I am creating a book aimed at teenagers between 14 - 18 years old. I want to make it very simple but I want the audience to be able to connect with it whether it be interactive or written in a specific tone of voice.
Initial Ideas:
I had lots of initial ideas for my book, some of which were more interactive and others were a traditional book. At the beginning of every project I come up with a sheet of thumbnails with all of my ideas on, most are achievable but some do not play to my strengths. I had many crits where I proposed to make some of the ideas which were interesting but not very me, these were met with slight criticism so they had to be changed to fit my way of working. I know that it is important to try new things but I want to make sure that what I produce looks like I have produced it and produced it well.
Box experiment - materials are included so the audience can have a go at the processes.
A selection of books inside a belly band, information graphic based. Step-by-step walk throughs.
Manual with information graphics, activity book to test how much information has been retained, example book.
Example book to show first hand what all of the processes entail.
Concertina step-by-step books which can be individually torn off and carried around/stuck on the wall
Concertina for businesses which is sent to clients about the different ways which that business can print one thing.
Childrens book with doodle illustrations, for parents to explain how something has been printed
Perfect bound book called Ever Wondered How. Case studies which explain the processes.
Wire bound Ever Wondered How book.
Concertina which folds out into a large poster with information on the reverse.
Perfect bound book with pull out aspects
Set of wire bound books inside a file.
Manual, activity book and a build your own letterpress
Print manual, information graphic, vector image based.
Wreck this journal, encourage people to use the book and the processes
Information graphic posters which can be hung in the workshop areas.
Folder/File with examples, leaflet explaining the processes and stock examples. Would be sent from a printer to a client.
File with booklet explaining the print processes, examples of finishes and stock choices concertina books.
After having crit's with other students and Phil and Lorraine I decided to settle on the Ever Wondered How? Book which will be based on information graphics and case studies to explain how something has been printed.
Cover ideas:
I have to come up with a cover which is appealing to the audience but I also want them to use it as a resource to revise from to help them with their school work. I think it is important to keep the simplicity within the design as well as making it young and appealing.
I decided to settle on a simple and bold cover which simply gave the name of the book, I want my audience to understand from the off that this book is a concise and to the point source for them to use as a reference.
The content:
I made a spider diagram of all the content which I think is necessary for my print book, I think it is important to include most of the commercial printing methods as opposed to the more hands on bespoke printing methods as more things are printed commercially than by hand. I have added a few bespoke printing techniques but I might choose to change this when it comes to designing my book.
I made another spider diagram of all of the illustrations which need to be done. It would be a lot easier to use photographs but I think this is a lazy way to produce such an important brief. I want to draw out the illustrations to make it more personal, I also think that illustrations make it less scary for a teenager as showing them a large flexograph machine would be very daunting.
I know I want use some form of case study style within my book so I did some quick research into some of the products which are produced by each printing process. I think that showing teenagers what products come out of each process will help them to identify with the process and how it affects them.
I did a lot of work on my target audience throughout the crits until I finally came up with the concept of producing something for teenagers. I want my design to be something which could be given as a gift but also used as a resource for teens revision.
I made a quick spider diagram detailing all of the things which someone might need to know before producing work for print. Though I might not use all of these things within my book it allows me to select from the list and define my content more.
The final content of my book:
Inks
Vegetable based inks
Digital Print
Litho Print
Flexography
Gravure
Pad Print
Screen Print
Foiling
Embossing
Debossing
Die Cut
Laser Cut
A format
B format
C format
Saddle Stitch binding
Japanese binding
Perfect binding
Wire binding
Concertina binding
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Design Ideas:
Now I have settled on the content of my book it was now down to the fun part - designing. I have a clear idea of what I want my book to look like and I know I want to make something which is not a traditional format, I drew out lots of different sizes for my publication which I took along to my crit. The final size which was chosen was the 160mm x160mm. Feedback I got from my crit was that the square made the book stand out and look interesting. I have produced a square book before for another brief and I do agree that the shape makes it seem more interesting.
200mm x 140mm
140mm x 200mm
140mm x 140mm
160mm x 160mm
Binding options:
I wrote down different binding options for each of the sizes and asked for feedback within the crit. The favourite choice was for perfect binding which I think is the best option, though saddle stitching could work aswell.
As I am including a section about formats I would like to have a fold out piece of paper detailing all of the dimensions for the audience to have a decent look at. I tried it out for my crit (not to scale) which worked really well though it did add to the thickness of the book which might affect the binding options which I can use.
Trying out binding:
I have used saddle stitching before in my university projects and found that it worked really well, I had not tried perfect binding. I watched some tutorials on YouTube and followed them, I used PVA glue and bound a stack of folded A4 paper together. It worked really well and I would consider it if I were to print my book myself.
Finishes I could add:
Having done some research into the finishes which are available I tired out embossing for my cover. I used the laser cutter and made a wooden plate and used the Hydraulic Nipping Press at Vernon Street.
I found the process very enjoyable and would like to try it out with debossing as well.
Wooden plates:
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Defining my content:
Illustration content:
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Designing my book:
Now I have looked at the content of my book and any finishes which could be added I need to design the content. I have gathered all of the information and drawn out the illustrations, it is now time to put it all together in a creative way.
I had an idea of what I would like my book to look like and the grid system which would be used for it. I mocked up some quick sketches of some of the ideas which I have had and also mocked them up quickly on illustrator.
Rectangle shaped pages
Square pages, opposite as the content develops.
Mock up on A5 sized paper
I chose the square paper size as the feedback from my crit said that this was the best option.
The grid system applied to the page:
I set the gutter to 4mm and the margins to 10mm. I also used a cannon to make sure that the pages were proportioned properly.
I am very happy with the grid system and the content I have chosen, it is not time to put it all together.
Final Booklet:
