...designers are crafting objects that mirror our inner lives – intuitive, organic and responsive to emotional states. This marks a shift towards innovation with feeling – reintroducing joy, tactility and empathy into everyday design. 

Illustrative Identities

Human touch – with all its irregularities and inconsistencies – is being revalued as a sign of creativity, presence and emotional truth. From scribbled logos to kinetic graphics, brands are building design systems that feel fluid and alive. As explored in our Human by Design report, the return to the tactile and imperfect mark-making reflects a broader cultural backlash against AI uniformity.

I don’t want to fail. But I bloody will.

I preach that failing is learning and I truly have started seeing that shift in myself. The part where I don’t criticise the flop but I learn to love it. Because it means I don’t have to do it again. But I will, for the whole of my career. I will fail, so many times. Knowing that eases this built up pressure forming in my chest but it also terrifies me as well. It’s a fine line of motivation and procrastination.

Motivation to do well and to care.

Procrastination to stop me from failing and keep me safe.

I want to change how I view this project, flick the chip off my shoulder and say:

“Penguin? Ooooo yeah that old bird on a book. Yeah I guess could whip something together.”

But at the end of the day, this “fear” also keeps me working hard. Pushes me to talk to people, to research and question further. It really is a balancing act. And I don’t think it ever goes away, would be great to know if it does.

Noticed about this article - it very much focuses on the physical copies and getting away from digital - you can see this by them talking about going to the library, rather than binge watching tv - binge a book series.

Missing - I hear a lot about book-tok as a trend, feels as though penguin is missing out on a market here.

Fran: No, I only do it when I can't read it or if the letters aren't big enough or maybe if I was reading poetry or on instagram.

E: Could type ever impact the way you read things?

F: Yes, but it depends on context. It i'm reading a book or an article on the paper, probably not, if it was Instagram or Poetry, probably yes.

E: Why does instagram change the way that you view things?

F: I know that the visuals are very important. So I'll be expecting it (the change) more.

E: Would you say the same about poetry?

F: It could be, yeah. Not always, but I can imagine that the actual type face could affect it.

E: What about the layout?

F: Again, with poetry, yeah. I can imagine it's like haikus, isn't it? I that is a strict layout.

E: When you read, do you read kindle or do you read physical books?

F: I tend to read kindle, but I do read physical books as well. So, like, recipe books. I like physical recipe books. I do have some physical books. But I do tend to read my kindle more.

E: Why is that?

F: Because it is easier to read. I don't have to sort of try and hold a cumbersome book and work out a comfortable way of holding it. Um, it's easy to book mark a place because I'd rarely have a bookmark with me and i don't fold down corners. I can also carry on reading if I wake up in the night and do not disturb my other half. I can control how light or dark typefaces are and makes it easier to read.

Q2 - How often do you read?

Q3 - What time(s) of the day do you read?

Q4 - If it was specific, why that time of day?

Q5 - What reading format do you prefer to use?

Q6 - Does the typeface used in a book impact how you feel about the contents?

Q7 - What makes text difficult for you to read?

Q8 - How do you typically discover books you want to read?

Q9 - Have you ever stopped reading something because of the way it looked? Can you remember what and why?

Q10 - Finally, when reading on a screen vs on paper, do you ever experience discomfort?

Here they are:

1. Evening Reading Dominates - People overwhelmingly read in the evening for unwinding and sleep prep, which has major implications for typography in low-light conditions.

2. Physical Books Lead, But Digital Is Essential - A hybrid reading culture where people prefer books but pragmatically use digital formats, with Kindles more accepted than phones.

3. The "Small and Cramped" Problem - Unanimous concern about text size and spacing. This is THE legibility issue to solve.

4. Screen Discomfort Is Real (But Not Universal) - Mixed responses, with headaches and eye strain common, but some find digital MORE comfortable due to adjustability.

5. Typography Carries Meaning - Font choice influences perceptions of content seriousness and author credibility.

6. Social Discovery Dominates - Books are found through Instagram, recommendations, GoodReads, and social sharing.

7: Times New Roman is Dead - Multiple respondents explicitly rejected Times New Roman-style fonts as dated and problematic.

Strengthened insights:

• TikTok dominance - More emphatic mentions ("tiktok !!"), showing it's THE discovery platform for this age group

• Phone reading resistance is visceral - "Yeah man the screen be hittin me head. Gimme that physical"

• Audiobooks emerging - People are using them strategically (mornings vs. evenings)

• Typography as emotional tool - One incredible quote about how fonts can "change the genre," "raise heart rate," or "make me smile"

  
  

But if one of those steps in the process slows down or hits an obstacle, our reading slows down with it. This may not matter in some cases — a deliberately obfuscated headline in a magazine, perhaps — but it matters a lot in digital or quick glance use cases, or in extended reading environments where you want the reader immersed in the story. 

When looking for legible fonts, it’s helpful to think about the shapes of letters and words (fun fact: the term for word shape is “bouma”)

High stroke contrast serif fonts with thin lines are intended for use in larger sizes, while serifs meant for use in smaller sizes are designed with less stroke contrast. This effect and fussiness is often exacerbated by screen quality, which makes serif typefaces harder to design with in digital uses cases where a range of sizes might be required.

Because of this, humanist typefaces became the preferred choice for digital use cases and remain so today, even though modern mobile screens deliver almost flawless clarity on serif fonts. 

Typefaces with some contrast are generally easier to read because that variation in stroke width helps the reader distinguish between letters that have common shapes.  

Larger x-heights tend to deliver better legibility because the generous size makes the letters easier to read. 

an x-height that’s too tall can blur the distinction between upper- and lower-case characters

Text that is too tight overall can slow a reader down, and text that is too loose can seemingly drift off the page.  

Blue light

Speed of reading

Reading glasses

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/company-history

Affordable reading for all.

Adapted to changing world - working in tv and audio book.

Changed publishing completely 

House hold name 

“We just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random”, they said.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/company-timeline

orange for fiction 

blue for biography

green for xrime 

Penguin classics - 1946 

The puffin book club - 1967 

1995 - penguin website (adaption)

2008 - ebooks (Adapation)

2015 - 80p penguin classics

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/who-we-are

We make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone.

Our editorial choices

1. Determination to publish responsibly and for the widest possible audience. 

2. A deep and enduring commitment to freedom of expression and a plurality of voices.

3. A duty of care around content.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/publishing-houses

Publishing houses - Penguin audio, Cornerstone, ebury, penguin michael joesph, penguin random house, penguin press, penguin random house children’s, transworld, vintage, quadrille, everyman’s library.

Penguin audio - audiobooks with bbc audio, catalogue of radio shows.

Corner stone - where non tradtional boosk or authors come in - “it’s books celebrate a spectacualr range of voices across a rainbow of categories”

Ebury - Non-fiction books, “books that bring readers and authors together around shared passions in life”

Penguin Michael Joseph - founder - creating new talent or looking after new talent in publishing. Picking out the best authors of that genre and giving it to the widest possible audience.

Penguin general - good books to be enjoyed by everyone.

Penguin press - (1997) “encompasses the celebrated imprints Allen Lane, Penguin Classics, Particular Books and Pelican. Home to serious and groundbreaking non-fiction in hardback and paperback, plus the extended family of classic fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama, we have established a reputation for books that bring new ideas to readers and represent the best in editorial and design standards.”

Children’s - Stories, brands and authros for childrens lit. 

Transworld - Storytelling is key focus 

Vintage - “We publish some of the world’s most thought-provoking, unforgettable, beautifully designed books” - edgy “cool” publishingn 

Quadrille - Food and life style publisher. “enrich readers lives, feed minds and fuel creativity.”

Everyman’s library - modern classics, clothbound. Luxury book at low prices. timeless.

We are your partner in type.

Putting type into brand, product, social

founded in 1999 but the legacy dates back to 1887.

“As screens became the primary canvas for communication, Monotype played a leading role in optimizing fonts for digital environments and enabling global access to type software.”

“Looking ahead, we are focused on the next era of type — one shaped by creativity, intelligence, and collaboration.”

“From dynamic, variable fonts to AI-assisted type development, Monotype is building the tools that will define how we create, express, and connect in the future.”

https://climate-chronicle.monotype.com/

 A website dedicated to fonts that use a ‘lighter data size footprint’. Optimistic headlines show the direction we could move in.

Design tip for enviromental impact - “Design for legibility at smaller weights - lowers in use while maintaining accessibility”

https://www.monotype.com/type-trends/hot-wet/fonts-wont-save-the-world/?utm_source=typetrends&utm_medium=hot-wet&utm_campaign=learn-about-hot-&%C2%A0wethot-&%C2%A0wet-explores-the-relationship-between-design,-typography,-and-our-changing-environment.-via-block_acf-block-69317f3caaa85

What role can typography play in a climate crisis? 

“type and message are inserparable”

“because type isnt just a surface; it’s an infrastructure” 

Can fonts visualise real-time carbon data-making the invisble visble in design tools?

How much energy does type consume across different platforms and resolutions?

Digital minimalism - using fewer styles, smaller files and variable fonts.

Regeneration - design systems that give back 

data visulisation - Typography that translates environmental data in real time, as a living signal, responsive to its context.

“Fonts are not just software; they’re cultural vessels that carry memory, emotion, and story.”

“A typeface built to last — adaptable across contexts and decades, sometimes even centuries” 

“Behind the scenes, typeface creation consumes measurable energy — and a single Latin design may emit around 2 kg of CO₂”

Here are the notes

• Audience - who is it? Think about the panel as well - Natalie Prout

• Explaining language to people whose first language isn't their first language.

• Word - Sound + Visual

• Type vs emotional type

• What do stories do? How do we relate to stories we read?

• Cambridge word experiment

• Type and intention

• Type function - Understand or Experience

• Expanded literature

• Movie poster - beyond the still or motion

• Dove Type - most beautiful type

• How and what do words communicate?

• intonation - Type and help people read

• Communicate meaning

• Choose text I am passionate about

• Natalie Prout

• Embossing?

Too many brands today have lost what made them matter. We built Mischief Maker to change that - this feels good to keep in mind - what is the foundation of both Penguin and Monotype and how can we bring them together?

takeaways -

• BOLD - want to work with brands that want to shake things up, not play itself

• Boring design - so much is the same, find inspiration from other places outside of the digital

• It makes it possible to to quickly scan your text.

• It entices your readers to engage with your text.

• When done well, it enhances the message it presents.

• It conserves that most precious and scarce commodity: reader attention.

It’s simply a tool, perhaps the tool, for communication. As, the poetic Robert Bringhurst states:

Typography is an ancient craft and an old profession…it is also in some sense a trust. The lexicon of the tribe and the letters of the alphabet—which are the chromosomes and genes of literate culture—are in the typographer’s care.

https://www.dandad.org/work/new-blood-archive/rememberttf

https://www.dandad.org/work/new-blood-archive/doyoumindthegap

Insights -

it was using type to address a cause of the designers choice. I really liked these to be specific, its the use of language as well as the type - its the unison and also the accessibility of these pieces.

Mind the gap uses the commute of a worker to get this message across - you can see where it has come from - pay gap, women in work, how do they get to work?

I think the audience is defiantly something to focus on more

"It enriches the user experience by effortlessly adapting the screen's color temperature to the surrounding environment"

designed by Dalton Magg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookerly

Q1. What is your first language?

Q2. How long have you been learning English?

Q3. How would you describe your English reading?

Q4. Where do you usually read English? (Choose all that apply)

Q5. How does reading English usually make you feel?

Q6. What do you find hardest when reading English? (Choose all that apply)

Q7. Have you ever got the wrong feeling from something written in English? For example, did something seem rude or unfriendly when it wasn't meant to be?

Q8. Does English ever feel cold or less warm than your first language?

Q9. In your first language, how do you usually know if something is friendly, serious, or a joke? (Choose all that apply)

Q10. What would make English text easier or more welcoming to read?

Q11. Is there anything about how your first language looks on a page or screen that you wish English had too?

Q12. If you could change one thing about how English looks, what would it be?

Lastly, do you have any comments or things you would like to say that you didn't get to. Anything at all is really helpful! 

2. English often feels emotionally cold — Over half find it less warm than their first language. One Romanian respondent perfectly articulated this: "English gives off Times New Roman vibes" — bleak!

3. Sarcasm is untranslatable on the page — Called out as uniquely British and culturally invisible in writing. You can speak perfect English and still miss it entirely.

4. Context is the universal tone decoder — In their own languages, people rely on contextual fluency built over a lifetime. In English, that context is missing, especially digitally.

5. Long/complex words are the biggest barrier — Compounded by density. One respondent spontaneously called out bionic reading as a solution.

6. The visual structure of English feels unfamiliar — Chinese readers flag that capitalisation disrupts word recognition. The Romanian respondent beautifully imagined language-specific fonts.

7. Predictability and regularity are deeply desired — Irregular spelling, capitalisation rules, and synonyms all add cognitive load that native readers never notice.

Make reading easiers by guiding the eyes through artificial fixation points.

"the eyes focus on the bolded part of the word, and the brain fills in the rest."

"Processes words faster than the eyes can read individual letters, focusing on fewer letters at a time allows the reader to process faster while still grasping the full meaning." - this would help with the long words and understanding them better.

Pro:

• Faster reading

• Better focus

• Improved Understadning

Cons:

• Learning curve

• Limited uses

• Eye strain

Typoglycaemia - our brains don't just rely on what they see - they also rely on what we expect to see.

"In 2011, researchers from the University of Glasgow, conducting unrelated research, found that when something is obscured from or unclear to the eye, human minds can predict what they think they're going to see and fill in the blanks."

Graham Rawlinson, who wrote his PhD thesis on the topic at Nottingham University in 1976.

It isn't random - there is a formula to it - short words are used, they are jumbled in a certain way to keep it familiar, and the text is predictable. Keep double letters together.

TAKEFORWARD - it isn't as easy as it looks because it simply isn't true. However, it is an interesting take on how the brain doesn't read single letters - there is an element of recognition.

Matt Tromans added Rebecca Howson to the chat and shared chat history from the past 2 days.

This is one of my favourite quotes of all time - it can be zoomed in on either 'mankind' or men as a gender. The comparison is a brilliant dig at the sex, and it is right, what are men to rocks and mountains!!!

Insight from survey

I used "how might we" activity - I asked Claude to help me through it with prompts to answer as I felt overwhelmed with the insights. It was helpful, I would have been so overwhelmed with this and staying on topic with my insights from my surveys and research. I have a habit to stray so this was so GOOD.

FINAL STATEMENT

Global/none native english readers need a typographic experience that makes them feel immersed in English text because current English text lacks emotional connection. But Latin type is not designed with foreign language or emotions in mind.

Page 30 - “Generally, well-set type is designed so that you ‘look past’ the typeface and focus on the words themselves”

The Core Idea A typographic tool that helps non-native English readers (focusing on Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Polish speakers) feel emotionally connected to English text — specifically classic literature like Pride and Prejudice — by shifting certain words into different typefaces to convey tone and emotion visually.

What's Working Well The reviewer was genuinely enthusiastic. The concept is well-grounded: it connects to the brief's inclusivity theme, Penguin's original mission of accessible reading, Monotype's work with typefaces and brand personality, and the LSN Global trend around emotional connection and identity. The research feels cohesive rather than scattered.

The Big Tension: App vs. Print The reviewer pushed back on the app idea — if users are scanning each page to read it on their phone, that feels clunky. The print direction (using acetate overlays to reveal emotional/tonal layers in text) felt more exciting and tactile to both of them. Worth keeping the app as a concept to mock up, but print seems like the stronger direction.

The Unexpected Spin-off Idea The conversation landed on something genuinely compelling: using acetate overlays to overlay a translated version of a text onto the original — so you'd physically layer, say, a French translation over the English. This came from thinking about how the best way to learn a language is reading the same book in both. The reviewer called this out as major project territory.

Broader Audience Potential The idea naturally extends beyond non-native speakers — it could work for people on the autism spectrum who find tone difficult to read, younger readers, or educational settings for English literature study.

What to Do Next The reviewer was clear: stop researching, start making. The suggested immediate next step was to find a translated version of the chosen Pride and Prejudice extract, print it, and experiment with acetate overlays — different typefaces, different colours. Getting something physical in hand will unlock the next stage of thinking.

One Thing to Watch The dyslexia/colour overlay angle was flagged as a slippery slope — it's a different and much bigger problem, and going there risks losing focus.

2. Broaden the audience beyond language learners Three distinct user groups were highlighted worth considering: people with autism who struggle to interpret tone, people with dyslexia (for whom font choice genuinely affects perception), and second language speakers wanting to build confidence and expand vocabulary.

3. Explore a grammar/semantics layer — colourful semantics Inspired by primary education approaches, there's an idea to design typefaces or visual treatments for different word types (nouns, adjectives). This could either run alongside the emotion-focused direction or be offered as a separate mode within the app.

4. Two distinct concept directions to present Rather than choosing one, you could present both — emotion/tone-based typography and grammar/word-type-based typography — as two examples within your submission.

5. Frame it as a pitch deck This was the strongest practical recommendation. Present the concept as "if I were to build this app, here's what it would look like" — with design examples and a pitch deck format. This gives the work a place to live and elevates it beyond just a standalone outcome.

Look at the author, George Orwell

How does this come through on campaigns

sent out

Looking at public transport and how it helps

Jay - Z - promoting a book - massive to little things - Decoded - putting a page out at a time, using global moments

Touch points and conversation pieces

Summer time and location specific

Walk along an airport - force engagement.

Doing something different.

Text in the link with the location

Choosing the text for a certain demographic

Looking at the template -

WHY - taking inspiration, everything needs a purpose

Thinking beyond - just answering the brief

The concept isn't fully in place - creating structure

TAKE FORWARD - Reflect, consolidate and bring the edges back in - analysing

Baby shoe for sale, never worn.

Right now I need to pick a book, one that I have read so I have an insight into and one that is recognisable for people who have read it or haven't read it.

Then I need to test shortening it, into a word, a sentence or even a poem.

Then it is seeing how type can add to this - what impact will the use of type have on the sentence I create.

Clock work orange -

The colour orange isn't spoken about.

It's not about clocks or oranges.

This statement is based on the title and a little bit of content rather than the author.

Looking at the brief - maybe the statement needs to be a way to unlock an emotional connection - the person reading it, they will resolve or find the connection because of their own personal experience.

This new creative grammar prioritises empathy, adaptability and access – reshaping how stories are told, retold and reinterpreted in rhythm with our lives.  

^WHY?

The impact of how 6 words can tell a story, it shows how impactful language can be and it doesn't need to be a full story for you to build a narrative in your head. This idea would work really well for hooking people in, getting them to interpret it.

- Inspire the target audience to re-imagine travel as the world opens uppost-Covid

- Increase brand awareness

- Build brand consideration

- Drive sales during the key post-Christmas winter sale period

JCDecaux Airport channels are unmissable, benefit from long dwelltimes, and provide exceptional brand presence across the whole airport, not only within the terminals we fly from, but throughout travellers’ arrivals and departures journeys. 

"Airport bookshops are the ultimate mix of restriction and indulgence"

I like the way this article has summarised the campaign - it makes it easier for the reader to know the problem and solution and art direction of this piece. This is a great template for me to use for my own work, as I feel I can get off topic when explaining my ideas. Using this will clarify what I am trying to say.

I started off with a picture I took of a book I found in an antique store - it was an old ladybird book. I love the typeface of the book, and I always take pictures of designs that I could find inspiration from. I decided to choose this image as well because of the playful style, and also that Ladybird is a branch of Penguin Books. I am aware this is a child's book, but of the time period of 'A clockwork orange' it was published in the same time period as this Ladybird book, this bubble, round type it a good example of the time period. I want to rework this typeface

Takeaways - mock this up to see how it would look but also if it works as a concept.

The idea was to remove any text in the book and replace it with the 10 words that I had written for this book; however when I ripped the front cover, I realised that the words of the first page were just as iconic - I didn't know if this was because I knew the book. I tested a few iterations on this idea and showed it to a few people to see who would get it.

5/6 people i asked knew which book it was - it felt like such a happy moment when you realise something works with someone outside of your mind.

However, I need to reflect on if this meets the brief - although there is text involved, it doesn't feel type-led. Another look over the brief makes me realise the highlight of digital is rather than print.

Moving forward - is there a way I can make this concept more type-focused? Could this be editing the text with a different type.

I also need to test it on more people, people who aren't readers.

I have insights about digital reading. Can I incorporate this somehow?

If I were to apply it to the 10 words idea, i think I would use the animation to help show the plot or tell the story. Manipulate the words to show the audience the themes of the books/emotions of what they could feel.

I am going to try 1984 by george orwell as it is the one that I mocked up before so will be good to compare how it portrays this book with different concepts.

Themes of the book:

• power

• surveillance

• repression

How could these be shown using text?

I decided to try and create letters/forms inspired by nouns, adjectives - seeing what my brain would create.

Takeaways - it was really dependent on colour, and feeling. I am not sure why I see them like this - noun was bold because its a name (something I think is important and strong).

Verb - felt more playful because it is an active work - doing word - even if it is sleeping, it's doing something.

Adjective - Descriptive word, an add on so doesnt take up too much room.

Seeing it is works with my research and it does - I then looked at books I could take forward. I picked from the list of classics on the penguin website, a few I had read and hadn't to get mixed perspective on this. I also looked at the authors on the brief to see if this would work as well, I choose 1984 by George Orwell.

I decided to try and do the 10 words from the title, it was a fun exercise to see how the phrases/language I was using would help with the title. I realised I was heavily focusing on just the title and not the actual content - only using the title wouldn't give the audience any insight into the book, The one thing that this ad needed to do!

I need to look at how I can summaries the books in 10 words or less without a bias opinion as I may focus on one point or theme of the book more than others - having a unbiased perspective will give a better overall perspective of the story. Maybe use AI?

I love my concept, I know that about myself. So why do I keep running away from it? I stress out because I don't think it is good enough and I try something else to make myself feel better.

Beck said it as well, but I already knew this. I knew deep down that the fear of not having a good idea or being 'smart' just ruins the fun and feeling I have when I have an idea I love.

I know the feeling I have when I get a good idea, a spark of an insight, a glimpse of an outcome. It feel like a wave of relief, you found the next step up to Mordor (recently watched all the LOTR films so bear with me). You could say destroying the one ring is like finishing a brief that has made you cry an ridiculous amount of times. Anyway, the moral of the story is to trust myself, that I have good ideas. When they go wrong, to not throw my pens out the window and to ask why! Why isn't it working?

But hey, if it wasn't dramatic, it wouldn't be me.

I was worried about the type-led brief but I have been focusing on it, i just didn't think of using the orignal format, a letter press.

Covering the first page of the shields the content but also helps the people make the link to the content. Focusing on the type face that I print, the words that I use - this will help determine the interpretation of the book. Though the body font doesn't change, because of legibility, the overlay of these words will help to tell the story.

So before I head to the print room, I need to think of the words I can use for each book - words that help with emotion and feeling.

Then, the typeface to use to add a layer to that story.

I decided to choose a script typeface for Persuaion to lean into the romantic themes of the book. I had some issues with the type, the biggest size i had was 30pt which wasn't the impact I wanted, I wanted a bigger type to cover the text and hide the contents of the book. We solved this by printing and using digital tools to blow up the font to what I wanted.

Colour was also something that I questioned as well. Because this was based in an airport then I wasn't sure what colour would be good to choose for certain emotions because each culture has its own connotations.

I decided to go with red, cliche red colour in western society.

Clickbate feels a little false, a lie told to get you to read it. Maybe i need to think of a way to market or talk about it in a way that doesnt relate to the word clickbait

Each sign could be held by a certain person and the typeface used could reflect the book and person holding it

for example - a child holding a sign with the quote of the book on it - it reflects the book and the demographic with relation to airports

It was so interesting, I love type so much. Learning the process and understanding how it works allows you to appreciate people that set pages of type.

It is a skill that I know I’d love to use in the future.

I think the use of the letterpress is definitely something I want for this project but not sure this small of type face will work like this because it’s just not impactful. Maybe something bigger - like wood type. Want to have a look at the type they have in the workshop and how I can use it.

Maybe have a look at the scans they have of them and use those to make mock ups whilst I wait.

Something like - "Find this book in the bookshop."

"This book is waiting for you in the bookshop"

The script typeface is to show the love and romantic themes in the book. The serif condensed font is mimicking a newspaper shouting about the news.

This woman made me buy a book in 8 words. 

'It's a Japanese book about rooms and pictures.' 

The book was called Strange Houses. No cover. No review. Just eight words, and I was sold. 

How can such a short statement create such an impact? 

It’s the same feeling of when you guess the correct answer to the questions of “you know the one?”, “its got them in it from EastEnders?”, “it’s about that thing... it’s on the tip of my tounge”. It’s the intrigue, the wracking of the brain and the final satisfaction when you either guess it right or want to know more.  

We get so much information nower days, we are reading more than ever. Whether it be passive like threads, captions or reels. The stories are short, so when do we have time to read longer ones?  

There are still places where the scroll stops. Where you're forced to be present, to look up. Airports are one of those places. They have a golden hour, a window where people invest in themselves, in their own wellbeing. Bookshops are already there, waiting. The behaviour exists. It just needs a spark. 

Clickbait taught us something — the right few words can stop you mid-scroll and make you desperate to know more. But what if we used that power honestly, and let type carry the emotion? Subconsciously we already link typefaces to genres. A grotesque sans serif feels like non-fiction. A flowing script feels like romance. We judge type the same way we judge tone without even realising it. So what if type alone could do what my customer did? 

Let type do the talking. A single sentence, set in a typeface that already knows the story. No imagery. No cover. Just words, set right. 

The execution lives in the most emotional object in any airport — a ‘welcome home’ sign. Every book gets its own. Its own typeface, layout, printing method. Take 1984 — a justified sans serif, blocked in black, two words isolated like Winston himself. Printed on letterpress, the organic texture giving it the weight of something human surviving something brutal. 

Each sign is its own world. Because each book is. 

And it doesn't end there. With #EightWords, readers submit their own eight word summaries. Our creatives choose the type. The best become signs of their own. Readers don't just discover stories, they shape how others find them. 

Monotype is the custodians of type. Penguin is the custodians of stories. Together proving that the relationship between a reader and a book begins before the first page. 

So, let me give you eight words that will show, an emotion can be evoked in one line —  

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

First off, lets set an intention for this:

What? I want them to feel inspired and get them thinking of books they could also use in the campaign.

Why? It shows longevity

• Breakdown of the 1984 sign, type used, picture of the justifcation.

• Campaign suggestions

• Research + Insights - how I got there - could be a ven diagram?

How will it look??

THERE RECOMMENDATION -

• A summary of your research approach.

• The key insight(s) that led to your solution.

• How you developed the idea from insight(s) to solution.

• Alternative ideas you explored.

• Scamps, initial hand sketches, prototypes, mock-ups.

• Mood boards and other reference imagery.

DESCRIPTION - A short summary of your

idea (max. 100 words).

We will use this to help promote your

work if it wins and it will be available to

the judges as supporting material. Your

brief may ask you to include specific info

in this description.

THE MAIN DELIVERABLE - The main deliverable is what you must

submit for that brief and what the judges

will base initial decisions on. They’ll view

this first, then look at any optional

material only if they want to – if your

main piece has impressed them enough

that they want to see more. Your main

piece(s) must clearly and effectively

present your idea and execution;

anything the judges will need so they can

understand your response, and anything

specified under The important stuff on

the brief.

THE OPTIONAL PIECE - The optional pieces are your chance to

show additional executions (e.g. ads,

product mock-ups, app prototypes), or

give further insights into your research

and development. You should name

every asset (each file you upload or

URL you input) clearly, indicating

whether that asset is one of your main

deliverables, or an optional supporting

piece (e.g. “Main Deliverable 1 of 4”,

“Supporting Image 3”, etc).

WHY?

I did not use it as a generator of ideas, outcomes or content.

Things I noticed about my practice:

• I did not have faith in ideas - no one idea was ever going to be enough for me.

• I held on to research for too long, it is my safe space but I also don't think I would ever stop researching. I have to set a time frame.

• How important it is for me to step away from my own brain - constant thoughts about work is not healthy but also not productive.

Things I learnt:

• I am a concept person - my research, ideas and concepts are strong. It is my outcomes I find difficult - means I need to work on my practice.

• The first ideas or the most organic can be the best - doesn't need to be complex - it just needs to work.

• I need words of encouragement just as much as I need constructive feedback. I wish to be better every project but also to know I am doing a good job.

What could I do better next time:

• Trust myself.

• Keep having conversations and have them earlier on - really helped me get out of my head and see if it makes sense to another person.

• Know when it is time to stop - you can start hating your work and that energy can shift into the execution.

Orange - from penguins orignal branding

Black - legibility

Off white - legibility

I wanted to map it out visually, to help the judges understand but also see how it works together.

These a the few I came up with, I used adobe stock, adobe illustrator and photoshop to create them.

If I had more time I would of loved to of done my letterpress prints of the work but these would have to do.

Again, if I had more time I would probably of done actual stickers and stuck them around the walls.

I started off by printing on acetate and folded around the book like a dust cover - making it easy to add to the book.

I couldn't find the orange acetate in the end so put the pink and yellow together to work with it. I went with orange as a nod to penguins iconic colour.

Realistically I am not an animator, my strengths lie in layout design and i just felt lost in this animation. It wasn't how I wanted my work to go so I have decided to do the static imagery - I feel like this will be better for me to tell my story.

8 JPEGS - PLAN

1 - COVER

2 - PROBLEM, INSIGHT, SOLUTION

3 - CONSUMER JOURNEY

4 - MOCK UP

5 - MOCK UP

6- MOCK UP

7- RESEARCH

8- CAMPAIGN