Emilie Hahn

Design

Animation

Illustration


Odds

Can a book be designed by chance? This concept is explored in Odds, a book about visual artists who use chance operations in their work. The artworks of Jean Arp, Janine Antoni, Yves Klein and William Anastasi are showcased throughout. I also took inspiration from these artists to use chance operations in the book’s design, exploring a different approach for each chapter.  Role
Book Design
Interactive Installation 
Research

Photography
Taylor Luo 

Bookbinding
Kater-Craft

Recognition:
AIGA Design Gallery

Each chapter is built using a different chance procedure. One chapter allows the reader to create their own chance experiment, by flipping pages to compose a poem or collage.

To accompany the book, I also created an interactive installation titled Poetry Blocks. The viewer is able to compose a short poem, generated by chance. Each time they move a block, a new word and color is generated. I built this from top-to-bottom – with code in Processing, projection mapping, and a custom podium.
In another chapter, I rolled dice to determine where each text column would be placed. I also used generative methods to produce randomly skewed text and connecting lines. A different chapter is designed by dropping type onto the page – wherever it lands determines its final resting spot.



Gravity and falling are an essential chance procedure. The etymology of the word chance is traceable to the Latin verb cadere, to fall. I used this concept to create a poster series, advertising the book's launch.

And finally, I couldn’t help but wonder—what are the odds that this book exists? With the help of a statistician friend, we (very roughly!) approximated the number, which is shown on the cover.

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©2024

Los Angeles, California