The project was originally conceived as an update for an already existing booklet that was given to American soldiers going to war, stationed in Great Britain during the 1940s. It was their first glimpse into a foreign land they would possibly be living in for an extended period of time. Graphic designer Tory Cunningham's task at hand was to update the design, while keeping the booklet cost effective, without images, “communicating maximum message with minimal means.” The production stipulations were to stick with two colors, and be travel-sized.

I wanted the design to reflect a more dynamic approach, so I started researching patterns and colors of the 1940s that were bright and had a lot of life. I ended up choosing a bright yellow, complimented by a dark navy to have a more contemporary aesthetic to the design as a whole. The pattern used throughout the design is a menagerie of different patterns I found during the time, so as not to steal from an existing pattern’s design.
-Tory Cunningham

The reading order for the original book was stagnant and to me, trying to put myself in the place of the audience for the book, I wouldn’t have wanted to read it. So what I tried to do was bring a little liveliness to the pages so that the average soldier of the time would want to keep turning the pages. I did that by way of breaking the “one-column” format of the original book, and instead brought in multiple columns that fluctuated in number throughout. The first paragraph of every new subheading was also given an italic typeface to denote it’s importance.
-Tory Cunningham

Inspiration behind the design was geometric abstraction, which found it’s grasp around the early 1920s and has been a focus for many art movements. Keeping my design somewhat simple was one of the stipulations, and I found the aesthetics of geometric abstraction a good fit for the book.
-Tory Cunningham

My inspiration comes from many places, one being my family who has a number of artists on one side who love and appreciate art, design, and photography. Another source of inspiration is from the numerous designers and illustrators who hone their craft daily. Hiroyuki Izutsu, Ricardo Bessa, and James Jean are some of my favorite illustrators, while Quim Marin, and Mark Neil Balson do amazing design work.
-Tory Cunningham

My advice to fellow artists and aspiring designers is to learn how to take criticism, as it’s one of the only ways you’ll learn how to improve your style. Be humble, because everyone starts somewhere and not everyone is born with an innate sense of design. Also read through every good design book you can, as there are a lot out there to immerse yourself in.
-Tory Cunningham

About Tory Cunningham

Tory Cunningham is a graphic design major at LSU (Louisiana State University, United States), who has a love for illustration, typography, art, and design in general. Currently working in the Graphic Design Student Office of LSU, he originally began studying design at a high school with a graphic communications course in Ohio, U.S. Transferring to Louisiana, he’s currently finishing his Bachelors degree. See more of his works on Behance.