"I embarked on the project with the desire to help students like me have a more positive and interesting view of textbooks in particular and learning in general, making subjects no longer an abstract concept, but a close friend you can see through sight, feel, and visualize easily in your head," explains project creator Nam Bảo.
Anyone who has spent time with Vietnam's national curriculum may have flashbacks or groan at the sight of its textbooks, not only because of the tedious material they contain, but also for their outdated cover designs.
Bảo, currently a Grade 12 student in Saigon, thus embarked on a personal project that re-imagines what the books could look like and how they could approach the material to better inspire and engage with pupils.
The project spans six subjects and includes Bảo's comments on his thoughts behind the cover designs, as well as how the books could present the topics. He relies on a variety of fonts and styles, foregoing uniformity "in order to bring a variety of personalities to each subject."
Have a look at the new designs below and check out the project, simply titled "Redesigning Textbooks," for more information.
Chemistry / "The content is designed with lots of white space to avoid creating a feeling of being overwhelmed by a large amount of information, besides, there are soft-color highlights to mark important information, facilitating the eyes to search and learn the equation, phenomenon...In addition, the white color as the main theme of the book reminds us of a laboratory," Bảo says.
Interior of the Chemistry textbook.
The Biology textbook aims to "convey a subject made up of natural and scientific experiments in the most friendly and intimate way."
Interior of the Biology textbook.
History / "Unlike the older version of the book with its dense information, I wanted this book to be able to tell stories through real images, enhancing students' empathy for the dire times of war," Bảo writes.
Interior of the History textbook.
Geography / "Geography is a practical and highly up-to-date subject, so I presented it in a more modern and trendy style, and important figures and charts are also highlighted in glaring color."
Interior of the Geography textbook.
Literature / "Poems and stories are no longer expressed through words, but also illustrations to give students an overview of each literary work."
Interior of the Literature textbook.
Physics / "As [an] arid subject with many formulas, I want to bring a feeling of joy and positivity through bright colors, combined with visual images."
Interior of the Physics textbook.
[Images via Behance user Nam Bao]
