Friday Feature: J.J. Abrams

ABRAMSFirm: Headcase Design | Designers: Paul Kepple, Ralph Geroni | Authors: J.J. Abrams, Doug Dorst

J.J. Abrams — The Mystery Box

Sometimes mystery is more important than knowledge, says American filmmaker J.J. Abrams, on Ted Talks. Abrams reminisces about an old box he purchased at a magic shop, which he hasn’t been able to open, as it represents infinite possibility. The mystery of something, Abrams says, is an essential part of a good story.

The design of Abrams’s first novel, “S.,” (above) was recently submitted to the Design Annual 2015. He worked alongside author American Novelist Doug Dorst and designers Paul Kepple and Ralph Geroni, with Headcase Design. It’s a literary mystery box, which he speaks to in the book’s Credits & Commentary:

One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace, and desire. A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown.

A giant in the film industry, Abrams is best known for directing Star Trek and co-creating Lost.  He is known for his technologically-driven, action-packed films that often include a subplot about the number 47, as well as a box with unknown contents. He’s a self-professed connoisseur of book binding, silk-screening and box design.

The Design competition features the most compelling and influential advertising of the year. Gold and Platinum awards, along with winning entries, will be published in the Design Annual 2015. Submit your work to the Design Annual 2016 competition here.

Author: Rachel Lowry

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