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Sweet and Sour Freedom
Sweet and Sour Freedom is not just a tale of escape and survival but a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the intricate dance between hope and despair. Join Mariana on her quest for liberty, family, and the bittersweet truths that come with them.
Role
Book Cover Design
Website Design
Website Build
Typesetting for epub/kindle and pdf
Step through
My Process
Moodboard
My research usually always includes exploring similar aesthetics and genres. I'll take note of visual tone, colour schemes, and typography, motifs, shapes, and forms I can use as a starting point. I also spend a bit of time exploring different typography to gauge the feel I want to pursue.
Initial Drafts
I made some quick sketches on paper and digitally to get a sense of what composition might work. I use a lot of large shapes and apply research from my mood board to consolidate a visual style that is impactful, unique, and also meets the client's expectations.
Refinements
Once I have a few compositions that I think are strong, I'll communicate with the client and go from there. I always try to listen and apply client feedback every step of the way to narrow down the visual tone and style. This is an iterative process that can take days to weeks, depending on what the client is after. Sometimes, you just have to let the concepts marinate until the outcome falls into place.
Typesetting
I also explored different chapter designs for the inner pages of the book to tie the cover concept together with the overall text.
Final Design
The final design incorporated a lot of client feedback to emphasise the impact of Mariana's story. I used a lot of light blue to frame the overall tone of the book, and contrasted this with a humanist sans serif and hand drawn typeface to emphasise Mariana's personal journey to freedom. I used subtle bird shapes to indicate Mariana's journey throughout the book.
The yellow spine was a bold and clever suggestion by Mariana's friend Wendy, which I absolute love as it really emphasises the joy central to Mariana's journey to freedom.
