A little known fact about the design process is that a lot is created and trashed before ever going into production. There is probably a fair share of things that no one ever sees (besides the designer) which genuinely shouldn't ever be seen by anyone because they are just that awful.
BUT there is a good number of things which are never approved which deserve the spotlight. Designers spend hours, tears, and sweat on great ideas that for one reason or another are never used. Maybe some analytics somewhere points to one direction over another. Perhaps someone in charge has a pet peeve or visual hangup with a certain look or style. Maybe the group polled likes what feels comfortable, and they don't want to push the limits.
The reasons for why something doesn't get through to final production are endless, but sometimes there are nuggets of gold lying in the recycling bin. This blog is a little tribute to the ideas that never become fully realized: the nuggets of good things left in the trash.
I recently won an award for my design work in the Grace College Viewbook. Let's say, the road to completion on that project was less traveled. Along the way, I created a handful of cover options. No more than ten people saw these options.
Now you have the opportunity to see them, nearly a year later. Enjoy.
If you would like to see what the final looked like