Designing a book with Figma

I know you're daydreaming about writing your first or second book, maybe you want to make a zine. You got illustrations, poems, or essays sitting in a drawer, fading away because you haven't shared them with the world. What the fu*k are you waiting for?

The writing part is hard, but putting the pieces together can be even harder. My intention with this zine is to guide you through the process I used to design Ditmas Park: A Visual Anthology, a photobook that we published with Taylor & Co. Books—now completely sold out!

While InDesign is the standard for book making, to design that book I needed an accessible tool because the nature of the Ditmas Park photobook was to be co-created. So I experimented, and I saw that Figma:
Is intuitive for folks unfamiliar with design software.
Offers seamless collaboration in real time or async.
Has a generous free plan.

In this guide I will walk you through the process—though, of course, whether you are a persistent writer/designer is up to you. I will be happy to help you if you need more guidance.

Enjoy the lesson!
Barbara