Visions of Humanity: the complex interplay between literature and design

The second issue of Visions (of Humanity), is special: It has a strong literary angle that goes hand in hand with an appealing and yet readable visual language. The issue is a conglomerate of micro fictions, scientific essays and short stories covering narrations about life, death and growing up in a technological world.

The aim is to create a multifaceted vision of the future that any reader can enjoy and reflect on.  

When and how did you get the idea for Visions of Humanity?

Visions of Humanity was conceptually designed at the same time as the first issue of Visions, Visions of Home. I wanted to make a serial publication about science fiction with the idea that it would give a more literary angle on the genre and would take things in a different place visually.

The internal structure evolved over time but started with the idea that you could experience all possible lengths of sci-fi in one book, from the shortest to the longest, including a novel. I translated this novel called Quinzinzinzany and the themes of home and humanity developed from that. First home because it deals with the destruction of the world as we know it, then humanity because the people who survive become a different breed of humans, and arguably a different meaning to the word “humanity”.

The rest of the magazine grows from this, from childhood to dying, all of this tangled up in technology and how we view ourselves, beautiful and anxious.

What fascinates you most about humans?

Probably our resilience and adaptability. But also, our ability to problem solve, to make and use tools. And all of this rolled into one, we can survive what we can’t evolve. 

Who did you discuss your idea for Visions of Humanity with? Who supported you in developing and completing the magazine?

I don’t think you can make something like Visions without the support of friends, family and partners. Though, in large parts it’s a personal endeavour which I hold together, it’s too much for one person. The design is heavily influenced by my ongoing collaboration with Matthew Young, Tom Etherington and Francisca Monteiro, who not only have contributed some title design: They have been incredibly supportive and generous with their time when it came to looking over proofs etc. Editorially, my partner was my sounding board as well as James Matthews-Paul, who worked hard on editing my translation and depleting the slush pile.

What are the biggest challenges in making magazines?

Meine Antwort oben zeigt schon wie komplex die Aufgabe ist. Du musst den Inhalt finden, ihn gestalten. Und wenn du völlig ausgelaugt bist und denkst, dass du das Licht am Ende des Tunnels sehen kannst, dann muss man das Ganze auch noch an den Mann bringen.

If anything, the answer above illustrates the complexity of the task. You have to find the content, design it, and then once you’re exhausted and you think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, you actually have to sell the whole thing. And though making the magazine is hard, finding and sustaining your audience is probably harder. It’s hard to find good content and it’s hard to design things so that they’re both beautiful, appealing and clear and readable, but it’s even harder to convince someone to part with money for a copy.

And how did you master them?

I was lucky to work in publishing for a couple of years and got to learn a lot about the various parts. For editing, it helped to have a clear idea about the type of content. Usually you know within a minute whether the submission is suitable for the mag, but sending constructive rejections demands so much more time. For design, it was a long journey to finding out what I meant when I say “more literary” and “different”. It was only through trial and error (and feedback from my talented friends) that I was able to slowly refine the hazy picture in my head. And for marketing, I worked on campaigns for books and learned how you present and sell a book to thousands of people. It gave me great insight into the different mechanisms and approaches and how to do it on a shoestring. In short: time, trial-and-error and friends.   

Do you have a favorite double page in the actual issue? if so, which and why?

I put so much effort in making sure the double pages connected deeply with the content, reflecting the mood and style, that it’s hard to choose. However, if I’m pressed to choose one, the one that comes to mind first is the skeleton for Tom Offlands A Few Things I Miss About Skeletons.

I was researching public domain material to use for that story which has both deep sadness and a quirky, absurd, lightness to it when I found the woodcuts of José Guadalupe Posada. Somehow the attitude of the skeletons depicted doing menial tasks seemed spot on. I worked from one of the illustrations and redrew it. When I placed it on the page, it made immediate sense! It should cross over and loom over the title as if it’s trying to grab it – but it’s a loving embrace, not a zombie chasing you. And when I finished that page, Tom, the author, told me he loved José Guadalupe Posada’s work. Perfect match!

Given the current situation, it’s hard to do an Issue 3, but I have every intention to go back to that in time. Right now, I’m starting to experiment with letterpress and I’m thinking maybe there will be a short issue of Visions printed by hand on my press. The content will be a little experimental, but I think I need to take some rest before I tackle another double bill.

Fotocredit: Stéphane Maniaci

Mathieu Triay is a software engineer with a passion for design. The creative technologist has worked for five years as the technical director of the website Night Zookeeper, where he developed a gamified writing tool, encouraging children to be more creative online. Later, he joined Penguin Books to work on award winning creative campaigns. His work introduced new interactive concepts that add a new dimension to books, thus reaching out to yet unconquered audiences. He is now a principal software engineer at BBC R&D and runs a small creative practice on the side. He creates websites, fonts and a magazine called Visions, which is a serial publication about science fiction, focusing on the topics home and humanity.