#buildingtheperfectimage

I needed something visual (and captivating) to close out the book. Only problem? It also had to capture Kevin's rise, include his snow caps and feature his cultural impact. Not helping matters, I only allowed myself a double-page spread (to work with) and given the three pre-mentioned items don't naturally overlap, I was left searching for a common thread.

After putting the piece on ice, I stumbled across the idea of framing a couple of Kevin's magazine covers. The first idea featured a trio of front pages: one pre-NBA, one dedicated to his scoring titles and one about his international showing. The idea was simple enough. It was also classic and fitting.

After collecting all the covers, the idea evolved into a single entry from each media outlet but after that proved too difficult, the task turned into a dedicated wall of front pages... which later developed into a gallery setting / wing that would be home to Durant's many print spotlights. What was surprising (during the research phase) was just how many covers K.D has graced (over the years).

For the record, mid 2013 was the cover consideration cut-off, hence why SLAM Presents KICKS, Sole Collector and other recent K.D looks don't appear in the image above. Dually, I left images off just to give the impression that there's more to the Hall of Kevin than what's seen above... And lets face it, who doesn't want to take a casual stroll down K.D lane?

For more Kevin Durant covers, scroll through this blog. A new one was, after all, posted daily in isolation (and often lifted from the gallery image above). Thanks again to all the outlets who've provided images for the artwork

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After searching for the perfect image of Kevin Durant from his days as a student athlete with the University of Texas Longhorns, I decided to go the unconventional route and source someone else's artwork. Former Editorial Director of Dime magazine, Pat Cassidy gave written approval for his publication's timeless front page to be re-issued inside the The Backpack Baller and I'm eternally thankful that he gave me the green light because the headline alone encapsulates K.D's freshman season. As for the photograph, well, that's another kind of classic (and it feels right at home inside a massive coffee-table book which charts the fantastical voyage of a truly great modern athlete).

Dime is a great periodical, one which has been documenting Durant's journey from the jump and all credit to the team for their help with promoting of the 35-day KickStarter campaign. Good looking out.

In 2012, Kevin Durant (with help from his teammates and the coaching staff) ruled the Western Conference. They not only ended the San Antonio Spurs' run of 10-straight Playoff wins, they were able to advance to the big dance for the first time in K.D's career. After defeating Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers, Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks and finally Tim Duncan's Spurs, K.D was able to unlock the grip those three cultural titans held over the conference.

In graphic design, sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. Using limited but striking color, the white space on the right allows both image and content to support the other. Designers can often overwork their layouts but when a great image is found, limited title treatment is required. Knowing when to apply restraint is key (but in commercial printing, specifically the magazine game, which is my background, not every spread is allowed to breathe because sometimes Editor's -- or their Publisher's -- need to fit a heap of text into a limited area)... That has been one of the true joys with this book, treating each page as both a standalone artwork and as part of a larger narrative.

This piece was originally part joke, part clever concept (but not in equal portion and which holds more water depends on who you ask, yours truly or The Backpack Baller's Editor, Brian Duff)... anyway, once Durant signed with RocNation Sports -- almost indirectly sidelining the Book's chances of reaching market for good... until it was decided that people power and KickStarter was a viable alternative -- it became a running joke to use anything Jay Z related, in this instance his own blog title "Life + Times", as a way to deliver the key Durant message.

Electing to go with Shawn Carter's blog name in conjunction with a clinical and common eye-chart (to help summarize Durant's basketball voyage) was, for the most part, a comical and calculated way of linking Durant with his new agent (where Kevin's fans are patients and Jay Z is their new doctor)... Maybe you just had to be there to get the joke.

Either way, from a design standpoint, the image above was fairly easy to construct -- it is, after all, just a typographic treatment -- and anyone who has ever had their eyes tested knows this chart almost by heart, so drawing reference to it wasn't going to be a problem for people to understand. What did take longer than anticipated was deciding which of K.D's many milestones and accomplishments should appear (in finer font) down the left side. We believe we've gotten it right... after two years of working on this project, one would like to assume so.

In searching for the perfect picture to effectively set the tone for the book, three things were considered: 1. The lead image needed to feature Kevin Durant with his backpack... 2. It would look better extensively treated (so a graphic style could be established)... 3. The pic needed to work as both statement and invite.

The Prologue for The Backpack Baller -- pledge your support here -- is all about Kevin's choice of fashion accessory, how his backpack evolved from practical costume to iconography and K.D's role in reshaping the style inside the new NBA locker room. With that in mind, and given that back in 2011 the 'pack was a real talking point, I opted for a tabloid look -- simple, classic and newsy.

Here's how the Prologue intro image was basically built... (and as any classically trained graphic designer knows, restraint and composition are your best friends -- so be extra nice to them and they'll help make you look good).