Japanese design always caught my eye. I was addicted to the minimalist modern look of design and Japanese design has that look while still feeling warm and inviting. I enjoy modern designs, but in some cases I feel like they can be standoffish. I wanted to develop an eye for the modern Japanese design and this is my take on that.

I explored different placement, types, colors, and spread sizes. I received critiques on the design and as per that feedback, I decided what elements were working. I went on to refine and make the next draft.

I then went with the first ten spreads of the page to create a rhythm and pace for the book. I created break pages, pull quotes, and varied the sizes of the images to keep the reader interested.

The three rectangles on the intro pages to the sections became a recurring theme throughout the book. The three rectangles became die cuts on the front that showed an image underneath. That concept was relating it to how Japanese tattoos were illegal and were used to mark criminals, so they would cover up their tattoos. The cover allows the reader to see a covered tattoo, but once you open the book it reveals an entire tattoo.

When designing the rest of the spreads throughout the book, I really wanted the book to have a nice flow and to keep the reader visually interested. Relating  it to tattoos as the good ones need to flow with the body and be visually appealing. So, I went into the designs with that in mind.

This design was selected as the 116 out of 717 entries in the AIGA Blue Ridge’s annual Flux Student Design Competition to be judged.