My entry for the Penguin Design Award. A proposed book cover for Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. The brief stated the cover should present the book for a new generation of readers so my ideas were very minimal and modern looking, avoiding referencing the film adaptations of the book or film noir tropes. I designed two covers - one based on how often it rains in the books, often used to foreshadow a big plot point. The rain is often the calm before the storm, so I used lowercase type and kept the design quite minimal. The other cover is more typographic, based on the mystery element to the novel. There are many twists and characters often double cross each other - I wanted the cover to make the reader work to figure out what the title is, as a taster to what reading the book itself is like.
B A C K C O V ER
5m m
bleed
FRO N T C O V ER
SPIN E
198m m
I
E
RAYMOND CHANDLER
E H B G S L E
T
THE BIG SLEEP
A PHILLIP MARLOWE MYSTERY
P
RAY MOND CHAN DLER
I S B N 978-0-241-96048-6
INTRODUCTION BY IAN RANKIN
780241 960486
5m m
bleed
6m m
9
5m m
129m m
17m m
129m m
BA C K C O V E R
SPINE
FRO N T C O V E R
5m m
bleed
bleed
5mm
bleed
198mm
‘One of the greatest crime writers, who set the standards others still try to attain’ Sunday Times
a phillip marlow mystery • introduction by ian rankin
raymond chandler
Los Angeles PI Philip Marlowe is working for the Sternwood family. Old man Sternwood, crippled and wheelchair-bound, is being given the squeeze by a blackmailer and he wants Marlowe to make the problem go away. But with Sternwood’s two wild, devil-may-care daughters prowling LA’s seedy backstreets, Marlowe’s got his work cut out – and that’s before he stumbles over the first corpse . . .
the big sleep
‘Neither of the two people in the room paid any attention to the way I came in, although one of them was dead.’
‘Chandler is an original stylist, creator of a character as immortal as Sherlock Holmes’ Anthony Burgess
the big sleep
I S B N 978-0-241-96048-6
raymond chandler
780241 960486
bleed
5mm
6 mm
9
5mm bleed
129mm
17mm
129mm
5mm bleed
A PHILLIP MARLOWE MYSTERY
T
E H B G S L E I
E
P
RAY MOND CHAN DLER
INTRODUCTION BY IAN RANKIN
The first project in unit X was a group project in response to one of three briefs, to be presented to a panel of mystery “London dragons”. It was a really interesting exercise in collaboration since we were allowed to choose the groups we worked with for the first few weeks but then groups were unexpectedly paired together and only one group’s ideas could be explored further. The concept we went with was in response to the brief ‘find a new perspective on food’ and we explored the link between memory and taste/smell. We curated a dining experience/art installation in which you ordered food not based on what it was, but the memory attached to it. People would submit their food memories, which were turned into short poems and put on a menu that didn’t contain any actual food. People would then be invited to respond to what they’ve eaten with their own memories, so the menu would be continually evolving. Our final idea was quite unusual and probably one of the more ambitious projects I’ve taken part in. We eventually came second in the presentations and got some positive feedback from designers I admire.
FOREIGN Blazing heat and ice cold hands, And strange experiences in a town square. All new adventures await those who dare.
FACE DOWN A childhood blunder never forgotten. Smiles and chuckles from those around As a face lifts, smeared with orange.
SATURDAY Saturday get togethers for young and old to enjoy, Past time favourites shared with loved ones.
BIRDS OF THE WATER A great aunt stands Gazing out over waters. As a child breaks trust With the birds of the water. SWARM A heart full to burst As excitement takes over. The swarm of jellyfish Moving beneath dancing feet As the sun lights the way out to sea. NEVER ENDING TIME The childhood favourite, Fingers full and messy faced. Garden games of hide and seek And days that never seem to end.
THE MIDDLE
TRUSTED DAY Same place, same time, Same seat, same drink. The trusted box of space, Revolving in a labelled time.
TINY A short lived love, Of new experiences, And tiny surprises.
MEMORIES FULL FOR THE SITTING CHATTER
THE BEGINNING
SHORT MEMORIES FOR SHORT STOPS
THE BUZZ OF A CLOUD Weary legs resting upon a mountain top A hard earned view decorating the horizon. A pleasant breeze to fill the summer air As voices sing out in a harmony of content sighs. A veiled embrace from a mare’s tail Cooling heated skin with vapour kisses Bringing the awe of the wasps dance.
EXPLANATIONLESS Bursting surprises of the wrong kind, An experience remembered on every trip And a free gift to another with no explanation.
WHITE WASH BASKET The white wash basket, Full to the brim, of kitchen memories As father and children teach and learn, and learn and teach. Sat upon a marbled top, Sisters' hands work together, in a nimble harmony. GREED Flying with clouds Miles from the ground Whats mine is mine And yours is yours. But greed changed rules As yours become mine. HOMELESS Tough times and money troubles, bring home-made treasures to share, hoping and waiting for that sunshine ray to light knit bonds of family time. JUMPSCARES Jumpscares and frights On warm rainy night As mother and child sit tense waiting For screams and giggles As monsters pop and imaginations run wild.
THE LLANDUDNO CURSE Seagulls call with wing tips, Beating down a breeze, As one stands while other laugh.
PINK HANDS Stolen treasures, and guilty giggles, Caught pink handed, By grandparents smiles. NIGHTS ALONE Sleepless nights of missing distractions. Waiting for Ole St Nick and his bag. SEA FOAM ARCADE Laughs, games and sea foam envelop the day. The creak of the pier underfoot, as salt wind whips. THE CORRECT SEATS Middle seats, And middle row. Silent judgement Of a modern man’s art of old. Glares and stares Of the rustles reminders Of a present time.
THE BEGINNING
MEMORIES SO CLOSE TO THE HEART
A DANCING STAGE Fantastical shows And costumes galore. Lions and birds dance Across a savanna stage. As happy tears fall Down blushing cheeks. The greatest gift bestowed And thankful cries sing out.
SPECIALS
THE END
MEMORIES OF THE SWEETEST KIND
A GENTLEMAN’S GAME A gentleman's game Of class and standing. Clubs swing and balls fly With winning hopes. Some ace. Some fall short. Some call fore.
BIRDS OF THE WATER A great aunt stands Gazing out over waters. As a child breaks trust With the birds of the water. NEVER ENDING TIME The childhood favourite, Fingers full and messy faced. Garden games of hide and seek And days that never seem to end.
THE END TABLE FULL Mornings of smiles young and old, Seats full and table cluttered As time is slowed as all enjoy. GRANDMOTHER’S Childish mistakes, Made in excited rush. Savouring a time, As grandmother smiles And shakes head.
The second part of unit X was an individual project, with a choice of three industry briefs. I chose the Topman brief and really enjoyed working on it. The theme was ‘science meets fashion’ and my interpretation of this was Frankenstein. The clothes in the collection are inspired by eccentric scientists and there is an emphasis on mixing things up to create a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’. The lookbook is in the format of a split page book, but Topman models but also vintage medical illustrations and monsters that can be mixed up. I also created the packaging for the line, designed to position it as in the higher end of Topman’s price range and continue the boutique feel of the line. Graphic design for fashion is an area I’m interested in pursuing further and getting to experiment with unexpected formats (like split page books) in this project convinced me even more that fashion would be an interesting industry to work within. It was also a great experience considering that Topman are offering two placements through the brief. Everyone has gotten very competitive with it and that’s been interesting to see.
A self directed project to submit to Poundshop - a pack of bingo cards for spotting design trends and cliches. It’s very self referencial and I’m hoping that it would be amusing enough for designers to want to buy one and use it to judge the originality of the products on sale at Poundshop.
P POP-U
TOTE BAGS
G BULLDPOS I CL
OWLS
FREE ! SPACE
LOGO IN A CIRCLE
N ARTISA
HIGH PT E CONC
ES
FANZIN
P POP-U
TOTE BAGS
G BULLDPOS CLI
OWLS
FREE ! SPACE
LOGO IN A CIRCLE
N ARTISA
HIGH PT E CONC
ES
FANZIN
P POP-U
TOTE BAGS
G BULLDPOS I CL
OWLS
FREE ! SPACE
LOGO IN A CIRCLE
N ARTISA
HIGH PT E CONC
ES
FANZIN
bingo!
ES ‘TACH
FOXES
NE S PANTO ES CUPCAKE I D O R PA ES IANGL
TR
IN PENGEURPAP S BACK
bingo!
ES ‘TACH
FOXES
NE S PANTO IES CUPCAKE PAROD LES TRIANG
IN PENGEURPAP S BACK
bingo!
ES ‘TACH
FOXES
NE S PANTO ES CUPCAKE I D O R PA TR
ES IANGL
IN PENGEURPAP S BACK
A submission based on Park Chan-Wook’s film I’m a Cyborg But That’s OK for a zine themed around Asian cinema. I wanted to keep it very simple, using a quote from the film and illustrating it in the style of a circuitboard.