cotton: from seed to shirt
The goal of this project was to take existing images, text, and research from visually unappealing books and configure them into an effective design book that created a visual narrative through image and text. I chose existing material related to the growth of cotton, the process of spinning it, and dyeing the cloth, hoping to highlight the natural process of its growth and the manmade involvement of creating fabric. This project was effective in communicating information in a visually interesting way.
Determined to use the existing images and turn them into a story, I converted them into bitmaps, using their grainy texture to evoke the fibrous aspects of cotton, calling to its natural origins as the book went on. I also paired the typefaces Archer and Folio due to their subtle juxtaposition of traditional, humanist slab serifs and contemporary, neo-grotesque forms, which highlighted the process of creating the book; out with the old design and in with the new. Using type as design, I keep a strict block of text on each page, as the titles jump around the grid, creating a flowing narrative that mirrors the content matter. Additionally, the book features a simple navigation system marked by slight lines on the right edge, mimicking stitches found in fabric, calling back to the content matter.
Each chapter establishes its own recurring theme to differentiate it from others. The first chapter takes the simple circle shape and shrinks it as the plant grows. The second takes a line and has it follow the titles of each step of the spinning process. The third chapter discusses dissolving dye, using a black page on the left and a white page on the right to show the stark difference when coloring fabric. Finally, the last chapter uses the primary color and a black and white image to exemplify the ancient processes and the modern uses of cotton, balancing old and new.
Along with the images, the existing material also provided information on the chemical process of dyeing cotton. Doing further research, I simplified the basics of fiber dyeing and expanded it into its own chapter, allowing for a clearer understanding of such an important aspect of creating cotton clothing. These pages explain a complicated process in a visually intriguing way, utilizing the text and image interactions in a way that helps tell a story.
Overall, this project challenges the conventions of scientific visualizations and presents information in a visually appealing way while still remaining informative. Creating a strong identity within each chapter also allows the reader to follow a proper narrative from seed to string to color to global impact.