El Principito Fanzine Concept
This project presents an editorial design and layout proposal that reinterprets Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic novella The Little Prince (El Principito) into a contemporary, mature fanzine.
This project presents an editorial design and layout proposal that reinterprets Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic novella The Little Prince (El Principito) into a contemporary, mature fanzine. Created as a collaborative effort by Lexi Wang, Paula Loredo, Isabel Álvarez, and Claudia Ugena, the core creative ambition was to preserve the poetic essence of the original tale while bridging it with modern visual storytelling and critical reflection. The narrative concept centers on a journey across seven distinct planets, each reimagined to represent one of the Seven Capital Sins: Gluttony, Sloth, Pride, Wrath, Envy, Greed, and Lust. By mapping the adult flaws originally observed by the Little Prince onto contemporary vices, the magazine invites readers to reflect on modern human obsessions, emotional emptiness, and the loss of childhood innocence.
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Client
Work type
Commemorative Logo & Brand Identity
To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s birth (1900–2025), a special commemorative logo was developed to anchor the publication. The mark utilizes a clean circular silhouette featuring the iconic crescent moon and the fishing figure of the Little Prince, creating an instantly recognizable emblem.
Curved typography wraps around the outer perimeter of the badge, displaying the key anniversary dates and author attribution. This minimal, balanced identity integrates seamlessly into the publication's layout while establishing an official, celebratory tone for the zine.
Visual Direction & Atmospheric Art
The zine's visual content breaks away from traditional storybook imagery, opting instead for a grainy, diffuse, and surreal aesthetic. The artistic pipeline combines digital illustration, blurred photographic elements, textures, and noise effects to evoke an ethereal, cosmic atmosphere.
Each planet's visual environment is customized to mirror its corresponding sin. For instance, Pride is illustrated through cold, reflective surfaces and curved mirrors; Wrath utilizes dark, abrasive textures with intense red accents; and Sloth features soft, muted blue tones wrapped in dense fog. The central figure of the Little Prince remains consistent throughout, rendered in soft blue gradients with blurred edges to maintain a dreamy, ghost-like presence.
Color Systems & Emotional Palettes
A comprehensive color strategy was developed to give each chapter a distinct emotional weight. The base publication palette relies on monochromatic neutrals—pure black (#000000), crisp white (#FFFFFF), and mid-gray (#A7A7A7)—punctuated by specific blue signature hues (#87B8E1 and #508BC8) for the Prince himself.
Across individual planet spreads, dedicated color swatches reinforce the narrative tone:
Gluttony: Warm oranges and deep earthy browns (
#AF4C00,#FF8205,#7A2604) evoke unfulfilled hunger.Wrath: Harsh reds, charcoals, and intense crimson (
#CF1B18,#232021,#971A1A) reflect burning internal tension.Envy: Translucent glass greens (
#8198BE,#334993,#678EB2) symbolize bitter comparison and cold anxiety.Lust: Saturated pinks, magentas, and deep purples (
#F03B8F,#AC3C70,#542039) represent overwhelming, hypnotic attraction.
Editorial Layout & Typographic Fusion
The publication was produced in a vertical B5 format ($17.6 \times 25$ cm), with selected key spreads created as full bleed A3 illustrations to maximize visual impact across two facing pages. The interior layout establishes an expressive hierarchy that pairs editorial prose with bold, scattered typographic accents.
Bilingual text formatting integrates both Spanish and English versions of the narrative, using variable font weights, rotated text blocks, and stark contrast spreads. Quotes such as "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly..." and existential questions like "What if we could think like children again?" are dynamically placed across the pages to create rhythmic reading breaks.
Editorial Identity & Team "SOMNIA"
To introduce the publication's editorial voice, the design team established the creative collective SOMNIA (derived from the Latin word for "dreams"). Inspired by independent art magazines that dedicate space to introducing their editorial team, a dedicated spread introduces SOMNIA as the presenting voice behind the zine.
This branding choice frames the fanzine as a curated studio showcase rather than just a academic redesign. It grounds the project's dreamlike aesthetic within a professional editorial framework, balancing creative exploration with cohesive brand design.
Mockups & Print Presentation
To evaluate how the digital layouts behave as a physical object, detailed magazine mockups were generated. These previews highlight the contrast between dense, text-heavy editorial spreads and full-page atmospheric artwork.
The mockups showcase paper textures, binding margins, and light falloff across the B5 pages, confirming that the grainy illustrations and delicate typographic hierarchies retain their legibility and moody depth in print form.
Project Reflection & Conclusion
The final result successfully transforms a timeless literary classic into a mature, thought-provoking graphic piece. By pairing poetic storytelling with contemporary graphic experimentations, the zine demonstrates how editorial layout can serve as a medium for social commentary and visual emotion.
The project highlights technical proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, grid systems, color theory, and team-driven editorial workflows, delivering a complete publication that speaks to both adult introspection and nostalgic wonder.
