(SMS) Studio Michael Schmitz
Machs gut, ich dreh mich jetzt um is a book design project that transforms a photographic documentary journey through Portugal into a multi-layered reading experience. Conceived by tattoo artist, photographer, and writer Cilia Palotas, the book invites readers to explore themes of departure, arrival, and transformation. Through diverse information designs and implied reading styles, the project opens up new ways of navigating both narrative and image.
Client: Cilia Palotas
The challenge was to translate a personal documentary journey into a book format that goes beyond linear storytelling. The design needed to balance intimacy and openness—offering readers the freedom to navigate the material while still maintaining coherence and rhythm.
Development of a flexible layout system that supports multiple reading paths.
Integration of photography and text in a way that mirrors the dynamics of travel, encounter, and reflection.
Use of grids, typographic hierarchies, and spatial rhythm to guide diverse reading experiences.
The result is a book that is both a documentation of a journey and an experiential design object. Readers are encouraged to approach the content in different ways—creating a personal journey of discovery with every encounter. The project demonstrates how communication design can expand the possibilities of book design, bridging documentary practice and artistic interpretation.
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