darkest fantasies, or at least to be less judgemental of those who do.

FINAL PRODUCT: The A to Z format of this book allows for a wide range of topics to be discussed while keeping each amount of text being bite sized and therefore making it more accessible and comprehendible to readers who may be learning about these topics for the first times. This format also allows for a real focus on type, giving each character its moment in the spotlight.

Gradients are used to represent the spectrum of human nature, as well as the spectrum of ways in which people find joy in their lives. It balances dark and light alongside glimpses of vibrant energy, much like the topics discussed in the pages of this book.

Including the ones used to display each letter of the alphabet, a total of 29 typefaces were used in this project. The font chosen for each letter of the alphabet is linked to the subject of that page, and aims to connect feeling with type and how the subjects energy feels without using words.

The outcome of this project is print based therefore it was important to pick a high quality paper and one that will support the use of bright colour. The paper stock I decided to use for the pages of the book is a G.F Smith paper called “Mohawk Everyday Bright White” at a weight of  118gsm. Flat spreads were printed by PDC Greenock, and the binding done by Downie Allison Downie Bookbinders in Glasgow.

DELIVERABLES:

• Final printed artefact, professionally bound, hardback.

• Spec book, digital and printed versions.