BY W.E.B. DU BOIS

06 DARKWATER: VOICES FROM WITHIN THE VEIL

PUBLICATION

CONTEXT

“Darkwater: Voices From Within The Veil” is a 1920 autobiography by W.E.B. Du Bois incorporating essays, spirituals, and poems that explore the conditions of being black in relation to colonialism and empire, class and economic quality, women’s suffrage, labor and education, and many other issues.

The objective of this project was to typeset a classic novel using typographic detail to tie in themes of the book through choices of typefaces, layout, and format. I typeset the first two chapters of the text and created a book cover to complement.

When creating the book cover, I wanted it to be a metaphor for being hopeless of the future. The word “darkwater” is a metaphor for an unclear future as it is something you can not see through to the end.

TIMEFRAME: 6 weeks

ROLE: GRAPHIC DESIGNER

INVOLVEMENT: Independent Work

OVERVIEW

THE SUMMARY

To create a design that honored the text, I had to do extensive research into the time period the book was written, who the author was and what they were like, as well as understanding what the text was about. Darkwater is a serious text that covers many complex issues and I wanted my choices to reflect that. I used a typewriter header to convey the idea that the book was a journal of the author’s thoughts and an intellectual style body to inform the reader that the author was a highly educated individual.

FINAL DESIGN

TYPOGRAPHY

BOOK COVER

Darkwater is a metaphor for an unclear future as it is something you cannot clearly see through. The book moves from a dark blue down to black representing how Dubois hoped for a better future for people of color all over the world but was unable to see it become fruitful because the result of Civil Rights were still a question at the time.

TYPESETTING

The choices of typeface combine an intellectual body with typewriter-styled headers. It informs the reader that the author is a highly educated individual while also illustrating that what they are reading is essentially a diary of the author’s life and experiences.

REFLECTION

This project was my first experience in fully crafting a technical and precise book design. I found it extremely rewarding especially in making choices that honored the text.

This project also allowed me to become much more comfortable using InDesign as it is now one of my favorite programs to use. It made me appreciate the work book designers do and allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation for typography.

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DESIGNING FOR AUDIENCES