THE METAMORPHOSIS
Magazaine design
Whats the story behind it?
Content: Book design, "Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka is the answer to the ISTD brief, Open/Close from 2022/2023.
The task was to completely redesign an out-of-copyright book. The brief required designing the first and last chapters using experimental typography to change the plot of the book. Not only the content of the book had to be considered, but also the entire book architecture such as the format, cover or book cover.The aim of the design was to reintroduce a classic to a target audience of 25-35 years old. The language of the chosen work is neither difficult nor too philosophical, so the new design aims to minimize the respect when reading it.
THE METAMORPHOSIS
Mental health issues and social withdrawal are included in the theme. Related to this is the feeling of not being allowed to be sick and therefore no longer useful or socially acceptable. How family and loved ones deal with this is also a major component of the novel. Many people, especially Millennials, can relate to these feelings and can see themselves in the book.
Since the book deals with quite dark themes, it is designed accordingly. Color is deliberately omitted to highlight the theme of death and transience.
The overall design is intended to ensure a balance between good readability and new, different reading and a renewed passion for classic books.
From the first to the last chapter, the transformation of the main character "Gregor" as well as his environment and family takes place. This increasingly dark transformation can be clearly seen in the design, the typography and especially the change of the paper, which becomes slightly transparent and rough. The transformation of the typography system reflects the transformation of the character's psychology. The design highlights the infinite communicative value of typography in graphic design.
