Book Design
Kimono index
Ever since I remember myself fashion was one of my greatest passions, and Japan was always a country I dreamed of visiting (in 2023 this dream came true); the culture, the design, the food, the fashion and the mentality interest me a lot, and I even started collecting kimonos. The kimono index combines my curiosity for fashion and Japan together, inspired by the kimono's shape, the Japanese calmness and clearness, and Japanese typography.
The kimono itself is a garment full of small little details. I believe it is the most magical expression of craft that can be, and I wanted to dedicate my final project of book design course to its details, cuts, colors, patterns, accompanying accessories, and their meaning in the Japanese tradition. While designing this book I discovered the interesting world of book design and print, and I've realized that I want to continue working in these areas of style, fashion, and culture.
Minus 5
For my book design course, I was tasked with creating a project based on the theme of margins and center, incorporating an academic text by an anthropologist. I decided to use this brief to explore my personal experience with my younger brother, who is on the autism spectrum, and the challenges
of living with him.
I titled the book "Minus 5" to reflect the five-year age gap between us, which to me feels much more significant due to the way our lives have unfolded.
The book includes various elements, such as doodles drawn by my brother, personal notes he left for our family, and an academic text about children on the autism spectrum that I added to the project.
When I asked my brother to dictate the academic text about autism, he made the process his own by saying
the name of a participant from his favorite reality TV show Survival with every punctuation mark. To reflect his experience with attention deficit, I incorporated the names in strikethrough within the original text. This visual technique illustrates how his mind shifts focus, even during structured tasks.
The introduction of the book features a metaphor about expecting a trip to Italy, only to end up in Holland. It symbolizes the unexpected differences in life with a child on the spectrum, and how embracing “Holland” reveals new beauty and understanding.
This book, Minus 5, is a reflection of both my brother's unique perspective and my own journey of understanding and acceptance, framed within the context of margins, center, and the spaces in between.
