Tresspassers Will Be Forgiven

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(Collaborative zine design)

December 2022

Publication

(Project description)

"Trespassers Will Be Forgiven" is a magazine component of a larger project centered on the "society of the spectacle." The design objective was to create a visually interesting publication that documented our group's research and ideas during the semester. We took this a step further by completely changing the format of a traditional magazine. Presented in a landscape format with a visual language that samples a MacBook computer's interface, the magazine addresses our digital existence through the pandemic. Through curated articles and a series of hidden messages and easter eggs, a secondary narrative unfolds, documenting a computer interface that begins to glitch as hackers take control of the device.

(Design challenge)

The main challenge was to translate a digital experience into a physical, tangible publication. We needed to communicate the feeling of living online during the pandemic and find a way to make a two-dimensional object feel interactive and narrative-driven. A key part of the challenge was to create a compelling secondary storyline that could be discovered by the reader without overpowering the main content of the magazine.

(The process)

The process began with our group collectively curating articles and ideas to document our research. The decision to use the visual metaphor of a MacBook interface was central to the project, as it allowed us to communicate our ideas on living in a digital world. We then had to meticulously design a publication that flowed logically while embedding a hidden, unfolding narrative. The team and I also produced a commercial to advertise the magazine, which further cemented the project's unique conceptual framework.

(Key takeaways)

This project was a crucial experience in understanding how to blend complex conceptual ideas with creative execution. It was an exercise in unconventional thinking that pushed the boundaries of what a publication could be. Working on a collaborative project of this scale provided me with valuable experience in team based creative problem-solving and in developing a non traditional approach to zines and print publication design.