This project is a redesign of a book series called Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. It consists of four books set in a fictional future where everyone when they turn 16 has surgery to make them "pretty". Before this everyone is considered ugly. The operation is meant to erase differences between people and make everyone equal, equally pretty and equally ignorant. The book is about themes such as environment and sustainability, society and individuality, identity and beauty standards.
As perhaps the most recognizable symbol of beauty standards in the word, the barbie-dolls was a natural choice as a subject. I wanted to experiment with photography and challenge the conventions of dystopian fiction books. I wanted to preserve the feeling of uneasiness and that something is not right in the photos but in a minimalistic way with use of color and composition.
The target group is teenagers in the age of 14-18. My goal was to create a design that could make someone that has never read the genre before open the book and start reading and discover the intriguing stories set in the fictional world.
