The studio's focus is book cover design and the significance of visual language devices in the imaginative interpretation of literature. Designed to develop visual communication skills, the 12 weeks studio investigates why some designs engage audiences more effectively than others, and the role that meanings encoded by designers play in this. The assignments will teach you to practice the use of devices such as visual metaphor, material metaphor, juxtaposition, proximity and pun, to strengthen your visual interpretations of ideas written by authors for placement onto the covers of books. The wider inquiry of the studio is the intersection of storytelling and visual communication design. The studio will suit people who are interested in learning visual communication design strategies, as well as those with interests in publishing, experimental image-making, illustration, typography, photography etc. Recent studio design award outcomes: 2022, 2021 

The research focus of the studio is the visual interpretation of non-visual concepts and the significance of visual and material literacy in communication design ideation. As the studio progresses you will also research and reflect on the work that you are producing, and perform your findings in a finally submitted work; the 'Studio Knowledge Object' (SKO).

The studio develops each participant's understanding of what constitutes effective visual communication design to enable its practice. Intrinsic to this are lessons and discussions about visual and material literacy, and an introduction to programmatic strategies and methods useful for expanding a single design concept into a suite of related designs, for example, the development of a single book cover idea into a suite of multiple covers for a series of related books.

Informal lectures, assignment briefing sessions and workshops that allow time for one-on-one and group feedback discussions about the assignments that are underway.

The assignments are
1) a single book cover design
2) a series of book cover designs
3) 'Studio Knowledge Object'; an interpretation of your experience of learning to visually communicate literature.

Synergising Analogue Inquiry With Digital Tool Use in Graphic Design Ideation, Dialectic 2022

'Visuality; thinking in terms of images' from 'Some virtues of design' Gui Bonsiepe, 1997

Giramondo Publishers

Australian Book Designers Association