Language in Times of Miscommunication

Published by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA)

Authored by Lauren R. O’Connell

The design process for Language in Times of Miscommunication aimed to capture the essence of the book’s content while visually conveying the complexities of communication breakdowns. The cover design features a vibrant and abstract composition symbolizing the intricate network of ideas, thoughts, and messages that can become entangled in miscommunication. The colors chosen reflect the diversity of cultures and languages, emphasizing the book’s exploration of communication challenges.

The interior layout reflects these ideas of miscommunication through structure and layering. Breaking the norms of the traditional art catalogue layout, each section layers the artists work on top of the previous page as the work and the text below fades and pixelates, abstracting the flow of communication and forcing the reader to dig deeper into the work to find information and clarity. 

Typefaces chosen were Base & Bloom by Peter Bushuev for display which creates beautiful abstract shapes letting the type work as an image on its own. For the body, Redaction by Titus Kaphar and Reginald Dwayne Betts was used in all of its forms which allowed us to move seamlessly from clear communication to abstraction.