Áramlás önismereti napló könyv - Áramlás "Flow" self-awareness journal and book
In the summer of 2023, I was approached by Goodwill Barbi, a writer, coach, and mentor, with the idea of creating a self-awareness journal called Áramlás. Her vision was to develop a journal that would be accessible to everyone and help individuals connect with themselves. Having collaborated on numerous projects before, including the "Kapocs" self-awareness card deck, we already had a strong working relationship. For the card deck, we brought in Lili Orbán as an illustrator, and she joined us again for this project as a co-illustrator and social media manager.
The first design I created for the journal, after extensive consultations and moodboarding sessions, didn’t feel quite right to me. It felt too generic and simplistic, lacking the depth I was aiming for.
So, I decided to revisit the orange and blue color combination that had been previously considered. This led to a complete redesign, resulting in a harmonious and peaceful yet subtly dynamic color palette. I paired this with unique typographic choices and crafted a more creative and distinctive look, featuring hand-drawn illustrations of the "emotional jar," elements reminiscent of traditional "scrapbook" techniques, and wave patterns inspired by rivers.
From this point forward, our tasks became more straightforward. With the key visual elements, colors, shapes, typography, and the publisher's approval in place, everything was set for us to continue the work seamlessly.
I began focusing on additional key pages, such as the introduction and the emotion wheel, while simultaneously creating graphs, additional graphic elements, and icons.
Throughout the design process, we maintained constant collaboration with the team. Each time I completed a section, we discussed whether it met the vision or if any adjustments were necessary. We also explored various other ideas within the team, paying special attention to the symbolic meanings of the icons, which Barbi thoughtfully compiled in relation to the theme.
Once all the key elements and pages were completed, we shifted our focus to the illustrations that would appear in the book. Given the tight deadline, the team agreed on a simpler line art style. To facilitate the process, we compiled excerpts from the book and brainstormed various ideas on how Barbi’s text could be visually represented through illustrations. We later reviewed these ideas with Lili, dividing the illustration tasks between us.
I primarily used human figures to symbolize the sentences, and the chosen style allowed us to incorporate the brand colors effectively. This resulted in a very consistent and cohesive overall visual presentation.
After Lili completed the illustrations based on the sentences she selected, we began brainstorming ideas for the cover. By this stage, we were nearly finished with everything, and designing the cover was the final step in bringing the project to completion.
It was particularly important to Barbi that the cover evoke the feeling of a jewel box. I created a very basic sketch, which Lili then transformed into a stunning cover, featuring completely unique illustrations. Many of the flowers, in fact, were born entirely from her imagination and soul, adding a deeply personal touch to the design.
Afterward, I began the print preparation process. I carefully positioned the text and, due to the team's emphasis on the importance of gold foiling, I created the gold elements in vector format. This attention to detail ensured that the final result would be even more beautiful and unique.
After we handed over everything to the publisher, Anita Pyber did a wonderful job editing the whole book.
Once everything was finalized, we highlighted elements from Lili’s beautiful cover to enhance the book’s interior and created a line of merchandise. We produced a pin featuring the cover design and a sticker sheet based on the illustrations. These items were handed out during our signing event at the 95th Budapest Book Festival.
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the printing house and see how the cover was produced. The visit to the Dabasi printing facility was an incredible experience, especially since none of us had ever been to a place like that before.
Finally, on May 31st, I was able to hold our first collaborative book in my hands at Líra. It was an incredibly rewarding moment to see our work come to life.
And then came the 95th Budapest Book Festival, where all three of us took part in the book signing. What an amazing experience it was!
Credit for these photos: Adrienn Hornyák
To this day, we create the content for Instagram with me in charge of the graphics, Lili handling the other social parts and Barbi coming up with texts and ideas.
Thanks for watching!
Writer, author: Barbi Goodwill
Illustrator, art direction: Andi Lender
Illustrator, social media manager: Flóra Lili Orbán
Illustrator, art direction: Andi Lender
Illustrator, social media manager: Flóra Lili Orbán
Instagram: @aramlasnaplo
Photos in the book: Melinda Ézsiás
Publisher: Partvonal
Editor in charge: Márta Korentsy
Technical manager: Adrienn Dubecz
Creative Editor: Emőke Krivánszky
Editor: Vivien Baranyai
Proofreader: Mária Rácz
Editor and prepress: Anita Pyber
Editor in charge: Márta Korentsy
Technical manager: Adrienn Dubecz
Creative Editor: Emőke Krivánszky
Editor: Vivien Baranyai
Proofreader: Mária Rácz
Editor and prepress: Anita Pyber
Printed and bound by Central Dabasi Nyomda Zrt.
Responsible manager: Attila Balizs
Responsible manager: Attila Balizs
Available in Hungarian on líra.hu and in bookstores across the country!
