One of the defining moments in the project was that I could not access the factory during the core phase of developing the book. Once it had been sold, entering the site became impossible, and this forced me to rethink how to narrate and evoke its presence, without being able to show it directly. I had to work through its traces instead: the archives, the objects it produced, the drawings and plans that I had found. The book’s central challenge became how to speak about 1 Iunie without depicting it directly. A second decisive moment came later, once I had gathered a large collection of materials. The question then shifted to how these fragments could be assembled, how to organise them so they would form a clear, legible story rather than a simple accumulation of documents.

The part of the project I identify with most is the narrative. I have always loved a good story, and it mattered to me that this project could exist and unfold as one, rather than as a purely factual document. Introducing each chapter with a song that situates it in time and signals its theme was also a way to move away from a cold, archival tone and bring the subject to life.

The voices that appear in the book, the people I interviewed and spent time with, shaped the project just as strongly. They influenced the themes of the chapters, the questions I pursued, and the direction the story ultimately took. Their perspectives definitely guided my thinking and pushed the narrative beyond what I could have developed on my own. 

Beyond the two professors, Diego Bontognali and Jonathan Hares, who guided the project throughout its development and whose support was essential, my strongest support came from my classmates, who were present at every moment. Whenever we had doubts about our projects or felt stuck, we often turned to one another for help. We would do small, improvised critiques, as if presenting to a professor. They would offer their advice, and we would think through problems together. Their feedback was incredibly valuable. 

One piece of advice in particular, from Flaurant Kadrija, completely changed the form of the book. I had been stuck for three weeks on the first twenty pages, unable to find a structure or a layout system that felt right, making countless iterations where interviews, images, and song lyrics coexisted on the same pages. He suggested separating these elements into three distinct sections instead of forcing them to live together. This gave the book a clear, precise rhythm. His advice pulled me out of that impasse, allowed me to finish the book in two weeks, and is ultimately the reason why the final object ended up having so many pages. 

One of the most valuable aspects of this project, and something I want to carry into future work, is the collaborative dimension, the process of building stories together with the people directly involved. Working in close dialogue with those concerned creates projects that are more accurate, more sensitive to context, and more grounded in lived experience. I hope to have more opportunities to work in this way. What I appreciate most about graphic design, and what I find most enriching, is its ability to serve as a tool for storytelling. For me, the best way for meaningful stories to emerge is through collaboration with the people and voices that shape them.

Another lesson I’m taking from this project is the importance of letting form emerge from the content rather than imposing a structure too early. The shape of the book should not be forced onto the story, instead, the story itself should determine the form it needs. Working this way required more time and uncertainty, but it ultimately led to a structure that felt more honest, more precise, and more closely aligned with the material. It’s a principle I want to carry forward in future projects, especially those that deal with complex narratives or archival research.

One of the things I enjoy most in design is designing books and, within that, working on layout. It’s the part of the process where I feel most at home, but that I also find most challenging. Going forward, I want to keep developing my understanding of structure and the visual language of layout, how rhythm, hierarchy, and spatial organisation can shape the way a story is read and understood. It’s a field that feels endlessly rich, and one I want to explore more deeply in future projects.