THE RED CORD

PROJECT INFORMATION

TITLE // The Red Cord
DATE // 2006
CLIENT // Academy of Art University Coursework
Deliverables // Book Design, Illustrations

PROJECT GOALS

Create a book based on a story or event of your choice. No imagery of the event or those that participated in the event may be used if the event or story that is chosen actually took place. Use your skills as a designer to find or create new imagery without being literal.

PROJECT INSPIRATION & APPROACH

The Red Cord is a classic Chinese fairy tale that dates back thousands of years. The story states that all men and women as tired together with an invisible cord at birth, thus suggesting that couples are fated to be together even at birth.

The approach of the design of The Red Cord was twofold. The book must not only reflect the content of the story, but the Chinese origin as well. The illustrations consisted of brush work, Chinese stamping, and paper cutouts, all imagery often associated with Chinese culture. The story was printed on brown bond paper to reflect the age and classic nature of the book. The entire story was then bound together with red twine in a Chinese stitch-binding pattern to further reinforce the Chinese origins of this story.