MA Seminar I: Design Minds
This zine project explores idiosyncrasy through small visual irregularities, material details, and moments of interruption that slow down the reading experience. Each spread introduces subtle “flaws,” such as shifts in alignment, typography, texture, or binding, inviting the reader to pause and look more closely. Rather than treating imperfection as a mistake, the project reframes it as a point of attention.
In contrast to contemporary design’s focus on seamless and optimized experiences, the zine suggests that irregularity can be a strength. Moments of friction create memorability and presence by interrupting the flow and asking the reader to stay with the page.
Through this process, I learned how important it is to find the threshold of design intervention—how noticeable a detail needs to be in order to feel intentional rather than accidental. Working with physical materials also revealed challenges beyond digital design. Bookbinding, in particular, required a level of precision and material awareness that pushed against my own expectations of “perfection.”
Reflecting on the project, I see opportunities to refine binding details and to resist digital-level perfection, treating the zine more like a painting by allowing irregularities and material gestures to remain visible as deliberate design decisions.
In contrast to contemporary design’s focus on seamless and optimized experiences, the zine suggests that irregularity can be a strength. Moments of friction create memorability and presence by interrupting the flow and asking the reader to stay with the page.
Through this process, I learned how important it is to find the threshold of design intervention—how noticeable a detail needs to be in order to feel intentional rather than accidental. Working with physical materials also revealed challenges beyond digital design. Bookbinding, in particular, required a level of precision and material awareness that pushed against my own expectations of “perfection.”
Reflecting on the project, I see opportunities to refine binding details and to resist digital-level perfection, treating the zine more like a painting by allowing irregularities and material gestures to remain visible as deliberate design decisions.
Timeline
4 weeks
(November 03 — December 03)
(November 03 — December 03)
Tools Used
Illustrator
Photoshop
Photoshop
Personal project
Design Thinking
Typography
Prototyping
Editorial Design
Graphic Design
Bookbinding
Typography
Prototyping
Editorial Design
Graphic Design
Bookbinding