New Zealand Travel Booklet

The Process

This publication was a personal project completed in anticipation of a two week caravan adventure up and down the south island of Aotearoa / New Zealand. My goals going into this project were to produce something that communicates joy, functions as a memento, is enjoyable to interact with, and most importantly encourages travellers to be present in their own experiences.

I wanted the booklet to fit comfortably in the hand, while leaving enough space on each page for the user's contribution. To solve this, I (aptly) referenced the dimensions of an airline boarding pass, subtly referencing the universal language of travel while maximising functionality.

Initially, I had planned to bind the booklet using a custom sleeve element that would lock the spreads together by inserting a boarding pass. While the idea worked conceptually, it was ultimately set aside due to time constraints and production complexity. The final binding was simplified for robustness and to allow more focus on the content and overall design.

Pastel and natural paper stocks were chosen to convey calm, authenticity, and joy. Materiality was central to the project, but what proved most interesting was the negotiation between format and design. Alternating natural and pastel sheets within a saddle stitch construction allowed me to create unique multicoloured spreads. This also resulted in three completely 'natural' spreads, informing the itinerary, travel journal, and free-range content sections.