Role
Book designer and binder

Context
This project involved the design and production of a physical book based on Mark Twain’s essay The Chicago of Europe, written after his visit to Berlin. The publication was developed as part of an editorial design course focused on exploring the interplay of word and image through storytelling, layout, and material experimentation.

Approach
The process included in-depth research, typographic exploration, and multiple layout iterations. The book follows a French fold perfect binding technique, allowing for layered visual narratives and an elevated tactile experience. A restrained typographic system was paired with a carefully structured layout that guides the reader through Twain’s fragmented impressions of Berlin with deliberate pacing and spatial rhythm.

Particular attention was paid to dramaturgy across spreads, experimenting with scale, contrast, and typographic tension to enhance the narrative flow. The visual language was developed through sketching, typesetting trials, dummy production, and paper testing. All layouts were built in InDesign and the final prototype was hand-bound using traditional tools and techniques.

Photography by:
Alina Gorbenko,
Coke Pereira,
Shusei,
Jonathan Lass.