For this project, I was tasked with redesigning a book originally published before 1995. I chose Take Better Pictures from The Kodak Library of Creative Photography, which was first released in 1983.

Because the book was published in the early 1980s, I wanted the design to embrace that era’s distinctive visual character fully. Drawing inspiration from the bold graphics and expressive aesthetics of 80s pop culture, I incorporated the decade’s guiding principle that “more is more,” using bright red backgrounds that fill entire spreads and serve as bold borders around imagery. To strengthen the connection to photography, I integrated a film strip motif along the front and back covers and carried that detail into the chapter-opening spreads. When reworking the original photos, I felt it was important to frame them within clean, boxy outlines, an intentional nod to the computer-generated graphics that began to emerge during that time with the first Macintosh releasing in 1984, just a year after the book’s original publication. Altogether, the redesign honors both the nostalgic warmth of analog photography and the early digital aesthetics that defined a pivotal moment in visual culture.

“Take Better Pictures” is a guide designed for both beginner and experienced photographers to improve their skills. Published by Time-Life and Kodak, it focuses on practical techniques for camera operation, subject selection, lighting, and composition to produce high-quality photographs.

Type of Project:
Print Book Redesign

Year: 2024

Fonts: Obviously, Source Sans

Programs:
InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop