WHALES WITHOUT WALLS
ISSUE I
DESIGN PROSE
Course: CCT305H5 (Design and Implementation of Multimedia Documents)
Medium: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
Styles & Techniques: Publication/Print Design, Interactive PDF
This interactive booklet was created for the Whale Sanctuary Project in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia. Centred on the #FreeKiska movement, it details Kiska the orca’s life from her capture at three years old to wallowing in solitary confinement at Marineland, Niagara Falls ON. In-depth research was conducted to assemble a quality write-up and layout for the booklet to expand on the #FreeKiska movement. Its integration of buttons, sounds, imagery, and mouseover elements creates an engaging and informative experience for the reader.
*ePub file available upon request.
SEVEN-PAGE BOOKLET LAYOUT
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This seven-page booklet would be the first issue of Whales Without Walls, a monthly series of booklets containing individual stories of abused marine park animals all over the world. Its standard layout would be most appropriate with tasteful shades of blue, wave-like shapes, and high-resolution photographs. In congruence with the issue's title, its front cover would distinctly utilize a photograph of Kiska trapped behind her glass tank; the reflection and scratches of the tank's barrier are also evident in this photograph, increasing its authentic feeling of entrapment. The series would begin by detailing Kiska’s years in the wild as a calf, her capture, and her experiences as a captive orca. Each of the educational booklets would specifically include facts that would justify the animal’s release. Concerning its sense of branding, the booklet's standard cover, menu, and sound buttons would utilize the main colours of the sanctuary's logo. The drop-down menu, in particular, would allow readers to easily travel from page to page. Each page is also accompanied by calming music and sounds of crashing waves and orca chirps to enhance to the atmosphere.
The narrative begins with Kiska's birth in Iceland, early years with her familial pod, and eventual capture by whalers at three years old in 1979. Although there is truly very little information on Kiska's origins, information on common orca sightings in Iceland, orca behaviours, and whalers' standard procedures throughout the 1960s and 1970s were researched to compile the most plausible backstory for Kiska. Such is necessary to engage the reader immediately and provide context early on concerning the cruelty associated with whale captivity. Throughout this booklet, especially harrowing facts are hidden and triggered with a hover or click function. These are meant to increase the shock value of certain facts and provide further justification. Hidden here, for example, are facts including that offspring ideally stay with their families their entire lives. Such engaging elements would separate this booklet from standard educational material, actively encouraging readers’ participation.
We continue on to learn about Kiska's 'new home' at Marineland, Niagara Falls, a marine amusement park in Ontario, Canada. The header photograph is meant to be in sharp contrast to that of the previous page; thriving and free as a calf, Kiska is now confined to a chlorinated tank to be gawked at by tourists. A brief slideshow depicting Kiska's life at the park is provided; included are photographs of Kiska's performances throughout the years, Kiska nursing one of her short-lived calves, as well as Marineland's infamous ''warehouse.' This page aims to expose Marineland's vial treatment of orcas, expanding on the criminally small size of their tanks and frequent storage in Marineland's poorly-maintained warehouse through the years. Located behind the King Waldorf Stadium, many orcas that were deemed 'unsuitable' for performances were stored in the warehouse until their deaths. Concerning captivity in general, this page's hidden fact is that although most orcas are stored with other orcas, they are very unlikely to be able to keep each other company: all pods have unique dialects or 'languages' the prevent orcas from different pods from communicating.
Rather than photographs, this page utilizes lifelike vector illustrations of Kiska's deceased offspring. Illustrations were ultimately deemed necessary as nearly all of Kiska's calves perished too young to be taken proper photographs of. Placing the calves all together in one family unit also serves of what might have been if they recieved the proper care to survive past infancy. In lieu of the booklet's previous usage of hidden elements, the reader may click on any orca calf to uncover not only their story but that wild orcas rarely die in infancy; in reality, orcas possess a lifespan comparable to humans. A pool background was also chosen for the page rather than the originally planned ocean background; all these calves were born and died in a cramped pool.
Here, the sanctuary may finally explain and elaborate on its plans for a safe haven for retired marine show animals. This page utilizes a slow-moving animated slideshow to adequately showcase the planned site. Also explained is the eponymous #FreeKiska movement and reasons for the public's urgency toward moving Kiska to a better facility after forty-three years.
This page differs from most animal welfare and activism-based content; it is acknowledged that the sanctuary is a long way off and that there are methods in captivity to keep Kiska stimulated and in good spirits and health in the mean time. This section particularly provides a reasonable yet effective action plan to that will provide Kiska with help immediately.
The booklet's back provides the necessary information and links to get readers well informed and connected. An orca happily breaching in natural waters with its pod is also utilized as the back's photograph; it provides an appropriate closing image to the cover photograph of Kiska alone in her artificial habitat at Marineland. Such particularly indicates what must be strived for in terms of Kiska's future.
Subscriptions to the Whales Without Walls series would be most appealing to secondary and post-secondary instructors interested in introducing this content to their students. Students in these age groups also tend to possess the financial means to donate, as well as spread the word through social media platforms. These booklets becoming a classroom curriculum will further assist the sanctuary in gaining traction and overall legitimizing its mission and objectives.
