Academic Project
Book Design
Date
Dec 2020
Project type
Redsign of Graphic Design History Textbook - Academic Project
The core of this project was to redesign an existing textbook. I believe that design should come from everyday life and, at its core, serve the needs of users more effectively.
To begin the process, I reflected on my own experience as a student and selected a book that I found informative in content but confusing in layout. This became the starting point for a redesign focused on improving readability, clarity, and user experience through thoughtful visual structure.
The redesign focused on enhancing visual hierarchy and improving the overall reading experience. Key strategies included restructuring the layout to better separate sections, using consistent typography for clear navigation, and applying a modular grid system to guide the flow of information.
Design Process
I chose this book because, when I read and studied it in the past, I found the layout visually consistent at first glance. Each page followed a two-column structure with a section of images placed in the center. However, the reading experience was not smooth.
The lines were spaced too closely, and the gap between columns was too narrow, which made the content feel dense and hard to process. The images in the center disrupted the flow of reading, often making it unclear whether to continue downward or jump to the next column. Since the images had no numbered captions, it was difficult to link them to specific parts of the text. In addition, the lack of visual separation made it hard to locate key information, which is especially inconvenient for a book meant for frequent reference. Overall, the page design relied heavily on filled space, with almost no negative space to give the content room to breathe. This led to a layout that felt cramped and tiring to read.
(original textbook)
(cover design iterations
and compasion between old and new cover design)