Living with Complexity

Living with Complexity by Don Norman discusses that complex systems, like a computer, can be made seemingly more simple if they provide feedback to the user. In other words, effectiveness of communication is the barrier between simple and complex tasks.

Brief

Design a visually engaging book cover that communicates the theme of the book.

Solution

To illustrate the theme, I used a paper airplane motif to show the bridge between simple and complex objects. The three steps of the paper airplane show that small adjustments to an object can drastically transform its appearance and function.

Ideation

To begin, I created word clouds for the words simple and complex. Using these word clouds, I looked for overlaps and stark contrasts that I could present on a single book cover.

Prototypes

Below are some prototypes for my book cover. I chose to pursue concepts of examination, mazes, and paper airplanes.

Reflection

This project helped me truly embrace the design process. I enjoyed filtering through dozens of ideas and iterations for a relatively open-ended assignment. For the first week and a half of the project, I was extremely attached to the magnifying glass concept, but after several critique sessions I pivoted to other approaches to the book cover’s theme. Moving forward, I would like to stay persistent with my design concepts, while keeping an open mind about new ideas.

If I were to revisit this project, I would:

• Explore more opportunities for type integration within the photo.

• Add more dimensionality to my composition by trying different orientations for the paper.

Thanks for reading!