Solitary Wasps
Jan-Jun 2025
Skills
Book design
University project
Book design proposal for a specialist text intended to be an entry point for people new to this subject. I designed the contents to be easier to read and understand, and the cover to be simple, practical yet beautiful, expressing the appreciation scientists have for these insects.
I decided to refresh the design of this technical text, as I found it dense and difficult to read. I also wanted to convey the appreciation I have for these insects by taking more care with the design.
To increase the legibility, I chose a 'scientific and organic' body typeface with clear forms. This, and the base layout I set, could be applied to any book in the Naturalists' Handbooks series. I added a fold-out page, as the two first identification keys were too condensed, making them hard to read. I also used a second colour of ink, to add clarity to the diagrams and page hierarchy.
The cover is simple and hardwearing, but expressive of a recognisable feature of the solitary wasps: their wings, which are a key tool in identification. The debossing on a coloured paper is also applicable to more books in the series. The header and subheader typeface was chosen for its unusual serifs and fine details reminiscent of the shapes, antennae, legs of wasps.