Role: Book design and illustration | Client: BBC Books @ Penguin Random House
Book design and illustration for the 192 page book, The Story of the Dinosaurs.
Working with Dr David Hone and Ella Al-Shamahi, I illustrated and designed accessible and engaging infographics for the whole book, aimed at an audience of 11-14 year olds. Together we told a story of the dinosaurs, what came before them and what existed alongside them. From the ever familiar Tyrannosaurus rex to the lesser known Rhamphorhynchus, I illustrated the dinosaurs according to the latest research.
Cover design, using illustrations and graphics I created for the interior pages of the book
I created a colour coded system for the chapters throughout the book, that worked alongside the fonts and text hierarchy to create a cohesive, easy to digest reading experience.
NEW LOOK
I wanted to give many of the diagrams that often feel familiar—such as “How Fossils Are Formed” (see above)—a fresh look, and find exciting ways to present new data.
THOROUGH RESEARCH
I did a lot of research and worked with palaeontologist, Dr David Hone, to make sure that the dinosaurs I was drawing were correct according to the current science. With the skeleton of Iguanodon (above), I researched and drew it by hand before moving to Illustrator to tidy it up, and Photoshop to add depth and texture.
PATTERNS & EMBELLISHMENTS
On many spreads I created bright background patterns and other interesting embellishments that complemented the information, to give a greater depth and visual appeal to sometimes dry data.
Early cover concepts
All images © BBC Books
