OUGD404: Publication 01 Amendments

Following the critique of the publication 01 draft, I identified from the feedback that the following changes needed to be made:

• Typography needs to be taken down from 12pt to 11pt.
• Margins need to be increased.
• Inserts and middle spread need to feature white type on black ground.

I have since made these amendments and the following are the updated page layouts:

OUGD404: Publication 01 Draft Critique

Rather than asking specific questions for this critique, I wanted instead to receive people's initial thoughts when seeing the publication, as it should speak for itself. I asked people to leave feedback on the book as a whole, from which I anticipated I would be able to consolidate and make an action plan from.

Critique Subject:

*please image the publication in 100% black and white*

Feedback:

• Really like the simplicity of this book. Its very clear and easy to read, type is quite big though.
• Black and white colour palette works well however I think the inserts should be black on both sides.
• Inserts and central page should have white writing on black ground.
• Margins are tight, need increasing.
• Love how visual it is, and the inserts make it feel like your discovering the information.
• Middle spread white on black. Same for inserts.
• Great how some of the images act as visual pointers. 
• Margins need to be bigger.
• Typeface seems quite big - maybe down a size?
• Type too big. Go smaller.
• Very smart looking, would like to see it when printed professionally.
• Format is engaging and different.
• White background on the inserts makes them blend in with the page. 

Feedback Findings:

• Typography needs to be taken down from 12pt to 11pt.
• Margins need to be increased.
• Inserts and middle spread need to feature white type on black ground.

OUGD404: Cover Visual, Contents and Central Spread

With all other page layouts designed, all that is left before I put the initial draft to critique is the cover visual, contents and central spread.

Cover Visual

The cover design I produced is an aesthetic amalgamation of visuals that can be found in the book alongside new visuals that demonstrate the theories informed on. Though this will be halved to wrap around the A5 page layouts and will also be half covered itself by the wrap around book title, the shapes, forms visual pointers all emphasise and represent the title both visually and conceptually, as well as reflecting the content within.


Contents Page








































Contents of the book are optically kerned and sit within 5mm margins. The layout uses Massimo Vignelli's type sizing rule in that the heading is set at a point size of 24, whilst the numbered content is set at a point size of 12. This enables clear distinction between the typographic information and provides visual hierarchy and structure. Type is flush left and has been typeset to ensure maximum readability is experienced by the reader due to a refined rag-line and distinct line-endings.

Central Spread




























Sitting centrally within the publication is the above quote, optically kerned and set at a point size of 24. Although the passage of text is central to the composition for purposes of spread balance, its alignment is still flush left in keeping with the cohesive quality of the rest of the book. The quote  perfectly captures the concept of the book in that its purpose is to help people learn the principles, vocabulary and grammar so that they can begin to understand the rules and laws of design.

OUGD405: Additional Information Pages

Having designed the subject sector visual representations, title inserts and informational inserts, my next aim was to produce the remaining informational pages. I was able to feature visual information previously created in study tasks and personal research to provide the further information to the remaining required page layouts.  These are documented below:

On each of these pages I attempted to achieve visual harmony and balance via use of the same 5mm margins, grid system, spacing and columns where needed. I compositionally constructed each page layout to clearly and distinctly deliver the information with ease and fluency. As with all typographic information in the book, the type featured on these pages are optically kerned, set at a point size of 12 and is flush left for maximum readability.

OUGD404: Information Inserts

On the other side of the publication 01 title inserts will be the information corresponding to that specific subject title. These information inserts are documented below:

All typographic information featured on these inserts is optically kerned and sit within 5mm margins from the rectangles edge. The layouts use Massimo Vignelli's type sizing rule in that the headings are set at a point size of 24, whilst the body type is set at a point size of 12. This enables clear distinction between the typographic informative and provides visual hierarchy and structure. All type is flush left and has been typeset to ensure maximum readability is experienced by the reader due to a refined rag-line and distinct line-endings. Even spacing is featured throughout the inserts to maintain consistency and reader familiarity.

OUGD404: Publication 01 Insert Titles

The format I have selected for publication 01 is that of book with a wrap around cover and inserts that create consistency and cohesion from the outside in. The title inserts will feature white type on black ground as to create visual distinction and differentiation from the other publication pages which I anticipate to be white.

To Follow are the publication 01 Title inserts:

For purposes of cohesion and consistency, each title is set at a point size of 62, is optically kerned and is sat within a rectangle that is the length of the A5 book and that has 10mm margins.This will allow the titles to be printed confidently with a full bleed.

OUGD404: Publication 01 Typography

I have decided that all typographic information within publication 01 will be communicated and set in all lower-case Futura Medium. It is a typeface that holds the most significant value of the Bauhaus at its core: Form and Function - which is relevant to the book as much of the content was taught at the Bauhaus by the likes of Johannes Itten and György Kepes. Futura is a typeface that does as is required; it delivers type through a simple, geometrically-founded and well-balanced aesthetic free of complication and unnecessary additions. It has a slightly heavier weight of line creates a bolder, more prominent presence that still maintains strong legibility at even small point sizes. I have decided to set it in all lower case as to emphasise the books focus on the absolute basics, as well as in representation of the fact people do not require capitals to read. Futura also has a modern aesthetic that is both well rounded and distinguishable.

OUGD404: Content Production - Subject Visuals

As it is my desire for publication 01 to be very much a visual exploration of the design principles, I wanted to create an A5 visual for each of the four subjects of the content - these are reminded below:

• Grids
• Figure and Ground
• Gestalt Theories 
• Kepes' Language of Vision

To follow are the visuals I have produced for each of the subject sectors and their relation to the content.

Grids

This simple square grid visual is aesthetically akin to many editorial grids in style. It cannot be recognised as anything other than a grid and there reflects the subject sector effectively.

Figure and Ground

Keeping it simple, the figure and ground visual is simply a large black circle sitting centrally in white ground. I did not believe there was any need to over-complicate this representation, which as is clearly provides an image representative of the circle taking on the role of the figure surrounded by white ground.

Gestalt Theories 

The Gestalt Theories subject visual representative is that of one of the gestalt principles, simplicity, which automatically and distinctly establishes what the theories are concerned with. This is a visual that is typically associated with the principles.

Kepes' Language of Vision

A balanced range of shapes including a square, circle and plus sign are to be the visual representative of Kepes' Language of Vision. They are featured in each of the exercises that explain the language, and therefore immediately foreshadow the content to come.