When The Moon Is Up
Client: 826LA Young Authors’ Book Project
After reading Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 Students from Alain Leroy Locke reflect on their neighborhood—and their narratives 25 years after the Los Angeles Uprising. The entire design process was a collaborative effort with the student authors, who formed a design committee to ensure that their stories were represented accurately in the final book design. Students gave feedback on imagery, typography, and had a hands-on learning experience in the design process. From written and visual research, to the creation of mood boards, sketches, and all the way through print proofing and final delivery. The book release was celebrated with a party where students were invited to read their stories to a public audience.
Design Process
Collaborative research documentation. Please note that the slides contain imagery of police brutality and violence. The following slides contain visual research conducted for When the Moon Is Up. This research process asked the same questions that the student authors used to write their stories. These questions are framed in black boxes.
Note: The LA Times photo archive produced more images using the search term “Los Angeles Riots” than using the correct search term “Los Angeles Uprising.” Photos taken at the same time and place were labeled very differently while they were being cataloged by the LA Times, illustrating the range of narratives that can exist around the same event.
Student research notes: Students expressed a desire to portray their neighborhood beyond the Los Angeles Uprising narrative, and dominant narratives of violence. They wanted to see the everyday moments that are the dominant narrative of their lives in their neighborhood. This led to a search of the LA Times archive for images from the South LA landscape that represented these ideas.
Final images and image treatment, chapter breaks featuring themes from the writing prompt highlighted in each section.
