Concept behind my redesign:
The History of Kansas City: For Kids is pretty self-explanatory in its title. The authors discuss historical events that happened in Kansas City from its time of settlement through when the book was published in 2000. They cover a variety of topics and break the information up in to various subheads. I designed towards an audience of children ages 12-15. By this age they've developed an interest in learning more history outside of class but are still looking to be entertained.
Personal Reflection:
While re-designing this book I found it easy to organize the information and separate the various parts. The challenge came for me in making the book feel lively and engaging. I wanted to suggest movement and life in an otherwise dull text. Overall, I am happy with my design choices—they are kid friendly without being patronizing. Through the process of designing the book I learned the importance of pushing myself. It would have been easy to get complacent and settle on the original designs I developed, but I knew there was a better option out there and kept pushing myself.
