Hiking with your Dog
Experimental Typography Zine Design
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"This zine reflects connection, capturing the joy, companionship, and small moments found on the trail. Hiking, especially with my dog, has shaped how I experience landscapes, encouraging a slower, more observant approach to place, movement, and storytelling. Designing this piece allowed me to blend personal narrative with visual experimentation, translating shared adventures into expressive layouts, playful typography, and thoughtful details. The project reflects how meaningful experiences in nature, especially with a loved one, continue to influence my creative process, guiding work that feels grounded, personal, and rooted in place."
- Bre Boogaart
Design Goal
This zine is a personal storytelling project that celebrates the joy of hiking with a dog, capturing the unique bond and shared adventures of exploring the outdoors. Designed as a visual narrative, it combines experimental typography, illustration, photography, and map-based graphics to convey companionship, and discovery. The goal of the project was to create a playful yet visually cohesive zine that balances personal storytelling with informative content, inviting readers to experience the trails, moments, and personality of the journey. Through thoughtful hierarchy,
outdoor-inspired colours, and expressive type treatments, the zine transforms everyday hikes into an engaging and immersive visual experience.
Key Aspects of Design
Interactivity and Engagement: The interplay of typography, imagery, and illustration encourages readers to explore both the narrative and the informational elements, making the experience interactive and engaging.
Layout and Composition: Careful organization and visual hierarchy guide the reader through the zine, balancing storytelling, trail notes, and imagery. Layering, scale, and placement create a dynamic flow while maintaining readability and clarity.
Illustration and Imagery: Hand-drawn graphics, icons, and illustrations of hiking scenes integrate seamlessly with photography, adding personality and narrative depth. Visual treatments such as transparency and trail-inspired borders reinforce the playful, adventurous tone.
Typography: A combination of rustic and clean typefaces, thoughtfully placed, creates hierarchy and emphasizes storytelling elements. Fun facts, sidebars, and trail notes are distinct yet readable, enhancing the personal and educational aspects.
Colour Palette: A vibrant, outdoor-inspired palette evokes energy, adventure, and connection to nature, reinforcing the zine’s playful and exploratory spirit.
Process
Process
The project began with reflecting on hiking experiences, research into trail maps of Alberta, and outdoor-inspired design references. Inspiration was drawn from personal experiences with my dog, as well as visual storytelling in zines and illustrated references. Illustrations of fun hiking graphics and icons were created to complement photographs and map graphics. Written content, thumbnail sketches, and layouts were developed to experiment with composition, and integration of imagery, illustrations, and text elements. A border was created, made up of pebble inspired organic shapes, tying the visuals together. A mix of rustic and clean typography styles were chosen, to reflect the playful, outdoorsy style, whilst remainig legible. Text placement was thoughtfully chosen to highlight fun facts, trail notes, and locations. Iterative refinement focused on achieving balance between storytelling, visual interest, and readability. The final zine combines layered visuals, illustrative details, and organized content to create a cohesive, engaging, and immersive reading experience that reflects both personal adventure and outdoor exploration.
Thumbnail Sketch
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