DESIGNING FOR CHILDREN

 DESIGNING BOOKS MADE BY CHILDREN AS COMPARED TO WRITING, ILLUSTRATING AND FORMATTING CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR DIGITAL AND PRINT PUBLICATION

IN DECEMBER 2022 I WAS APPROCHED BY A COWORKER TO ILLUSTRATE HIS SEVEN YEAR OLD CHILDS BOOK. I CHOSE TO TAKE ON THE JOB AND DO IT DIGITALLY EVEN THOUGH I WAS JUST LEARNING DIGITAL DRAWING ON AN IPAD.

I HAD NO IDEA THE TASK I WAS TAKING ON, NOR THE OBSTICALS I WOULD SOON FACE AS A DESIGNER.

THE CHALLENGES

HOW CAN I LEARN THE PROCREATE APP FAST AND KNOW ENOUGH OF IT TO BEGIN TO DRAW?

HOW CAN I GIVE A SAMPLE OF WORK TO MY SOON TO BE EMPLOYER TO GET THE JOB?

WHAT SHOULD I REASONABLY CHARGE?

HOW SOON CAN I PRODUCE THE WORK?

WHAT QUESTIONS DO I NEED TO ASK BEFORE THE JOB BEGINS?

WHAT STYLE IS HE GOING FOR?

HOW MUCH OF ME DO ADD IN?

DO I GO OVERBOARD WITH DESIGN ELLEMENTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS TO SHOW MOVEMENT AND FLOW.?

HOW DO I GIVE MYSELF CREDIT ON THIS PROJECT AS AN ILLUSTRATOR OR AS A DESIGNER? I CHOSE TO GO WITH THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER TITLE AS "BOOK DESIGNER"

IN THE END WE DECIDED TO KEEP IT AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE TO THE CHILDS DRAWINGS. WHICH MEANS NOT TOO MANY CORRECTIONS TO THE CHILDS DRAWINGS AND NO GRAMATICAL CHANGES TO THE STORYLINE. SPELL CHECK YES. GRAMMAR NO.

THE REASON IS BECAUSE WHEN I INITALLY STREAMLINED THE CHARECTERS IT TOOK AWAY THE PERSONALITY FROM THE CHARECTERS. YES. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER AND FASTER BUT THE STORY AND IMAGES DID NOT COINCIDE.