OUGD404: Publication 01 Page and Format Planning

Before I could begin designing content for publication 01, I first needed to establish how many pages I would require to effectively communicate the selected design principles and how the formatting would affect this. To achieve this I put together a rough formatting with quick notes of information ordering.

From this exercise I established the book would be 32 pages in total, however this figure includes inserts that would not be counted as pages but instead an engaging/interactive element of each page layout. This brings the figure down to 20, this including the cover and wrap around element.

Following this I planned what would feature on each page to provide myself with an action plan of what needed to be designed and produced thereafter.

Pages with dashed lines represent inserts/wrap arounds.

OUGD404: Publication 01 Rationale

Studio Brief 01, How Do You Read? requires the production of a small publication collating material that can effectively communicate key design principles to a reader.

Considering the research and study tasks undertaken since the start of the module, I have decided that it is my aim to produce a small A5 book that focuses solely on what I believe are the absolute necessities of design principles that could supply a reader with a solid foundation of knowledge on the subject - these being:

• Grids
• Figure and Ground
• The Gestalt Theories of Visual Perception
• György Kepes' Language of vision 

It is my desire for an overview/the basics of each of these subject areas to be communicated clearly, cohesively and effectively, providing a manual that introduces the principles in an engaging format. 

Initial Thoughts and Ideas:

• Monochrome publication, black and white only. 
• All lower-case type as to strip back anything to the most basic point of understanding.
• Wrap around cover.
• Inserts throughout.
• Visually driven/focused. 

OUGD404 - Study Task 09 - Book Binding

Grey book: Concertina. Black book: Saddle Stitch. Orange book: Japanese Stab Stitch.

Via my attendance to the book binding workshop at Vernon street I was introduced to three different methods of binding, these being Saddle stitch, 5 hole Japanese Stab Stitch and a Concertina format. Below are summaries of each process.

Saddle Stitch

To achieve this saddle-stitched bound book, pages and a heavier paper cover were folded together to form a signature - from which a 5mm potential loss needed to be taken into account due to creep of the pages caused when grouping a number of sheets which are caused to splay out. Creep is a consideration that is vital to book design as it can affect margins and therefore bleed and slug. The pages were then placed into a cradle before having three holes made down the spine. The book is then sewn, or bound, using waxed thread to secure all the pages using the perviously made holes. Excess thread left in the centre of the book is then tied and trimmed for a professional finish.

Japanese Stab Stitch

To make the Japanese Stab Stitch bound book, sheets of paper stacked on top of one another with a heavier weight paper cover needed to be drilled before physical binding could begin. After drilling 5 holes using the hand wheel drill machine, the book was able to be threaded. To bind the pages, stitches are made vertically using waxed thread from hole to hole and then around the spine to ensure pages are secured. 

Concertina 

The final book I made was a Concertina format, for which I glued together 7 sheets of individually folded paper together using a thin coating of PVA. Then using two pieces of grey board, that first had to be covered in buckram material, the concertina paper was then glued  in-between them and  secured via pressure using a traditional press.

My emerging practice shows suggestion of a preference for hand crafted design and therefore this workshop has supplied me with knowledge that will undoubtedly inform and influence the work I produce in the future.