Role
Book Designer
Timeline
2023
Tools
Adobe InDesign
Key Story
Research & Strategy
Project Understanding
Through conversations with the authors, I clarified:
The vision for showcasing student perspectives
The academic expectations tied to the textbook
Opportunities to modernize the layout and improve legibility
Research Activities
Reviewed the previous edition for strengths and gaps
Studied best practices in professional book design
Evaluated typefaces across Adobe and Google Fonts
Ensured compliance with licensing, print requirements, and publisher guidelines
Strategic Focus Areas
Strong typographic hierarchy
Clear formatting rules
Cohesive design system across all pages
Visual motif that ties the book’s content together
Accessibility-conscious spacing and structure
The core conceptual direction emerged through the soundwave motif—a visual representation of many voices contributing to a shared message.
Process
Cover & Layout Exploration
Produced 50+ concepts exploring:
Visual metaphors for communication
Approaches that felt modern yet academically credible
Ways to integrate the new student-written material
Design System Development
Using InDesign’s book feature, I built a unified system:
Typeface pairing for clarity and academic tone
Iconography, tables, and figures
Consistent margins, spacing, and formatting rules
Image licensing and graphic asset creation
Soundwave Motif
The motif appears throughout:
Cover and chapter intros
Pull quotes
Icons and figures
It also connects naturally to themes like technology, digital communication, and plurality of voice.
Project Management
Managed the full process using a Notion workspace to track milestones, assets, and approvals.
Final Outcome
The sixth edition features:
A cohesive, readable, student-centered design
A unified typographic and visual system
Clear chapter structures and improved accessibility
A soundwave motif that adds meaning and continuity
The result is a modern, engaging academic textbook that highlights the diverse perspectives shaping the discipline.
The sixth edition is now fully published and in use.
