For the last month, I’ve been working on a 32-page book for the Mercy Corps Phoenix Fund 2008 Donor Trip. My graphic design teacher is friends with photographer Joni Kabana who recently went on a Phoenix Fund trip to India and Nepal.

Armed with her amazing photos and corresponding blog posts, we each set out to create a publication that could be sold on demand with the proceeds benefitting efforts in India and Nepal.

The Phoenix Fund gathers private seed capital to start-up projects in some of the world’s poorest countries. It is designed to encourage high-risk high-reward ventures in communities recovering from war or social upheaval. Large foundations and government agencies are often less willing to support these kinds of urgent and innovative programs.

Even though my classmates’ books turned out radically different, the glue that held the project together was the Mercy Corps Identity Guide (it included instructions on how to use the logo and predetermined color swatches). I felt like the swatches were limiting to the look I wanted, so I used them in layers and tints.

My solution was to use Joni’s pictures and words in a slightly journal-style format. I wanted it to seem like she’d been jotting down thoughts in the book while experiencing the exhilarating ups and downs of the trip. Most of her photos were saturated with color so I converted them to duotones to direct more emphasis towards her words and the cause. 

The book begins with Joni’s summary of the trip, the travel itinerary, and an overview of the donors. 

The first half of the book features their adventures through India and showcases a few of the projects the donors contributed to including a paper factory, tea farm, and a digital media school. Of course the trip is never quite as smooth as one would hope; the donors get caught up in a political strike in Kurseong and later, a fire breaks out at their campsite in the mountains of Nepal! 

The faces of the Nepalese have such depth and character and we were told that it is customary for many of the women to wear these nose piercings. 

This was by far the most time-intensive project I’ve done to date and it was totally worth it. Besides improving my InDesign skills immensely, I’m getting to use design to make a difference on the other side of the world. Thanks to Joni Kabana, The Phoenix Fund, and the Integrated Media Graphic Design program at Mt. Hood Community College for making this project possible!