Hyaku Go

Dimensions: 14,5 × 14,5 cm
Hardcover 208 p.
2007

This book was never published. We wrote and designed it as a part of our showcase in attempt to get a book design commission. Also, we just had such strong urge to create books and games that we would design them no matter if we were paid or not (we didn’t get paid for any our web games, but we invested months of work in them, anyway).

“Hyaku Go” (“Hundred Words” in Japanese) together with “100 słów” were our first non fiction picture books for children. They were created as part of our book showcase in an attempt to find publisher and publish our first book.

The concept was very simple. We collected 100 words that could be depicted with black and white photographs and set them together with a Japanese kanji representing that word. Additionally, on the right side we added hiragana and romaji notation to make it easier for non-Japanese people to pronounce the word.

To avoid any doubts we wanted to print a Polish translation on the left page of each spread, using transparent gloss varnish. This way by changing the angle of the book one could catch light on the glossy, transparent letters and read the translation. We tried to simulate this effect on one of the mockups, using a transparent foil, but it didn’t really work out. The real thing could be done only by offset printing (which for obvious cost reasons couldn’t be done on a single copy of the book).