Vox Populi Bookstore
Experiential Design, Branding
Background & Brand Style
This project explores experiential design and branding for a banned bookstore. This is a space created to push back against censorship and celebrate the right to read books that challenge our perspectives and beliefs. I was inspired to pursue this topic in response to the recent surge in book bans across the U.S., particularly in schools and libraries, which disproportionately target stories by LGBTQ+ authors and people of color. I saw this design as a way to spark conversation about the harmful consequences of censorship. The branding concept blends symbols of American freedom like the eagle with a crossed-out
eye, representing the loss of free speech caused by these bans. The bold color palette and typography are influenced by propaganda design, creating a strong sense of urgency and rebellion. The icons throughout the branding were inspired by the primary reasons books are banned and are drawn from actual titles that have been challenged or removed. This project is about making censorship impossible to ignore and turning reading and the pursuit of knowledge into a an act of resistance.
Store Guide Booklet
Street Banners
Bookstore Kiosks
These kiosks have both placemaking and informational functions for the bookstore location. The first kiosk with Vox Populi's branding and the phrase "where did the books go" was designed to look like a bookshelf with the absence of books, hinting at a future where bookshelves are empty due to the lack of books from the bans. Instead the shelves are filled with some of the icons, representing the reasons why the books were banned. This placemaking kiosk would stand outside of the bookstore, intrigung and drawing customers into the store.
The second kiosk serves as a helpful guide once customers are inside the store. Along the top of each shelf are icons that guide the customers through different sections, with books banned for certain reasons being presented on those shelves. This kiosk helps customers identify the symbols that are along the tops of the shelves and the section that they belong to. This kiosk's unique cube design allows for the icons to be bold on one side, with the section title and name following the icon.
Bookstore Model
This model was created using Adobe Dimension. It was important to create a bookstore that brought the branding created in the guide booklet, banners, and kiosks into the space. I started by including elements such as the icons and imagery I had previously created. I also included a lounge area because it
was important to me that this was a space that customers could relax and read or discuss books. I also included some details within the space, with the books behind the checkout counter being some of the most often banned, or some of the banned books I have read that inspired this concept.
Design Process
