Tiger on 34th street
2021, Self-directed project
INTERACTIVE BOOK DESIGN
Design and prototype creation of an interactive book exploring the concept of misinformation.
The book uses tools – a mirror and red colour filter, both acrylic – which are removable from the cover and used to decode the contents of the book. This tactile approach effectively engages the reader in a novel way, reimagining ‘reading’ as an interactive activity.
I used two-colour overprinting as a means of interrogating versions of ‘truth’. Magenta is used to print elements that constitute ‘fake news’, such as hoax news articles and illustrations of mythical creatures, while the ‘truth’ is printed in cyan. Viewed by the naked eye, the magenta imagery dominates, but seen through a red filter, the ‘truth’ is visible as the cyan elements below become almost black, with the filter acting as a metaphor for critical thinking. The mirror must be held against the edge of the page to read reverse-printed dictionary definitions explaining concepts and archaic terms.
The narrative that pulls the disparate stories together is chronological, with the book forming a journey through the history of misinformation, with examples from the 13th century BC to the present. Feature spreads using expressive and associative typography and lots of imagery are balanced out by simpler ‘timeline’ spreads, presenting snippets of stories with small illustrations and providing an element of continuity.
Hardback, 260 x 200 mm, 66 pp
Paper: 200gsm silk finish paper
Binding: french link stitched using Fils au Chinois 40/3 linen thread, Azure Blue
Paper: 200gsm silk finish paper
Binding: french link stitched using Fils au Chinois 40/3 linen thread, Azure Blue
