The ISTD brief I chose was “The Undiscovered Country”, this brief required the student to “stare death in the face” and design a publication that ‘visits death’, informing and stimulating the intellect whilst pleasing the typographic designers eye. I began by researching the process the body undertakes once it has begun to decompose and how effective nature is in breaking down a human corpse. Touching on the idea that one cannot function without the other and focusing more on the societal, scientific and cultural factors of death. I then looked at how natural burial has become horribly out of place in the modern death system. Society has removed itself from the natural death process through coffin burial, which gives the false promise of everlasting preservation.

 

My concept focuses on the decay process of the body and the life cycle of a plant, and how each benefit from the other, as well as the lost connection between the body and the earth. This publication highlights the importance of the natural circle of life and death, and educates the target audience on the symbiotic relationship between the two. Emphasizing how one cannot fully function without the other, death produces life and vice versa.

 

For the execution, I wanted to visually communicate the connection between life and death. This publication explains each step of the decay process and plant life cycle, beginning with death, and alternating between the two on each layout. This represents how both processes function simultaneously with one another. The process each step of each cycle undertakes is depicted through the use of typographic elements, which influences the design aspect of each layout.

 

The colour palette of this publication was influenced by nature, as well as decomposition and decay. The more natural earthy colours were chosen to represent the life cycle of a plant. Similarly with the decay process which is represented through the use of darker hues.

 

I chose to use Baskerville throughout my publication, with the exception of the cover and contents page, where I used Futura. I chose to use a serif because the publication describes more a scientific terminology and approach to life and death; therefore this typeface suited the overall tone of the publication. Baskerville also provides a wide range of weights, styles and flexibility, which was ideal for my design approach.