book design

Metamorphosis is a book released in 1915 by Czech author Franz Kafka. It details the story of Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who finds himself inexplicably transformed into a large insect. This project is a reimagining of the story through its opening and closing chapter, intending to bring the novel to a new audience, specifically teenagers and young adults. Based on visual references within the text, such as ‘dirty,’ ‘messy,’ ‘trails of grime,’ etc., I employed an experimental, gritty, ‘anti-design’ approach inspired by Swiss Grit graphic designers, in order to reflect the atmosphere of the story and relate to the ‘monstrous’ and ‘dirty’ references to the insect. Mud and brown paint textures are employed behind text. The book itself is hand bound with coptic stitching in two sections, each with three stitches. All six threads relate to the six legs of the insect. It is also enveloped in a fabric sleeve with six strings to fasten.