Centennial College Handbook
Post-Secondary Project
A hardcover handbook design for first-year students enrolled at Centennial College: Story Arts Centre, designed for the Digital Illustration course.
The Problem
The objective of this project is to design a book cover using photography and vector illustrations that will intrigue first-year Centennial College students to explore what the Story Arts Centre campus has to offer. Within the first three months of my education at Centennial College in 2019, I experienced moments of creativity bursts and moments of wanderlust, creating captivating artwork based on the campus' atmosphere and openness to creativity. With the target audience in mind, I want to visually summarize my experience and perspective as a former first-year student. While the original design captures that essence, I feel there can be an improvement in the execution of the overall design, particularly in the colour palette and depth.
Before
After
The Solution
Keeping my target audience in mind, I utilize current graphic design trends, such as abstract and retro shapes and dotted halftones overlayed on a coloured background, giving a semi-retro look while feeling fresh and current, all while following Centennial College's brand guidelines. In addition, it features a multi-coloured brain on the cover, symbolizing the students' imagination, creativity and other critical skills as they pursue their desired career paths. The new book cover design is simplified with a focus on more depth and less tackiness, featuring a photograph I took of the Story Arts Centre building with a gradient effect on the back cover, which I feel is a better fit for a college handbook than an abstract painting.
