Kristin Dwyer




project:

"Mindful Pit Firing" Booklet

role:

Book Designer & Typesetter

timeframe:

September—October 2020









Background

“Mindful Pit Firing” was the first project of my Fall 2020 graphic design class. The class was asked to learn something new and document the experience in a booklet. I have a knowledge deficit when it comes to ceramics, so I decided to try and make a backyard kiln. Surprisingly, it was a complete success! The resulting booklet contains my experience, along with pictures and illustrations of the clay pieces.





Fig. 1: assets made for the booklet.



Challenges

  • Navigating the purchase of a used item in a pandemic
  • Working with an unknown process and fire
  • Correctly typesetting a booklet
  • Time management



Fig. 2: a combination of photography and color blocking were used in these illustrations found througout the booklet.



Results

While this booklet has yet to be printed, the graphic and textural quality of the images and text of “Mindful Pit Firing” provide a satisfying viewing experience. The title of the booklet stems from the meditative experience I felt while working with the clay, and is also the theme of the booklet. I focused on “expansive awareness” and translated this idea visually with planetary motifs and comfortable typography.



What I Learned

  • Making trasparent textures in Photoshop
  • Layouts as conceptual components
  • More comfortable with typesetting
  • Working with a baseline grid