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The NYC Marathon
Task: Design and build a book centered on the theme of sequence
Specs: 8"x 99" full color, one-sided accordion book
Concept
Inspired by my love and passion for running, I decided to explore sequence in the 2017 New York City Marathon. I was drawn to this running event because it is among the biggest in the world.
The competition of endurance featured one of my favorite American female long-distance runners, Shalane Flanagan. Because of this, I decided to focus on Flanagan's progress throughout the race as it compared to three other competitors.
Icons
I highlighted Shalane Flanagan, Mary Keitany, and Mamitu Daska. These runners were the top three contenders in the elite women's division. Their likeness and race jersey colors are represented in the race route key. To put these elite athletes' times into perspective, I included an icon representing the average overall pace of non-elite runners. The second set of icons are four major bridges competitors crossed as they made their way through the race.
Interior
A dotted line marks the race path. On this line sits mile markers, runners, and bridge icons. Pictures provide readers a bird's-eye view of the race through boroughs and across bridges. The text focuses on Flanagan's thoughts and location. Color blocking is used in contrast to the dotted race line. The colors were inspired by the New York City Marathon logo.
Process
Several challenges I faced when designing and constructing this book included balancing the graphics with images and text and creating a pace for the reader. The solution was highlighting specific mile markers in my storyboard (see sketch). Next, I matched Shalane's pivotal race moments (based on landmarks she mentioned in published interviews) with mile markers. With this information the pace and topography of the book was created.
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