Adam TownendOUGD303Flatland Book DesignBrief 1Board 1/4

The Brief Flatland, written by Edwin Abbott, is a mathematically driven story of 2d world turned upside down by the perspective of a being from another world. The fl atlanders can only see life through a 2 dimensional perspective but one fl atlander, a square, has their view of the world transformed. The brief was to reintroduce this novel to a new audience and to challenge the form of a book.

The ConceptThe design of the cover plays on the fl atland world through the use of a mathematical grid, in which the fl atlanders live. This version of the book had to represent the concept of the book effectively to generate interest, and to appeal to readers who had shifted their attention to digital format books. The delivery of the book proves the worth of buying a printed copy.

Adam TownendOUGD303Flatland Book DesignBrief 1Board 2/4

The Delivery The delivery of the book had to reflect the concept of the content but also a new way in which readers can interact with the book. I chose to push the idea of introducing a new reading experience but also contain the contents of the product within the traditional packaging which could sit alongside other books in a collection. Chapter books were designed for each chapter and the book was split into two sections ‘This World’ and ‘Other Worlds’.

Adam TownendOUGD303Flatland Book DesignBrief 1Board 3/4

The CoverThe cover design also ties into the concept by using a mathematical grid as a representation of the Flatland world. The flatlanders are represented as grey 2 dimensional shapes, where as the author’s character and his companion are represented with a 3 dimensional shape. The grid was selected as it had both 2 and 3 dimensional qualities.

The RangeThe rest of the range was designed including bookmarks and postcards promoting the e-version of the book that could be read in a more conventional way. The second postcard design features a diagram which is in the book, and can be scanned with a smartphone to experience a 3d representation of the diagram. This technology challenges the concept of the Flatland world.

Adam TownendOUGD303Flatland Book DesignBrief 1Board 4/4

Reading experience The concept and delivery of this new edition of the Flatland book is to challenge and question the way people read by taking the content out of context and displaying it in poster form. Each book would be duplexed printed with each chapter. The scale of the book changes with each page turn and eventually opens out into a flat poster for the final page of the chapter.

IF OU

R h

ighly poin

ted Triangles of th

e Soldier class are form

idable, it may be readily in

ferred that far m

ore formidable

are our Wom

en. For, if a Soldier is a w

edge, a Wom

an is a n

eedle; bein

g, so to speak, all point, at least at th

e two extrem

ities. Add

to this th

e power of m

aking h

erself practically invisible at w

ill, an

d you will perceive th

at a Female, in

Flatland, is a creature by

no m

eans to be trifl

ed with

.

But h

ere, perhaps, som

e of my youn

ger Readers m

ay ask how

a w

oman

in Flatlan

d can m

ake herself in

visible. Th

is ought, I

thin

k, to be apparent w

ithout an

y explanation

. How

ever, a few

words w

ill make it clear to th

e most un

reflectin

g.

Place a needle on

the table. T

hen

, with

your eye on th

e level of th

e table, look at it side-ways, an

d you see the w

hole

length

of it; but look at it end-w

ays, and you see n

othin

g but a poin

t, it has becom

e practically invisible. Just so is it w

ith

one of our W

omen

. Wh

en h

er side is turned tow

ards us, we

see her as a straigh

t line; w

hen

the en

d contain

ing h

er eye or m

outh--for w

ith us th

ese two organ

s are identical--is th

e part th

at meets our eye, th

en w

e see noth

ing but a h

ighly lustrous

point; but w

hen

the back is presen

ted to our view, then

--being

only sub-lustrous, an

d, indeed, alm

ost as dim as an

inan

imate

object--her

hin

der extrem

ity serves

her

as a

kind

of In

visible Cap.

Th

e dangers to w

hich

we are exposed from

our Wom

en m

ust n

ow be m

anifest to th

e mean

est capacity of Spaceland. If even

th

e angle of a respectable Trian

gle in th

e middle class is n

ot

with

out its dangers; if to run

against a W

orking M

an in

volves a gash

; if collision w

ith an

Offi

cer of the m

ilitary class necessitates

a serious woun

d; if a mere touch

from th

e vertex of a Private Soldier brin

gs with

it danger of death

;--wh

at can it be to run

again

st a wom

an, except absolute an

d imm

ediate destruction?

An

d wh

en a W

oman

is invisible, or visible on

ly as a dim sub-

lustrous point, h

ow diffi

cult must it be, even

for the m

ost cautious, alw

ays to avoid collision!

Man

y are

the

enactm

ents

made

at differen

t tim

es in

th

e differen

t States of Flatland, in

order to min

imize th

is peril; and

in th

e Southern

and less tem

perate climates, w

here th

e force of gravitation

is greater, and h

uman

beings m

ore liable to casual an

d involun

tary motion

s, the L

aws con

cernin

g Wom

en are

naturally m

uch m

ore stringen

t. But a gen

eral view of th

e Code

may be obtain

ed from th

e followin

g summ

ary:--

1. Every h

ouse shall h

ave one en

trance on

the E

astern side, for

the use of Fem

ales only; by w

hich

all females sh

all enter “in

a becom

ing an

d respectful man

ner” [footn

ote 1] and n

ot by the

Men

’s or Western

door.

2. No Fem

ale shall w

alk in an

y public place with

out contin

ually keepin

g up her Peace-cry, un

der penalty of death

.

3. An

y Female, duly certifi

ed to be suffering from

St. Vitus’s

Dan

ce, fits, ch

ronic cold accom

panied by violen

t sneezin

g, or an

y disease necessitatin

g involun

tary motion

s, shall be i

nstan

tly destroyed.

In some of the States there is an additional Law forbidding Females, under penalty of death, from walking or standing in any public place without moving their backs constantly from right to left so as to indicate their presence to those behind them; other oblige a Woman, when travelling, to be followed by one of her sons, or servants, or by her husband; others confine Women altogether in their houses except during the religious festivals. But it has been found by the wisest of our Circles or Statesmen that the multiplication of restrictions on Females tends notonly to the debilitation and diminution of the race, but also to the increase of domestic murders to such an extent that a State loses more than it gains by a too prohibitive Code.

For whenever the temper of the Women is thus exasperated by confinement at home or hampering regulations abroad, they are apt to vent their spleen upon their husbands and children; and in the less temperate climates the whole male population of a village has been sometimes destroyed in one or two hours of a simultaneous female outbreak. Hence the Three Laws, mentioned above, suffice for the better regulated States, and may be accepted as a rough exemplification of our Female Code.

After all, our principal safeguard is found, not in Legislature, but in the interests of the Women themselves. For, although they can inflict instantaneous death by a retrograde movement, yet unless they can at once disengage their stinging extremity from the struggling body of their victim, their own frail bodies

are liable to be shattered.The power of Fashion is also on our side. I pointed out that in some less civilized States no female is suffered to stand in any public place without swaying her back from right to left. This practice has been universal among ladies of any pretensions to breeding in all well-governed States, as far back as the memory of Figures can reach. It is considered a disgrace to any state that legislation should have to enforce what ought to be, and is in every respectable female, a natural instinct. The rhythmical and, if I may so say, well-modulated undulation of the back in our ladies of Circular rank is envied and imitated by the wife of a common Equilateral, who can achieve nothing beyond a mere monotonous swing, like the ticking of a pendulum; and the regular tick of the Equilateral is no less admired and copied by the wife of the progressive and aspiring Isosceles, in the females of whose family no “back-motion” of any kind has become as yet a necessity of life. Hence, in every family of position and consideration, “back motion” is as prevalent as time itself; and the husbands and sons in these households enjoy immunity at least from invisible attacks.

Not that it must be for a moment supposed that our Women are destitute of affection. But unfortunately the passion of the moment predominates, in the Frail Sex, over every other consideration. This is, of course, a necessity arising from their unfortunate conformation. For as they have no pretensions to an angle, being inferior in this respect to the very lowest of the Isosceles, they are consequently wholly devoid of

brai

npo

wer

, an

d h

ave

nei

ther

re

flec

tion

, ju

dgm

ent

nor

fo

re

thou

ght,

and

har

dly

any

mem

ory.

Hen

ce,

in t

hei

r fi

ts o

f fu

ry,

they

rem

embe

r n

o cl

aim

s an

d re

cogn

ize

no

dist

inct

ion

s. I

hav

e ac

tual

ly k

now

n a

cas

e w

her

e a

Wom

an h

as e

xter

min

ated

her

wh

ole

hou

seh

old,

an

d h

alf

an h

our

afte

rwar

ds,

wh

en h

er r

age

was

ove

r an

d th

e fr

agm

ents

sw

ept

away

, has

ask

ed w

hat

has

bec

ome

of h

er

hus

ban

d an

d ch

ildre

n.

Obv

ious

ly th

en a

Wom

an is

not

to b

e ir

rita

ted

as lo

ng

as s

he

is in

a

posi

tion

wh

ere

she

can

tur

n r

oun

d. W

hen

you

hav

e th

em in

th

eir

apar

tmen

ts--w

hic

h a

re c

onst

ruct

ed w

ith

a v

iew

to d

enyi

ng

them

that

po

wer

--you

can

say

an

d do

wh

at y

ou li

ke; f

or t

hey

are

th

en w

hol

ly

impo

ten

t for

mis

chie

f, an

d w

ill n

ot r

emem

ber

a fe

w m

inut

es h

ence

th

e in

cide

nt

for

wh

ich

th

ey m

ay b

e at

th

is m

omen

t th

reat

enin

g yo

u w

ith

dea

th,

nor

th

e pr

omis

es w

hic

h y

ou m

ay h

ave

foun

d it

n

eces

sary

to m

ake

in o

rder

to p

acif

y th

eir

fury

.

On

the

wh

ole

we

got o

n p

rett

y sm

ooth

ly in

our

dom

esti

c re

lati

ons,

ex

cept

in th

e lo

wer

str

ata

of th

e M

ilita

ry C

lass

es. T

her

e th

e w

ant o

f ta

ct a

nd

disc

reti

on o

n t

he

part

of

the

hus

ban

ds p

rodu

ces

at t

imes

in

desc

riba

ble

disa

ster

s. R

elyi

ng

too

muc

h o

n th

e of

fen

sive

wea

pon

s of

thei

r ac

ute

angl

es in

stea

d of

the

defe

nsi

ve o

rgan

s of

goo

d se

nse

an

d se

ason

able

sim

ulat

ion

s, t

hes

e re

ckle

ss c

reat

ures

too

oft

en

neg

lect

the

pres

crib

ed c

onst

ruct

ion

of t

he

wom

en’s

apa

rtm

ents

, or

irri

tate

thei

r wiv

es b

y ill-

advi

sed

expr

essi

ons o

ut o

f doo

rs, w

hic

h th

ey

refu

se im

med

iate

ly t

o re

trac

t. M

oreo

ver

a bl

unt

and

stol

id r

egar

d fo

r lit

eral

tru

th i

ndi

spos

es t

hem

to

mak

e th

ose

lavi

sh p

rom

ises

by

wh

ich

th

e m

ore

judi

ciou

s C

ircl

e ca

n i

n a

mom

ent

paci

fy h

is

con

sort

. T

he

resu

lt

is

mas

sacr

e;

not

, h

owev

er,

wit

hou

t it

s ad

van

tage

s, a

s it

elim

inat

es t

he

mor

e br

utal

an

d tr

oubl

esom

e of

th

e Is

osce

les;

an

d by

man

y of

our

Cir

cles

the

dest

ruct

iven

ess

of th

e T

hin

ner

Se

x is

re

gard

ed

as

one

amon

g m

any

proi

den

tial

ar

ran

gem

ents

fo

r su

ppre

ssin

g re

dun

dan

t po

pula

tion

, an

d

nip

pin

g R

evol

utio

n in

the

bud.

Yet

even

in

our

bes

t re

gula

ted

and

mos

t ap

prox

imat

ely

Cir

cula

r fa

mili

es I

can

not

say

that

the

idea

l of f

amily

life

is so

hig

h a

s wit

h y

ou

in S

pace

lan

d. T

her

e is

pea

ce, i

n s

o fa

r as

th

e ab

sen

ce o

f sl

augh

ter

may

be

calle

d by

that

nam

e, b

ut th

ere

is n

eces

sari

ly li

ttle

har

mon

y of

tas

tes

or p

ursu

its;

an

d th

e ca

utio

us w

isdo

m o

f th

e C

ircl

es h

as

ensu

red

safe

ty a

t th

e co

st o

f do

mes

tic

com

fort

. In

eve

ry C

ircu

lar

or P

olyg

onal

hou

seh

old

it h

as b

een

a h

abit

from

tim

e im

mem

oria

l an

d n

ow h

as b

ecom

e a

kin

d of

in

stin

ct a

mon

g th

e w

omen

of

our

hig

her

cla

sses

--th

at t

he

mot

her

s an

d da

ugh

ters

sh

ould

con

stan

tly

keep

th

eir

eyes

an

d m

outh

s to

war

ds t

hei

r h

usba

nd

and

his

mal

e fr

ien

ds;

and

for

a la

dy i

n a

fam

ily o

f di

stin

ctio

n t

o tu

rn h

er b

ack

upon

her

hus

ban

d w

ould

be

rega

rded

as a

kin

d of

por

ten

t, in

volv

ing

loss

of

stat

us. B

ut, a

s I

shal

l soo

n s

hew

, th

is c

usto

m,

thou

gh it

has

th

e ad

van

tage

of s

afet

y, is

not

wit

hou

t dis

adva

nta

ges.

In th

e h

ouse

of t

he

Wor

kin

g M

an o

r re

spec

tabl

e Tr

ades

man

--wh

ere

the

wif

e is

allo

wed

to

turn

her

bac

k up

on h

er h

usba

nd,

wh

ile

purs

uin

g h

er h

ouse

hol

d av

ocat

ion

s--th

ere

are

at l

east

in

terv

als

of q

uiet

, w

hen

th

e w

ife

is n

eith

er s

een

nor

hea

rd,

exce

pt f

or t

he

hum

min

g so

und

of th

e co

nti

nuo

us P

eace

-cry

; but

in th

e h

omes

of

the

uppe

r cl

asse

s th

ere

is t

oo o

ften

no

peac

e. T

her

e th

e vo

lubl

e m

outh

an

d br

igh

t pe

net

rati

ng

eye

are

ever

dir

ecte

d to

war

d th

e M

aste

r of

th

e h

ouse

hol

d; a

nd

ligh

t it

self

is

not

mor

e pe

rsis

ten

t th

an t

he

stre

am o

f Fe

min

ine

disc

ours

e. T

he

tact

an

d sk

ill w

hic

h

suffi

ce to

ave

rt a

Wom

an’s

stin

g ar

e un

equa

l to

the

task

of s

topp

ing

a W

oman

’s m

outh

; an

d as

th

e w

ife

has

abs

olut

elly

not

hin

g to

say

, an

d ab

solu

tely

no

con

stra

int o

f wit

, sen

se, o

r co

nsc

ien

ce to

pre

ven

t h

er fr

om sa

yin

g it

, not

a fe

w c

ynic

s hav

e be

en fo

und

to a

ver t

hat

they

pr

efer

th

e da

nge

r of

th

e de

ath

-dea

ling

but

inau

dibl

e st

ing

to t

he

safe

son

orou

snes

s of

a W

oman

’s o

ther

en

d.

To m

y re

ader

s in

Spa

cela

nd

the

con

diti

on o

f our

Wom

en m

ay se

en

Sect

ion 4

Con

cern

ing

a

wom

an

FL

AT

LA

ND

E.A

. AB

BO

TT

1884

3031

3435

FL

AT

LA

ND

E.A

. AB

BO

TT

188

4

FLATLAND E.A. ABBOTT 1884

32 33

FL

AT

LA

ND

29

truly deplorable, and so indeed it is. A Male of the lowest type of the Isosceles may look forward to some improvement of his angle, and to the ultimate elevation of the whole of his degraded caste; but no Woman can entertain such hopes for her sex. “Once a Woman, always a Woman” is a Decree of Nature; and the very Laws of Evolution seem suspended in her disfavour. Yet at least we can admire the wise Prearrangement which has ordained that, as they have no hopes, so they shall have no memory to recall, and no forethought to anticipate, the miseries and humiliations which are at once a necessity of their existence and the basis of the constitution of Flatland.

FLATLAND E.A. ABBOTT 1884

36 37