Banned Books Week
Web Design, Web Development, Marketing Activation
Combining print, web, and on-site activation for a unique experience.
Every year Brazos Bookstore celebrates the freedom to read with Banned Books Week and invites Field of Study Design and Workhorse Printmakers to create special artwork to print live on-site. For this particular year, we themed our concept around a secret underground anti-book burning group. The focal piece was a decoder that translated secret messages on a website and on posters that were printed live in-store. The decoded messages were quotes about freedom of the press or selections from books that have been banned.
Details
Client: Brazos BookstoreEmployer: Field of StudyRole: Sr Web Designer, DeveloperTeam: John Earles, Jennifer Blanco, Travis Smith, Laura ThornockFocus: Branding, Digital Design, Marketing Design
My primary role on this project was designing and building the website. To give the experience that you were on a secretive underground website, we kept the color palette and elements on the screen minimal. The animations are slow and smooth and the coded messages appears as if its being typed to as if a hacker has taken control of the browser.
The decoder for the printed posters and website messages.
First the site opens on two open eyes.
Next one of the eyes closes as the text changes.
Finally the eyes then move to the top of the browser as the coded message animates out.
The site was also designed to animate similarly on mobile devices.
In addition to the website, I filmed and edited some social media teasers for the event. We created a large stencil to spray paint the bookstore’s windows and placed coded posters throughout the store to appear as if this activist group vandalized the store. For the teaser videos, I cut together clips of us making the stencil and “vandalizing” the store with a low-fi VHS effect to make it seem more DIY.
What I Love About This Project
I love the collaboration on this project and how we pushed each other to do bigger and better things with each of our pieces of the project. There was no boundary of “this is mine” and “that is yours.” We all had input and when we’d make a breakthrough on one part of the project, it would prompt a way to enhance another part.