Nelson-Atkins Internship Update

Currently I am working as lead designer on the 2010-2011 Report of Gifts annual report project. The Report of Gifts is comprised of many different lists of the generous individuals and businesses that allow the Nelson-Atkins remain free for everyone to visit. Along side these lists are carefully color corrected images of works of art in the museums collection that had been on display in the 2010-2011 year. Working with many different environmental images of visitors of all kinds. The museum understands and wants to reflect that without the visitors there could be no museum.

The build I have put together is a 6.75" tall by 11" wide. The reasoning behind this is to allow for the least amount of waste space while printing with Mpress while being a sensible choice for the information I have to work with. The challenge here is working with the images of particular business, member, and exhibition events chosen by the director, and marketing to represent the Nelson carefully into 40 full color pages worth of lists creatively into a printed booklet and online pdf simultaneously. During the 2010-2011 fiscal year that this ROG represents the torch had been passed from Marc Wilson to Julián Zugazagoitia. For that reason with Julián's spirit of innovation and progress the report itself evolves in several ways to represent this shift.

The overall build of the book is separated into two layout formats with different flowing column rhythms. This is a nod to the changing of the directors. In the first half of the book the column and lists come down from the top of the layout in a more structured format. This particular section works better with the structured build because the lists start and end frequently and must be worked with rather than forced into a confined space. Also this format allows for column of information to span across from one another while remaining under the same header which was very important to represent the amount of the donations.

Sample Image - Top Layout (This is filler text in the image)

While the second and final half of the report is a majority of longer lists that often span multiple pages which have allowed for easy manipulation of the rhythm of the columns in order across a spread. Much like I learned I could create while working on my Geek Culture Magazine in Type II last semester. This format will allow for interesting and creative visual patterns of column layouts infused with environmental images of the museum.

Sample Image - Bottom Layout (This is filler text in the image)

Though out the spreads there are a series of colored bars that run along either the top or bottom of the layout depending on the section. The colors that these bars are filled with serve as a guide to each section of the report. Where the bar continues off of the page or stops will represent the end or continuation of a section. The colors themselves will change themes from the first section into the second to represent the changing of the directors. I am also experimenting with the idea of including exhibit and important event dates into the color bars to allow them to serve as a time line of sorts. I believe that this could help enforce the overall theme of change. 

The folio is a simple centered number at this point. Anything elaborate would distract too much from the rest of the layout. Also being centered as it currently is leaves it safe from the creep expected from 20 spreads being put together. 

Another project for The Nelson-Atkins:

Set of three frames that are being currently shown in rotation on the screens in the lobby of the Nelson-Atkins Bloch Building advertising the "Heavens: Photographs of the Sky & Cosmos" exhibition.