The brief called for a factbook that a child could pick up and use unaided while listening to the podcast, built entirely within a pre-set branding system, palette and typography rather than a new identity. I looked at how the character's own voice, warm, well meaning and a little dishevelled, could be translated into the page itself rather than only the copy, using texture and layout to suggest handling and travel.
I sourced and treated paper textures and stock imagery to build that sense of wear, then worked out how far I could push a scrapbook feel (taped notes, torn edges, stamp marks) before it worked against the palette and typography already set for the brand.
Each continent spread follows the same structure, a fast facts list, landmarks, a quarterly round up of tours visited and a handwritten style character note, so a child can find their place regardless of which continent comes up in a given episode. The character note element became the main testing ground for personality, giving each spread its own point of texture and voice within an otherwise consistent grid.
The final factbook was built and exported in InDesign, working to the studio's existing colour system and type pairing throughout, with print ready and digital versions produced for the podcast launch.
© Mike J Midgley. Scrubbing Squad and Lobster Bob's Scenic Tours operated under licence by Scrubbing Squad Limited.
