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
I designed an interactive booklet for the Whale Sanctuary Project in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, centred around the #FreeKiska movement. This booklet meticulously details Kiska the orca's life, from her capture at the age of three to her solitary confinement at Marineland in Niagara Falls, ON. Extensive research was conducted to create a high-quality write-up and layout, thoroughly expanding on the #FreeKiska movement. The booklet's interactive features, including buttons, sounds, imagery, and mouseover elements, were integrated to provide readers with an engaging and informative experience.
*ePub file available upon request.
SEVEN-PAGE BOOKLET LAYOUT
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This seven-page booklet, the inaugural issue of Whales Without Walls, is the first in a monthly series dedicated to sharing the stories of abused marine park animals globally. The standard layout incorporates tasteful shades of blue, wave-like shapes, and high-resolution photographs to create an appropriate aesthetic. The front cover distinctly features a photograph of Kiska trapped behind her glass tank, with visible reflections and scratches that powerfully convey a sense of entrapment. This issue begins by detailing Kiska's years in the wild as a calf, her capture, and her experiences as a captive orca. Each educational booklet in the series will also include facts that justify the animal's release.
For branding consistency, the booklet's standard cover, menu, and sound buttons utilize the main colours of the sanctuary's logo. A drop-down menu allows readers to easily navigate between pages, and each page is enhanced by calming music, crashing waves, and orca chirps to deepen the immersive atmosphere.
The narrative of this booklet begins with Kiska's birth in Iceland, detailing her early years with her familial pod and her eventual capture by whalers at three years old in 1979. While information on Kiska's specific origins is limited, extensive research was conducted on common orca sightings in Iceland, typical orca behaviours, and standard whaling procedures from the 1960s and 1970s. This allowed me to construct the most plausible backstory for Kiska, immediately engaging the reader and providing early context for the inherent cruelty of whale captivity.
Throughout the booklet, especially harrowing facts are strategically hidden and revealed through hover or click functions. This design choice is intended to increase the shock value of certain revelations and offer further justification for the #FreeKiska movement. For instance, readers can uncover facts such as the ideal scenario of orca offspring staying with their families for their entire lives. Such engaging elements aim to differentiate this booklet from standard educational materials, actively encouraging reader participation and a deeper emotional connection to Kiska's plight.
This section shifts to Kiska's "new home" at Marineland, Niagara Falls, a marine amusement park in Ontario, Canada. The header photograph on this page is intentionally designed to be in sharp contrast to the previous one; where Kiska was once thriving and free as a calf, she is now confined to a chlorinated tank, a spectacle for tourists. A brief slideshow depicts Kiska's life at the park, including photographs of her performances throughout the years, her nursing one of her short-lived calves, and Marineland's infamous "warehouse." This page aims to expose Marineland's egregious treatment of orcas, specifically detailing the criminally small size of their tanks and the frequent storage of orcas in Marineland's poorly-maintained warehouse over the years. Located behind the King Waldorf Stadium, this warehouse served as a holding area for many orcas deemed "unsuitable" for performances until their deaths.
A hidden fact on this page, concerning captivity in general, reveals a crucial detail: even when most orcas are housed with others, they are highly unlikely to find true companionship. This is because all orca pods possess unique dialects or "languages," effectively preventing orcas from different pods from communicating with each other.
Rather than photographs, this page features lifelike vector illustrations of Kiska's deceased offspring. Illustrations were ultimately chosen because nearly all of Kiska's calves perished too young for proper photographs to be taken. Placing the calves together in a single family unit also serves as a poignant visual of what "might have been" had they received the proper care to survive past infancy.
Continuing the booklet's use of hidden elements, readers can click on any orca calf to uncover their individual story. This interaction also reveals a crucial fact: wild orcas rarely die in infancy, possessing a lifespan comparable to humans. A pool background was specifically chosen for this page, instead of the originally planned ocean setting, to accurately reflect the tragic reality that all of these calves were born and died within a cramped pool.
On this page, the sanctuary finally elaborates on its plans for a safe haven for retired marine show animals. A slow-moving animated slideshow is utilized to adequately showcase the planned site, offering readers a visual understanding of the future sanctuary.
Furthermore, this section explains the eponymous #FreeKiska movement in detail. It highlights the urgent reasons behind the public's push to move Kiska to a better facility after her forty-three years in captivity, underscoring the critical need for immediate action.
This page takes a distinct approach from much animal welfare content by acknowledging that the sanctuary is a long way off. It highlights that there are immediate methods within captivity to keep Kiska stimulated, healthy, and in good spirits. This section outlines a reasonable yet effective action plan designed to provide Kiska with immediate help.
The booklet's back page is designed to provide readers with essential information and links to stay informed and connected. The closing image, featuring an orca happily breaching in natural waters with its pod, serves as a powerful contrast to the cover photograph of Kiska alone in her artificial habitat at Marineland. This juxtaposition visually underscores what must be strived for in Kiska's future.
Subscriptions to the Whales Without Walls series would be particularly appealing to secondary and post-secondary instructors looking to introduce this content to their students. Students in these age groups often have the financial means to donate and the inclination to spread awareness through social media platforms. By becoming a classroom curriculum, these booklets will further assist the sanctuary in gaining traction and legitimizing its mission and objectives.
