A Flower With Thoughts is a book celebrating the idea of flowers and the garden. Inspired by the Victorian use of floriography, the aim of the publication is to understand the custom of giving and receiving flowers, from then and today. It is a response to the Student Assessment Scheme by the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) which awarded me an ISTD Membership Award in June 2025. The target audience is Millennials and Gen Z, however it is really intended for anyone who has an interest in floriography and flower gifting. The reasoning behind giving flowers has changed drastically from the late eighteen hundreds to today, and this publication is capturing the slow evolution in a celebratory light. The main inspiration for this publication comes from a close person in my life who, through the act of giving me flowers, prompted me to question the true meaning of flowers. Having always been interested in flowers, the garden and floral arranging, this publication allows for an exploration of history and personal anecdotes from today to give a snapshot into the intimacy flower giving brings. The publication is split into two sections. The first section looks at the origin story of floriography, its history and includes some specific flower meanings from a floral dictionary – 'Floriography' by Jessica Roux. The second section is looking at how the perspective has changed today, from where bouquets are sourced to controversial preferences and the benefits that flowers can bring. To bridge the two sections together, there is an interlude featuring an album-like layout with floral cards. One side depicts the meaning of flowers from the flower dictionary, whereas the other side depicts what individuals today think the flowers means based on their physical features. As flowers and bouquets offer tactility, variety and appeal, this publication is designed with these features in mind. From the cover and binding reflecting the packaging of bouquets, to the range of graphic elements, assets and materials used resembling the multitude of flower species and individual preferences. This publication is designed to explore these interactions, and give people an opportunity to find out more about the history of flowers, floriography and gift giving through a book as a metaphor for the bouquet.
