Alku -vauvakirja: a Baby Journal for the little ones, who will become something bigger.

Graphic Design & Co-Author: Kiira Keski-Hakuni
Co-Author, writer: Jussi Pekkala
Publishing Editor: Anni Moilanen
Publisher: Kosmos Kustannusyhtiö

Co-author Jussi Pekkala is a father for a little toddler and a copywriter. The baby journal book process started when Jussi tried to find a baby book for the upcoming newborn but didn’t find anything that suited his values and taste. So he asked me to create a baby journal together and so did we!

When a child is born, the beginning goes by so fast and you might want to store your shared memories. Traditionally a baby journal is something that is chosen by gender – pink for girls and blue for boys. This baby journal does not believe in storks delivering babies into the world. It believes in the equality of the newborn and their family. This baby journal is for those, who are looking for a visually contemporary touch and modern thoughts.

The texts in the book are planned together to fit this day, where we don’t want to value what type of a family or baby is better than others.

The design process focuses on the idea that the newborn is always in the centre. The book develops into a unique piece of art when the notes are written, coffee stains are covering the book, and a baby finally understands how to hold a pen and starts to illustrate.

Visual elements are chosen based on the idea that the book should fit a market niche, where consumers are thinking about gender issues and equality. It is quite easy to understand that the gradient colour starting from light pink and ends to light blue is a statement of fluid gender assumptions. We are not either pink or blue.

The typographical decisions are combining traditional and grotesque typefaces so the typographical outcome would be fresh and full of sensitive contrast.

The layout is decided to guide the writer into a style of a short story. The tail at the end of every page is changing and mimicking a layout of a text block.