Adonis Specimen: The Man Box Production

In order to represent the influence of the man box on those who suffer from muscle dysmorphia/ the Adonis Complex a book box has been developed to house the specimen. The allows those reading to step outside of the man box to realise that the pressures placed on them by stereotypes in society could be having a negative impact. A simple net has been developed based on the dimensions of the specimen, initially with adonis printed in white to represent what those affected by muscle dysmorphia see when they look in the mirror (see figures 1-2). However once created this box lacked impact and didn't match the quality of the specimen inside. Therefore the box was redesigned to feature filled text (Adonis) which has been printed using black ink on black card (see figure 3). The spot-gloss effect this printing method creates adds a higher quality element to the box, matching the quality of the specimen inside (see figures 3-5). Furthermore having the filled type creates a more neutral impression of the type so the experience of reading through the specimen itself isn't inhibited. This allows the box to represent what we think in society is normal behaviour for men 'neutral' and realised the negative impact this can have on young men. In order to construct the box a creaser tool has been used to create a clean finish, avoiding the paper from splitting or creasing at the fold lines.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5