Penguin: Timeline design development

Events

- Romek Marber arrives in the UK and is reunited with Father and Brother in 1946.

- Joins the Commercial Art course in St. Martin's School of Art in early 1950s.

- Joins Royal College of Art in 1953

- Starts working on the covers for 'The Economist' in the early 1950s

- In 1961 Germano Facetti commissioned Marber to design covers for Simeon Potter's Our Language + Language in the Modern World

- Published and autobiography of his experiences during WW2 in 2010 called 'No Return: Journeys in the Holocaust'

Figure 1 shows the page of research with each of the relevant logos or images to each of the pieces of information. The initial idea for the timeline design was to take the logos and manipulate each of them to contain the information, but in the particular style. This can be seen in figure 2. A problem with this design concept is that it may not be effective if people do not recognise each of the logos and typefaces. Also, when placed alongside the book covers it could look a little busy and overpowering to the design. I needed to create something a little more simple so that it would work with all 3 of the book cover designs.  

As a significant part of Romek Marber's life was his move to London, I thought about how the timeline could be based on the design of the underground map. I found an image of the London Map (fig. 3) and thought that the information could easily be placed within the gaps as if it was information about, or the name of a place in London. Figure 4 and 5 show the development stages of turning the London Underground Map into vectors and to match the design style of the front covers. Figure 6 shows the final outcome, a timeline based on the map of London's Underground. 

fig. 1

Fig. 2

fig. 3

fig. 4

fig. 5

fig. 6