Tales of Clover & Fly
Tales of Clover & Fly is the culmination of my knowledge and skills developed at MICA. It expands on my initial edition of choose-your-own-adventure stories, transforming them into a rich, interactive experience. This project is a love letter to printed media, offering readers an engaging, tactile medium to explore and enjoy.The goal of this project was to modernize the CYOA genre by combining engaging visual elements and relatable storylines. For younger readers, I wanted to create enchanting illustrations; for mature audiences, I added subtle humor and sarcasm. Above all, I aspired to make the project uniquely my own—from the storyline to the illustrations to the bookbinding.
A major challenge was developing the narrative’s structure. The branching paths required a carefully planned framework to ensure that each choice impacted the storyline seamlessly. Having explored this challenge in the earlier iteration of Tales of Clover (which followed a single character), I expanded the concept by introducing a second character, Fly, and intertwining their storylines.
Material research was a critical component. I explored papers with an aged, artistic quality to evoke a sense of nostalgia, as well as bookbinding techniques that would highlight the handmade, tactile nature of the publication.
The illustrations were crafted to be highly detailed, saturated, and purposeful, playing with negative space to incorporate the paper as part of the design. Given my choice to print using risograph—a sustainable process with limited color options—I embraced a restricted palette.
For the Clover storyline, I used blue and orange to convey a playful, vibrant energy. For Fly, I introduced a turquoise and orange palette, reflecting the murky, swamp-inspired world they inhabit. Orange served as the unifying color throughout the book, creating visual cohesion.
Typography was another area of exploration. I designed custom slab-serif-inspired numerals and created ornate frame styles that served as a visual guide for the storyline, with emblems at the top of each page marking the reader’s path and potential endings.
While I initially planned to print the book using risograph for its matte finish and vibrant ink, technical constraints required me to use an inkjet printer instead. Although the resulting prints had a glossier finish than intended, the crispness of the illustrations preserved the quality and charm of the project.