The Perfect Paradox
Editorial Design | Publication | Illustration | Typography
-
Final Year Project_
Mention the word perfectionism and we automatically think of obsessive compulsive disorder, but is it right to make such assumptions, especially when they are wrong? The idea of perfection is a mere subjective concept as it is vague and undefinable, like that of a paradox. Therefore it makes the perfect paradox.
As creative individuals we have been encultured to search for the flaws in everything we do. Within the creative world where human errors are frowned upon and design processes are overly reflective and analytic, there is this excessive need to constantly over think and refine for this ‘pursuit of perfection’. We become paralyzed from over-analysis and even when we feel we have achieved ‘perfection’, there it is, that feeling of dissatisfaction. This is it you see, the madness that is perfection; it isn’t even satisfied with perfection.
‘The Perfect Paradox’ is a limited edition publication for creatives that investigates and clarifies the types of perfectionism and how it effects the creative industry. It explores paradoxical characteristics, observes how perfectionists are perceived, how perfectionism can be redefined and to encourage individuals to embrace the idea of imperfection because it is flaws that make things interesting.
This fictional publication was printed digitally by me on 120gsm munken polar. I then trimmed it down, folded and sorted into signatures of 16 pages. In total there was 176 pages which made up 11 signatures. I bound the book with 100% cotton white thread using Coptic Stitch so that the book would lay flat. The traditional and delicate binding with the equally delicate paper gave a strong fragile feeling. This purposeful fragile nature of the book demonstrates the fragility perfectionism causes with its overbearing effects on creative individuals. The more one fixates on achieving this 'idea of perfection' the more one looses sight of their original intentions making both concept and execution weaker. Throughout the book there is also subtle typographical and alignment mistakes done with conceptual purpose that not everything can be perfect. We are humans and we make mistakes.
