The Challenge
Explore a new and inventive way to communicate the story of a classic novel. Interpret the narrative inventively for a specific audience and generate a conceptually interesting & engaging response.
Explore a new and inventive way to communicate the story of a classic novel. Interpret the narrative inventively for a specific audience and generate a conceptually interesting & engaging response.
The Novel
Flowers for Algernon is a 1966 novel by Daniel Keyes, considered to be a modern classic.
Flowers for Algernon is a 1966 novel by Daniel Keyes, considered to be a modern classic.
Set in New York in the mid-1960s, Algernon is a laboratory mouse who has undergone surgery to increase his intelligence. The main character is Charlie Gordon, a mentally disabled man who undergoes the same experimental surgery as Algernon. The novel is presented as a series of ‘progress reports’ much like journal entries. The style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation of these reports reflect changes in Charlie’s mental and emotional growth.
The Solution
A series of artefacts exploring the progression of the story, through documentation mentioned throughout the novel.
A series of artefacts exploring the progression of the story, through documentation mentioned throughout the novel.
These artefacts act as tangible objects to help an audience who struggle to imagine certain elements when reading. They also act as a taxonomy of the story as a whole for those who prefer not to read an entire novel or just wish to experience it in a new way.
The envelope designs consist of inkblot (Rorschach) inspired data visuals showing the development of the main character, Charlie. Each envelope contains the tests that Charlie has to face within the story. An accompanying notebook delves deeper, showing his thoughts and feelings, using quotes directly from the novel.
