Gardens of Eden.
Ethiopia is one of the fastest expanding economies in the world, and a country that’s facing extreme environmental pressures. The Church Forests of Ethiopia by Kieran Dodds is a photographic journal of the last native forests in the Amhara province, found in and protected by church grounds.
Known for his research-driven photo stories and portraiture, Kieran Dodds is a Scottish non-fiction photographer whose work considers the interplay of environment and culture. Along with building his personal brand and website, we were delighted to design this publication – and, as ever, captivated by his work.
In the beginning, there was photography.
Prior to this book, Kieran’s photographic essay about these church forests was published in part in Nature, Geo, and National Geographic. It also won a Sony World Photography award in the landscape category, and the work was exhibited in Los Angeles, New York and Edinburgh.
The Church Forests of Ethiopia brings together the full story, featuring unpublished photographs. It has a specially commissioned essay about the spiritual roots of modern environmentalism by Professor Mark Stoll, as well as a foreword by church forest expert Dr Alemayehu Wassie Eshete.
Let there be design.
We worked carefully on image placement with both Kieran and visual editor Marc Prust, focusing on pacing, key focal points, and conscientiously composing an engaging journey for readers. With a baseline and f-height grid system, images align perfectly with text when there’s show-through to create a sense of harmony and balance.
Much of the book’s format is inspired by the research of Amharic and Ge’ez texts with their earthy red-painted edging – a feature we maintained. Teamed with yellow end papers and a green cover, these three colours are prominent across the country – from church buildings, to the Ethiopian flag.
The cover itself represents the church forests and how they, when connected, are a crucial part of the biodiversity of the region. The layout follows this journey, with text gradually moving down the page from start to finish.
A special edition of the book has a slipcase that visually echoes the view of the forests from the air, circling the points of lush biodiversity set against the often desertified, dry landscapes surrounding them.
On the map.
Part of the book’s design involved creating intricate maps. The data was supplied by faculty and student researchers at Debre Tabor University, Bahir Dar University, Colby College and the University of Vermont.
One map of church forests in the region made these spaces visible for the first time and has been used beyond the project. In a set of prints to accompany the book, we also designed a gold foil version of the graphics from the map.
Design for good.
The publication of this book supported the restoration of the Ethiopian landscape. A thousand trees were planted in the upper Blue Nile river catchment area, near Lake Tana – a collaboration of the local community, local scientists and Plant With Purpose.
We’re always keen to work with people and organisations doing good in the world. If you’re looking for a strategic design studio to tell your story, get in touch.
Deliverables
Book design
Print specification
Infographics
Credits
Author and photographer:
Kieran Dodds
Book photography:
Susan Castillo
Editing:
Marc Prüst
Sarah Ream
Print production:
NPN Drukkers
Allander
IST Printing
Typefaces:
Nib by Colophon
Noto Font by Google