Proceedings—In Brief

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine regularly produces brief publications (20 pages or less) summarizing workshops. Staff have long advocated for an engaging cover for the document. After interviews with staff, any potential cover needed to meet 3 criteria:

• Visually engaging:
  • PIBs are routinely shared with potential sponsors and distributed at conferences.
  • PIBs are also printed and shared with presenters, thanking them for their participation.
• Fast and cost effective: PIBs are meant to be published quickly after a workshop and less expensively than more extensive publications.

The solution leans into a possible programmed, generative solution.

The patterning is inspired by the geometric patterning of the distinctive ceiling in the celebrated National Academy of Sciences building as well as the patterning of a truncated tetrahedron as seen in Keith Crichlow's Order in Space.

Within the patterning, I created a code that pulls on the variable data of the DOI which allows every cover to be unique yet part of an overall cohesive and recognizeable system. The pattern allows the design to be programmable, generating a design based on data input (DOI).

CREDITS
System designed by Rebekah Hanover Pettit