Concept 2: Cities Flooded
Inspiration
‘The scariest variable is how quickly that flood will come. Perhaps it will be a thousand years, but perhaps much sooner. More than a billion people live within thirty feet of sea level today’
Throughout the book, there are a lot of references to rising sea levels. This is both in factual data, as a result from rising global temperatures, but also in the context of what this means for human life. The book reminds us that the rising sea-levels, that have already resulted in climate refugees whose homes have been engulfed by water, will cause devastation on our doorstep if we let it.
I wanted to create a cover that referred to these rising sea levels - but relate them to the reality of life as we know it. Often we think of climate disasters being far away and someone else’s problem. I wanted my cover concept to show a city flooded, surrounded by water. I think it’s very easy to assume that the devastation of climate change is only happening abroad, but it’s happening to so many people everyday.
‘What would be submerged by these floods are not just the homes of those who flee - hundreds of millions of new climate refugees onto a world incapable, at this point, of accommodating the needs of just a few million - but communities, schools, shopping districts, office buildings and high rises, regional cultures so sprawling that just a few centuries ago we might have remembered them as empires unto themselves, now suddenly underwater museums.’
For this concept, I wanted the title of the cover to be the image. I wanted to create a 3D look, of text that was itself being submerged in water. Therefore for this cover - the type itself would be the imagery. I was inspired by isometric styles of 3D text - such as the work by Kate Moross, Andrew Footit and Lex Wilson.
I wanted to try and created this in my own version, especially giving the text some texture as it would bring some reality to the image.
Experiments
Initially for this idea I had planned to create 3D letters by hand and submerged these in water - using photography to capture my concept. I began by create flat letters propped up by stands. This was relatively time consuming and didn’t give me the effect I wanted, the letters still looked flat although standing upright.
I went on to try creating box-type letters which fitted more to the idea I had in my head. I was really happy with the outcome, but it was really time-consuming. It took me about 3 hours just to three T’s and 2 H’s - which I knew were going to be the easiest letters.
I decided that even though this looked how I wanted it to, it wasn’t going to work for the finished product. So I tabled the hand-made 3D idea and decided to look into other techniques.
Looking at the references, and how they created their lettering, I decided to draw my letters out instead. I started by using the dotted paper in my typography notebook, and starting to get the effects I wanted (in a much quicker time-frame).
I decided I would instead go down this route and work on creating the letters with an isometric grid. I printed paper out and started designing my cover. I was really happy with how this turned out and I was able to quickly produce what was in my head. I took this design into illustrator and created a digital version - and voila!
For the backdrop - I experimented with some previous techniques of paint pouring and ink droplets to create water for the letters to sit in. I really liked visually how each of these looked but I felt they didn’t match the lettering or the feel of the book. The colours and playfulness of the lines created in the ones I created were too happy looking for the book I felt. I decided to replace it with a photo of actual water This made it much more realistic and therefore linked better to the idea of this being a reality of our future.
Reflection
I was really happy with my final design in the end and I was thrilled that I was able to produce the original concept I had in my mind from the beginning. I would have liked to create more texture on the letters perhaps by using photography of actual concrete buildings, which may have brought a bit of a grittiness to the cover.
I had thought about using isometric type for the supplementary copy as well, but I felt this took away from the title. I decided it was better to add these using indesign.
Using a stock image instead of a making was a tricky decision but I think it was the right one. By using an aerial view of the sea. I was able to communicate what was happening in the image better than if I had gone for a more abstract approach. I felt the style of the letters as well as the tone of the book was quite direct, so needed something a little less open to interpretation.
Had I been able to create the 3D letters by hand, I think I would have gotten some really interesting effects. That way I would have had more control over the lighting and realistic nature of the submerging in water. However, I’m still really please with how it turned out. I think the cover is able to convey many of the sentiments mentioned in the book around rising sea levels, coastal cities at risk and the idea of this being our problem, not someone else’s. I think the cartoony style of the letters may be slightly less serious than I was looking for initially, and perhaps working in more realistic textures may have helped that.
Overall I’m really happy with the final design and happy to have learned some new techniques on isometric design on the way!