Design Principles Publication 1.9

Mock Up

Creating a mock up was useful for sorting out the pagination because I don't have InDesign to do it for me. I had to consider the pages that had shapes cut out of them as I won't be able to print on them:

I wrote down details about stock so that I could plan ahead and reduce the risk of making a mistake during the assembly process to come. 

This was a really useful problem solving solution and I have realised creating hand made publications is mainly based on planning and problem solving because I don't have Adobe software to do it for me. 

I am going to have a cover page made out of my laser cut prints so in order to make some progress I have decided to start getting the typographical elements sorted.

Stock Choices and Colours

Using a primary colour scheme because it is friendly and allows me to easily create contrasting and harmonious colour schemes. I don't want to confuse the audience with too much texture because I want them to understand each principle which is why I have chosen a consistent weighted stock so that the texture of the paper is the same throughout the whole book. 

Refer to 'Studio Brief 2 Publication 1.3' for research on layout and grid systems.

I aim to keep the typesetting as simple as I can because I want to information to be clear and legible. The publication is going to be predominantly visual because I think that will stimulate the audience more and help them learn the principles. 


Introduction Page Experimentation

I noticed a lot of publications have an introduction and acknowledge the publisher on the front page so I want to use this to introduce my publication and add some context to Gestalt Principles. 

I printed out a 6x6 grid system so that I could put it inside my mock up and see how far the pages will open. I chose this grid size because I knew the page size would be smaller than I am used to. I then marked the line on the grid to remind me that I need to leave a maximum that space for binding purposes. I'm glad I did this to avoid losing some content inside the bind and forcing the publication open. 

Kept using Times because it's very recognisable and formal so my publication will be read in a serious tone. Set the type so that each 'block' of text is read from right to left, instead of left to right. This was due to the fact I had more room on the right hand side. The viewer will see 'Gestalt Principles...' first and then read down. 

I decreased the size of the text and condensed the layout because I didn't have much information and I want to focus the audiences eye on the centre of the page.

I decreased the size of the text and condensed the layout because I didn't have much information and I want to focus the audiences eye on the centre of the page. The small type was inspired by Archive 15 because it's still legible but leaves more white space.

Inspired by Archive 15:

Archive 15 placed information on at the top of the page which was consistent and convenient to read because it was at the top of the page and the imagery the followed. This put the pages into context before seeing the visuals. There is also no hierarchy of information because it is all on the same level. I created a sense of hierarchy by making the title of the publication bold. 

The binding technique has influenced where a lot of my information can be placed so I have decided to use what's best appropriate and set the body of type at the bottom right corner. This completely reduces the risk of losing any content in the bind and will influence the reader to turn the page. The grid system was really useful for keeping my text in line and allowed me to be accurate and consistent. This style was influenced by my publication research early in the project (Design Principles Publication 1.0), specifically ASTREA by Laura Pol because the blocks of text were set to lead the readers eye around the page. 

I am going to print on the back of this page so that my first principle is on the right hand side of the double page spread. This is going to be consistent throughout out all principle explanations.

Figure/Ground

To avoid losing text in the bind, I need to swap the binding allowance from the left hand side to the right hand side as the bind will swap when the page is turned. 

I have already produced a concept for this page:

However I want to further enhance it using the 6x6 grid system and smaller type so that my pages are all consistent which will make it look professional. 

Kept the bold size 12pt title and 8pt copy:

Pulled all of the text to the left hand side to leave a lot of white space between the visual example of the principle. 

Moved the content a bit further to the left but it's imbalanced and inappropriate. 

Altered syntax of the type so that I could position the text explaining the principle on the right, therefor it's closer to the subject it's talking about. As you can see the text on the right is right on the limit of available space, however I think placing the type here makes the page top heavy which is where it's comfortable to read.

This will be on the right hand side of the double page spread:

Made from layers created by the circle, then aligned with the white square and then a blue background. I chose this colour scheme because it is analogous and the navy square contrasts well with the white circle. 

This creates a problem that may force me to change the colour scheme. I will need to print type on the reverse of the navy stock which will make reading the text very hard. To overcome this problem, I brainstormed a number of options:

Want to avoid using the laser cutter because I need to start putting my publication together.

Decided the best option is to use some of my spare laser cuts and create a composition out of them using the pages and cut outs. I didn't want to introduce the audience to the principles without an explanation so used one of my simple compositions:

Chose this because I realised it creates really nice shapes when layered off centre:

Chose a contrasting colour scheme that makes it look like the boxes are 3D. I now have a white back page that can be used to print on. This can add some visual stimulation and shows how the Gestalt principles can be manipulated to create simple yet striking results. 

Mind mapping was a really useful problem solving technique because I was able to quickly write down any possible solution to create a flow of ideas and then use the most appropriate solution. 

Similarity 

Placed the explanation and summary of the principle to the left of the page so that it is naturally read first by the audience. Text supporting the visuals on the right so that people would read it second and associate this text with the example. 

Closure

I centred the type so that the audiences eye has time to process the title and then focus on the centre of the page. The white space around the information is the ground and the figure acts as the focal point. 

Each page has a different layout which is inconsistent but it could help stimulate the audiences brain so that they remember the principle better. This relates to theories into memory and learning. Once I print out my information sheets and put them inside my publication I will be able to tell if they are appropriate or need developing more.

Proximity 

Proximity is going to consist of two examples:

1- Without proximity:

2- With proximity:

Which means I am going to need two pages. For the first page I am going to summarise what the principle means and then show the example without proximity. After this example, I will explain the composition when proximity is perceived. 

First:

Similar typesetting concept as before by placing relevant information on the left and right of the page. 

I then simply set the type in the centre without a title so that the subject from the previous information page is continued to avoid confusion and repetition:

Continuation

Decided that I will print a simple explanation and example of continuation because my laser cut example may not be clear enough. Once the audience reads the content, my composition will make more sense. Again I have placed the type relating to the laser cut on the right hand side so that the content is associated together.  

It is important to consider the size of the text throughout the publication. I want the text size to be consistent and transferable because it is for an educational purpose and I want the information to be as clear as possible.

PRINT OUTS

Printed out my information pages to see if the typesetting is correct in correspondence to the binding method allowance. 

Noticed as the book progresses and more pages are turned makes the pages harder to turn because of the thickness of the stock. As a results, some of the type is hard to read because of the bind: 

To overcome this I am going to set my type to the left and also change the binding allowance.