Coral Reefs are Dying
by Naomi Lee
When creating this brochure, I wanted to use it as a vessel to bring awareness to the ongoing issue of the decay of the coral reefs. As a result of climate change, pollution and a combination of harmful aspects, our oceans have already lost half of its coral reefs, and a predicted rate of 90% might become extinct within four decades. I wanted to inform others of the steps one can take to protect the reefs; this desire comes from my personal connection with the ocean. The ocean is one of my favorite places and some of my favorite memories were at the beach. I can still remember the first time I saw coral, and the thought that it might become extinct is devastating. On the outside of the brochure, the cover is an image of a colorful coral reef, as it would be more effective in catching attention. The back of the brochure is a black and white reef to represent its death. Actual pictures of dead reefs wouldn't line up properly with any live reefs, so I opted for using a greyscale. Once the reader opens the brochure, they are met with a panel that says "Here's how YOU can help." I place extra effort on the "you" as a call-to-action component. I wanted to urge the individual to engage in the steps that are in the brochure, while ensuring it was easy to read and interactive.
These are the drafts (three front cover drafts and one back cover draft) that I had designed before reaching my final design. Initially, I really wanted to create an agamograph-- looking left to right, there would be an image of a beautiful coral reef, and looking right to left, the reader would see an image of a dead coral reef. Usually these designs are done with multiple panels. However, it wouldn’t be possible in a brochure format (as the panels would become too thin). I tried to execute the idea with four panels, but realized that it wouldn’t have the same effect. Even though I really tried to make it work, I took the advice from my professor and opted for a before-after image. I tried to do this with multiple pictures, and it took many, many efforts to result in a look that I was satisfied with. Previous drafts, like the last picture, either didn’t look visually appealing or simply would not align. I played with multiple photos and discovered that an image that was centrally focused on a singular coral reef was more effective. However, working through these obstacles helped me realize which aesthetic direction I wanted the cover to go toward.
