For that matter, so could the Design 100 judges. The No Plot? No Problem? Novel-Writing Kit, designed by San Francisco’s rise-and- shine studio to accompany Chris Baty’s guide to writing a novel in 30 days, was one of two entries in this year’s show that made judge Stefan Bucher of 344 Design laugh.

“Comedians rarely win Oscars,” he says, “but for my money, something that makes me crack up beats even the most beautiful typesetting. Humor is hard work and shouldn’t be attempted without proper supervision, but in this case, the writing and design come together beautifully.” For Bucher, who knows firsthand the tribulations of the book-writing process, one testament to the kit’s success is that it makes writing look like fun.

Housed in a clam shell case, No Plot teems with inspirational tools to facilitate writers’ completion of the first draft of a novel in 30 days, including a calendar on which to record progress, daily motivational cards and a button that announces the hard-won distinction: “NOVELIST.”

Rise-and-shine partners Melissa Tioleco-Cheng and Robert J. Williams designed the kit—with a blue interior that pops against the case’s orange cover and bold type—to enliven the branding originally established in the first edition of Baty’s book, No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days. Aware that writers who took on this challenge would interact with the kit daily, Tioleco-Cheng and Williams kept the end user in mind throughout, designing elements that writers would feel excited about incorporating into their process.

“Everyone opening the kit has a real wow moment,” says Baty, “which is an echo of the exhilaration that comes with spending 30 days discovering one of the many books that all of us have within us. The design really nailed that sense of exploration and fun— and that giddy enthusiasm that comes with losing yourself in a creative project.”

To make the novel-writing experience less solitary, various items engage not just would-be novelists but those around them. The “Noveling Affidavit,” a contractual obligation to meet writing goals or suffer the consequences (chores, taunting), must be signed in front of a witness, for example. “It’s like turning your family and friends into personal trainers,” says Baty. “And the strong visual appeal of these items helps accomplish that, because everyone’s going to want to look at them.”

The best writers are those who seek what lies beneath the surface. Tioleco-Cheng and Williams reward these types with a false bottom that, when lifted, reveals an illustrated floor plan of a typical home. A dotted line shows the path around the myriad distractions most households offer in lieu of sitting down to write—from the TV that beckons with daytime offerings to the garage that needs to be organized. It’s both a reminder to keep one’s eyes on the prize and a friendly wink from rise-and-shine. by Tiffany Meyers

RISE-AND-SHINE STUDIO
DESIGNERS: Robert J. Williams, Melissa Tioleco-Cheng
ILLUSTRATOR: Robert J. Williams
AUTHOR: Chris Baty
CLIENT: Chronicle Books (Art Director: Michael Morris)
CONTACT: www.rise-and-shinestudio.com