cover ideas

Here are some initial ideas for the cover of the concertina:

I got inspiration for the composition/colours from 1920s Russian book covers and some of Rodchenko's advertising:

I love the dynamic angles for shapes and colour, and the limited colour palettes make the images so bold. Elements that seem consistent in most examples I look at are - red/black/white, elements of photography/photomontage, slanting text, arrows, images/text surrounding shapes. I will think about including some of these design techniques into my own design.

I want to make the cover eye catching and graphic like all the examples I have been looking at - but also appealing to children as that is my main audience. 

I worked out the dimensions I need:

(front binding)

(inside cover)

From that I started developing one of my ideas:

This wasn't working how I wanted - the figures all looked a bit messy when piled together, and I felt having the text at that angle would look a bit cliche. So I started again.

I thought it would be a good idea to include some factories/big buildings because of the Constructivist's love of architecture and machine - it featured a lot in their design work. Also it is very relevance to the working class. I also decided to add some figures - that way it might be more attractive to children. 

I made some little men and women workers - I chose men and women so that this educational timeline can appeal to both girls and boys, also the Constructivist movement valued men and women the same in terms of art, which I mention in the pack. 

I added a red triangle as that is a shape used a lot in Russian designs -  and I could have it pointing to something. Although it does look quite like a pack of Marlboro cigarettes with it on both back and front

It looks better just on the front - and I added people walking across the two sides but I think that will look a bit messy - I might just do a separate design for the back and not make them connected

I felt it needed something under the red arrow, so I made a little factory which turned out well - it looks very graphic. Although it definitely needs to be bigger and possibly with something either side of it - maybe more buildings 

Making the factory bigger adds to the boldness of the image. I added some photos from the Russian revolution - Lenin talking to a crowd and a march of Communist women. I used similar shapes to Rodchenko's advertising - it makes the cover resonate much more with what I have learnt over this dissertation project as I am including design techniques I have picked up from research. 

I tried out some different combinations for the back cover but I think the last is the most effective - it is simpler but makes the cover look cleaner and more professional I think. But I think the very bold colours will still make it appealing to children. 

The age group I am aiming at isn't too young - about 9-12, an age where children don't want things too patronising and childish. I think this cover works as it is educational yet also bold and exciting which could work well for children.