OUGD404 What is a book? & folding

We were all asked to bring in 3 books and discuss them with our table.

This is the first example we looked at, its called a hotdog book. Its really cheap and easy to produce as its made up of just one piece of paper and folded and cut to create the layout.

In this photo above you can see the central cut and how the book is paginated for future reference incase I wish to create a book this way. I would say this is a book as it has a series of pages and is bound with folds.

This next example was just of a notebook, id say this is the kind of book that the content is your own to create. Although its not informational you create the information. This example is ring bound which is a technique usually used for formal books. 

This next example was from Wallpaper city guide. These books are perfect bound, I think this binding gives off a professional and high quality look. The book was mostly printed on a thick matte stock, I think this once again gives off a high quality look as theres no glare on the type so its highly legible and attractive. The photo pages though are on gloss paper, I think varying paper type throughout a book is really interesting and would take a lot of careful design work when it comes to pagination. This careful consideration is really appealing. But my favourite part was the little tabs in the book for easy navigation, this is something id love to try in my own design work.

This example above shows a staple bound book. I decided to look at different binding types for future inspiration when creating my own book. 

Above is another example of what I would consider a book. It told a story and was staple bound. I didn't like this book as it was printed on semi gloss paper and had no images, it resembled a hospital information book which I would associate with negative feelings of illness and wouldn't want to pick up for these reasons.

I next looked at two examples of the magazine printed pages. The first was the older version which was on quite thin stock and staple bound for cheap production. They then changed this recently to a perfect bound magazine with a thicker cover, making these small changes gives the magazine a much higher class look and they can charge more. You can see the staple bound one has cracked ink on the spine so overall the newer design is more durable and attractive.

Cameron for his example of a book brought in a map where you scratch off the parts of the world you have visited. He said he considered this to be a book as it was like creating your own story as you travelled around. I personally wouldn't consider this a book as its just one page with no kind of binding. This is a perfect example of how peoples personal definitions differ.

Above is an example of a case bound book. I love this kind of binding as I would associate it with more expensive books that were stories or informational rather than magazines. I think using this binding instantly adds a certain element of class to your book.

This next book is a handmade photo album. The construction of the book includes folds and glue and creates a birds eye view of a star, this is really beautiful and personal way of creating a book.

Charlotte brought in a Kindle as her example of a book. I wouldn't consider this as a book as although it physical its not printed or bound which I think are key elements to defining a book as a pose to a piece of digital technology.

This example shows a boom bound by string, I like this kind of binding as it looks quite homemade. I think this binding would seem really personal to whoever owned and appeal to artistic people a lot. I like the idea of the binding and the spine being exposed as it looks almost imperfect and interesting in contrast to other methods.

Our next task was to create a book using only folds. I decided to challenge myself and rather than using the standard 2-3 format I wanted to create a triangle format book.

I used 3 pieces of square paper and folded them exactly the same then slotted each triangle into each other.

Each colour of paper folded out into a different direction which was really interesting to me, it was partly a book and party a piece of interesting origami. If I was to try and design a printed book using this layout I can imagine it would be incredible challenging but If it worked it would be amazing to read and handle as a physical book.

As a group we reproduced this design but larger, it was really interesting, I can definitely say if I saw a book printed like this in a shop id have to buy it just because of the interesting binding techniques. It would just be a challenge to design.

OUGD404 - What is a book? Studio brief 2- Study task 1

We were put into groups and asked 4 questions to answer the broad question of what is a book? Firstly I looked at the dictionary definition of what a book is.

This definition basically said a book must have pages and bound in some way, this leaves a lot of room for interpretation and other people have differing opinions on whether a book needs to be bound or have multiple pages at all.

We came up with a lot of words we associated with books to try and figure out our own personal definition like...

• Binding
• pages
• information
• product
• cover
• stock
• images
• text

We came to a rough conclusion that we could define a book as ''A series of sequential information bound into a folded document''. It could also be defined more loosely as something that trades and gives information to people, this opens the definition to include things like leaflets and kindles which could be argued as not being books.

The next question was ''what is the purpose of a book?''

We came up with all different ideas such as...

• To persuade
• to inform
• to discourage 
• to entertain

But the overall answer was to pass on information and content in some way (stories, facts, memories etc. We discussed the idea that a book is more personal that just reading a webpage or poster as its something you can physically hold in your hands and because of this you're likely to take in more information.

The third question was ''how is a book constructed?''. We first thought about the physical aspects such as pagination, binding (staple bound, ring bound, perfect bound), glue, stock, folding. The second aspect would be from the author's view who would construct a book from words, paragraphs and chapters.

The last question was ''what are your two favourite books?''. 

My first favourite book is 'The very hungry caterpillar', the book reminds me of a very happy childhood and holds a lot of good memories for me. From a design perspective the book is also brilliant as it has cut out holes you can stick your fingers through which as a child anything interactive is very appealing. The illustrations are also timeless and the book is still very popular.

My second favourite book is a very old a very old Delia Smith cook book my grandma gave me as a child. The book is a huge hardback with yellowed pages covered in cake mix. Its full of memories and so old, it taught me everything I know about cooking and reminds me of her. 

I love well designed books but my favourites are so because of the nostalgia and memories they bring me.

Module evaluation (OUGD405)

OUGD405 Module evaluation

I have liked this module as I feel it gave me the chance to fully explore new programmes (InDesign and Photoshop). I also feel I have learned the value of producing informed final pieces rather than just producing things that look nice. Producing things with strong concepts and meaning behind them works much better and the finals are more effective in getting across their messages. 

My favorite brief was studio brief 4. I felt this was the most informed brief from the research I had done and every part had a link and meaning. I was really happy to see the physical product as it looked brilliant on the stock I chose. I can see the product being an actual physical and working thing. Studio brief 2 and 3 were also enjoyable as it was great having the freedom to do research into something that personally interests me.

My least favourite brief was studio brief 1 as at the time I was extremely stressed out and didn't have the head space to work on it to my full potential which is a shame. If I had more time id definitely of re-visited this.

The crits throughout this module have been the best so far, everyone is getting much better at giving constructive and helpful criticism, this has helped me improve my work massively especially in the last brief. 

My time management hasn't been the best this module and next time I will try to keep on top of things a lot more especially my blog posts as for a lot of this module I did my research then forgot to blog about it which was frustrating. I feel like next module all briefs will be well informed and i'm hoping to produce work I can really be proud of and enjoy designing. 

Studio brief 4 finals (OUGD405)

My final product turned out to look really good. I feel like my typographical choice was good, Futura as a font creates a modern and clean geometric look. The colour blue is calming and neutral and relates to the naturists activities (swimming and beach). The wiggle shapes are popular in contemporary design and relate to the idea of naturism not being a straightforward and common lifestyle. The brown stock I used gives off a natural vibe much like that of the naturists so its appealing to that audience. I think this product definitely appeals to the young audience I wanted it to and therefore is successful. The package could be given as a free gift when you join the British naturism society; given out at freshers fairs or sold as a novelty item.

To attach my label to the snacks I used some natural looking string to carry on the aesthetic created by the brown paper.

I bought bottles to put my other labels on as mock ups but in a real package it would be nicer to have some kind of brown paper wrap around the lid as I think the white plastic looks cheap and tacky. But it gives you an idea of what they look like in use.

My leaflet print was really successful. I decided to print with the laser printer as a pose to the inkjet ones as this reduced costs. I was worried this would reduce the quality but it worked perfectly well and this printing could be used in mass production very easily.

I decided to make the background for the inside spreads much paler to increase legibility of the body text. This was a good decision as the type is easy to read but the background makes it attractive still and avoids a boring all text booklet seeming overly formal.

Lastly the stock I used was brown kraft paper. I knew I wanted to use brown paper as its a natural colour (connotations of being close to the earth) which reflects the naturist lifestyle. But I didn't know what weight to use, the stock I used was nice and thin, this meant the book opened almost flat and closed easily so it fitted into the package neatly; it also meant the paper was cheap and perfect for reproduction.

Studio brief 3 digital book (OUGD405)

The brief required us to create both a physical book and a digital one. 
This is the link to my final digital book http://issuu.com/izzieglazzard/docs/book_print2

Studio brief 3 finals (OUGD405)

This is my final book print for studio brief 3. Seeing final prints is by far my favourite part of briefs its such a proud and relieving moment when everything comes together.

This is my first spread, it was really successful, the negative space is perfect in making it look clean, minimal and spacious. I found out when going to print that the booklet binding machine couldn't print full bleed so I had to bind my booklet by hand. Its a shame but I put great care into it and it still looked professional.

This next spread is the only one I wasn't 100% happy with. The title is right on the centre line and you begin the loose the letter 'e' so if I was to re-print I would amend this.

For the booklet I chose to use matte paper. Most high class publications and art/design themed books use matte paper as it feels much more professional. I would associate silk and gloss paper with magazines and informational leaflets (hospitals) which is a vibe I didn't want my booklet to give off.

It was a risk to have the title spreading over both pages but because the booklet has a small amount of pages it allows it to open flat and you can successfully see all the letters perfectly so I was happy with the result and glad I took this risk.

The colours came out perfectly, the pale/pastel look was really appealing and gentle on the eyes. It also made the type more legible than if it was on white paper. I have issues myself reading black type on white paper so it was preferable for me to use this blue background.

Overall I think this booklet has been really successful. I like that I made it simple as its much more attractive particularly to an artistic audience (which is who would be reading something like this anyway).

Designing for studio brief 4

The first part of my nudist starter pack I need to design is the information and events leaflet. I looked at examples of leaflets and guides online for inspiration.

I found this example of a coffee guide. I particularly liked the stock this has been printed on. Its brown and looks really natural and organic, I could use this to reflect the idea of being close to nature. The printer we have to use can take up to 400gsm paper so it would be nice to find some quite thick brown stock to print on.

I wanted my kit to be aimed at a young audience (18-25). This meant the branding would have to correlate with this idea. Personally when I think of young attractive styles I think of Urban Outfitters and similar shops (this could even be a place to sell this kind of product). I had already looked at the image above in a previous brief but the design had really struck me. Pattern is something I feel is appealing to a young audience and something I could use as part of the packs branding.

I found this package branding for ''eco undies''. I really love the idea of it being in a brown paper lunch bag, this is really interesting and great looking. I also like the wrap around label idea, I could apply this label style to my towel. I like that its done on brown paper, it instantly gives it a natural and down to earth look that I am going for.

http://boxtemplatesstore.com/2012/03/paper-bag-template-no-01/ 

As I really liked the organic and interesting idea of using a paper bag to package things I found this net for making paper bags. I could create a design to go onto this and print it onto brown paper and I think it would look really effective.

To start my design I created a wiggle and used it to create a repeat pattern. I went with curved shapes to create the pattern as being naked in public is not a straightforward (normal) thing to do and I think this reflects this. 

I felt the pattern was too close together and looked a little like an illusion so I put more space between them and it looked much more friendly. I added a blue box to give it colour so it looked more approachable. I used Futura for the type as I feel like its an easily legible and modern looking font. I want the design style to appeal to a young audience as much as possible.

In the crit one thing everyone said is that I needed to make the rules and etiquette very clear as its the part people would be most nervous about when wanting to try nudist culture. I used the same pattern for my spreads but reduced the opacity to make sure the type was legible.

Next I used the British naturist website to find out about some naturist clubs and wrote brief information about some of them. I included the web address at the bottom so people could find out more information.

The next spreads are on beaches and swimming places as a lot of people said they'd rather be naked in this kind of environment than a club where they'd expect people to be more experienced and they'd feel less comfortable.

I next included a brief overview of some naturist events for February, the idea being when people join the British naturist society they could receive one of these packs/leaflets and it would be an easy way to know where to start.

Lastly I summed up the leaflet and wrote about what was in the rest of the package.

And this is the last page, I increased the opacity again so that the front and back covers matched and stood out.

For stock I want to use brown/kraft paper so I did a mockup of what I hope for it to look like when printed. I think this gives it a close to nature and organic feel which reflects the lifestyle of naturists well.

Next I created some labels for each of the things I will include in the package following the same style/aesthetic. They're all the same size as most things are for little bottles or packets. I then decided to change my mind and take inspiration from the wrap around label on the underwear branding for the towel.

This is my design for the towels label, I made tabs so it could be secured around a rolled up towel. I tried to use clever phrases under each label to keep it light for example 'it would be rude not to' because the towel is the golden rule of naturism and it's considered rude not to use one.

Last thing I designed to go in the package is a free ticket to a swim event, this could easily be editable depending on the event.

Overall I am happy with this package, I think the branding will appeal to an young audience and it will be interesting to see it printed. If this package was produced I could see it either being a novelty gift item in lighthearted shops like Urban Outfitters and Hawkins Bazaar or as a tool the British nudist society could use to recruit members. They could hand it out at freshers fayres, use it as a welcome gift etc.

Studio brief 3 (OUGD405)

In a mini crit I had before the interim I was struggling to come up with a style of layout for my book. I was told to look for inspiration in layout designers I like. One of my favourites by far is Matt Willey.

Above is a spread Matt did for The Independent magazine. I love the how minimal this is, the photo spreading the whole right page with no border looks really effective and bold. I also like the bold type on the left page with small body copy, this layout really grabs your attention and makes you want to read the text as it doesn't look daunting and long winded. As inspiration from this I thought I could have the twenty words bold one on each page, a photo and a fact or opinion written in small body text creating a minimal and interesting book.

This example shows how Matt includes large landscape images without taking up a full double page spread, this is a helpful bit of inspiration as many of the Egon Schiele photos I collected were landscape.

I love the aesthetic of these front pages. The pastel colours would go perfectly with the photos I collected as they're very complimentary. As I used pink for the research brief I could use a pastel blue for this one possibly? The high contrast in weight and sleek serifs in the title font give the paper a sophisticated yet modern look which I really like.

For this crit we presented our layout sketches for our publications (to be printed on the booklet making machine). I had already produced a digital idea of my book but this crit made me want to try a completely different layout and idea.

Above is my initial layout before doing artist research. I basically changed the colour and compressed the information, choosing the most interesting parts to include. I used the same layout style as I did in the last brief and it wasn't very creative and different so I decided to change it and get inspiration from Matt Willey's work. I didn't like the layout as I only used one column so the information looked like to much and it was likely people might not want to read that much. I also decided I wanted the images bigger and more in your face like the examples I had looked at. I chose the typeface Bodoni because its high contrast in weight and its links to high class magazines makes the booklet look high end.

I did a mock up of my booklet and drew layout ideas throughout it. This is a sketch for my front page. I kept things pretty central and simple, with a bold typeface like Bodoni or Futura possibly and small descriptive sentences below the photo. Another front page idea would be to take inspiration from The independent covers and go for an asymmetrical layout with the title running down the side.

Above you can see two layouts for the front page. I went with a pale blue to compliment the images. I preferred the asymmetrical design with the type running down the side, this layout creates lots of negative space and looks spacious, clean and minimal.

These are the other sketches for double page spreads I showed in the crit. This first layout is a really simple central one. In the crit people said it was effective but quite boring and it would be interesting to see something more adventurous. 

This next idea was a really basic sketch but the idea was to have a page filled completely with an image and another for text. The idea is simple but I liked the idea of having large images and minimal body copy.

My next idea was to choose some of the 20 words I collected and have one word in large header type on the left side with a few small paragraphs of body copy then the other page filled with an image. In the crit most people said this looked like the best idea as it would be really minimal and attractive.

My next idea was for a spread layout. I thought I could photoshop out the background of some of my images then wrap text around them. This idea was okay but I think it could look messy and not minimal which is the aesthetic I was going for.

This is my first double page spread design. I carried on using Bodoni as the header font as I really like its professional and stylish look.  I used light blue for the background as its a calming colour and its something id look at and want to pick up because of the peaceful colouring. I used some facts on Schiele and put them in 8pt very small columns. I didnt want to include much text as I wanted to keep a lot of negative space. I placed the text below the half way point of the page, I liked the idea of having negative space at the top as its different to standard layouts and draws your eye to it more. I made the image slightly opaque so it didnt contrast too harshly with the background colour (informed by looking at port magazine). I decided on two columns as from my research I think for magazines and booklets it effectively breaks up the type into manageable portions. I think this is an effective spread it looks minimal and attractive.

From the crit people told me to compress the information as much as I could, reduce it down to the words, photos and a few of the most interesting facts. People said they liked the idea of having lots of negative space.

This is my next spread, I wanted to include large landscape images without them taking up the whole spread. I took inspiration from Matt Willey's layouts by having it large spreading onto two pages but still leaving space for text.

This is a similar layout to the first spread but the type is at the top of the page instead.

Once again this is a similar layout but the body text is at the top of the page. I wanted my pages and theme to flow nicely but I wanted to change where I put the type just to keep it interesting and not too predictable.

And the last spread is the same layout at the first.

For my back page I didn't really want much content so I just used the word that I thought most effectively and simply described his work 'real'.