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Cover Designs, Spread Designs, Page Content, Body Copy
Busy But Thriving is a personal project developed as a 90-day “glow-up” journal designed to capture the experience of blooming through youth via self-care and personal affirmations while navigating an ambitious yet joy-filled life.
THE CHALLENGE
When developing the idea of a self improvement journal, we looked to spring as the project’s emotional and visual foundation — a season in which life begins to return after winter, and softness carries its own quiet momentum.
From there, the journal was shaped around the idea of blooming: not as a final state, but as an unfolding. This became the conceptual centre of the book, influencing both the tone of the writing and the visual direction of the design. The result was a journal intended to feel uplifting without becoming overly prescriptive or structured. Importance was placed on maintaining warmth and enjoyment.
CONTENT DESIGN
The interior was designed to support both reflection and routine. Rather than creating pages that felt rigid or overly optimized, the aim was to offer a framework that could hold different forms of expression: writing, doodling, sticker placement, small check-ins, and moments of pause.
The introductory spread was treated as an invitation rather than instruction. It guides the reader into the journal’s mindset, reinforcing the idea that growth does not arrive through perfection, but through participation.
COVER SYSTEM
The cover direction drew directly from the project’s central metaphor. Floral motifs were introduced as a visual expression of emergence, softness, and growth, positioning the book for a teen and young adult audience.
The cover was developed in an assortment of colours, suggesting the passage of time. The different colourways subtly reflecting the four quarters of the year. The effect was both practical and symbolic: a journal that could feel personal in selection, yet still belong to a wider seasonal logic.
