Illustrations & Publication Design | Yale University Press | 2023
Experience Design:
A Participatory Manifesto
Illustration and design of Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto by author Abraham Burickson. 5,000 copies were published in the initial run by Yale University Press fall 2023, with translations into other languages, including Japanese. 228 Pages with 109 illustrations.
The book credits Erica as designer on the opening page, copyright page, in the forward, in the acknowledgments, and on the book's back flap. The book also includes a “designer’s note” written by Holeman.
ISBN-13 : 978-0300269475
In the book’s foreword, respected writer and critic Ellen Lupton highlights the illustrations, saying "Erica Holeman’s delightful instructional diagrams emphasize the fun of playing along and doing it yourself."
Within the layout is a system of visual cues: black backgrounds indicate an experiment, chapters begin with monumental text to mark a new beginning, and large amounts of green punctuate the pages rhythmically. These decisions (among others) create a sense of place and pace, while allowing for easier recall and navigation each time you return to the book.
The table of contents includes a diagram of the book, showing connections between chapters and the distribution of participatory elements. The diagram is reused at large scales for chapter opening spreads.
To support scanning and readability, and to allude to manifestos, the book’s illustrations and typefaces are simple and stark. The illustration style is inspired by Marie and Otto Neurath's Isotype system.
The foreign text in many images is from a language called Siliconian, invented by Pragun Agarwal, Misha Gomez, and Katie Mancher.
Process
Various cover design iterations.
Test illustration styles, all rooted in a simple manual-style aesthetic.
A few of the iterations for the book’s opening diagram/table of contents.