SCOPE: In early 2009 Gerald Baron, founder of Baron & Company, was writing a book about a local fighter pilot who had been shot down over France in August of 1944 and spent the next 6 months in Buchenwald. Gerald wanted the book’s design to represent the time period and experience Joe Moser had endured being locked up in a German death camp. As Senior Designer at Baron & Company, I was given this task.

SOLUTION: Using a time-period appropriate color palette, images of the camp’s front gate and textures, I created a worn/aged look for the book’s cover. But the piece that I believe that really pulled all the elements together, was the type choice. Buchenwald’s front gate was famous for what was written in to it. “Jedem dad Seine”, which figuratively translates “Everyone get what he deserves”. The typeface we chose matched this chilling statement and visually established the tone for the book.