WHAT:
This project is part of a collaborative zine with my Spring 2024 Typography class. Each person designed 12 pages in black and white, following the theme of teaching the reader “things everyone should know.”
My portion teaches how to make five different kinds of shadow puppets, namely a bird, old man, dog, deer, and rabbit, along with a title page and a goodbye page leading into the next section.
WHY:
As someone who typically uses a lot of colors in my work, I wanted to embrace the change and choose a theme that would complement it. I also wanted to take a lighthearted approach that would allow for illustrations, leading me to shadow puppets.
I chose Ultraprint for the headers as I was drawn to its alternating thicknesses. I also wanted a typeface with rounded letter forms to suit the softness of my illustrations. I picked Brass Mono for the body text because I liked its techy feel.
My process started with selecting a theme. My other considerations included “How to Win Rock Paper Scissors,” “How to Cook Eggs,” “How to Braid Hair,” and “How to Draw a Dog,” but I was most enthusiastic about “How to Make Shadow Puppets.”
With this theme in mind, I conducted visual research, taking a look at the work of other designers with a focus on typography. This helped me begin thinking about different approaches to the project.
I started the project itself by exploring different typefaces, searching for one that suited the lighthearted content, the texture of my illustrations, and the high-contrast black and white color scheme. I then laid out all my content into a word document and made several drafts of potential page spread ideas.
I went with a simple layout, dividing text and visual communication through illustrations down the middle. There are little phrases relating to each puppet to keep the larger illustrations interesting. I also drew faces over the shadows to make them feel more alive.
