Holly O'Connor Studio Practice: September 2017

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

100 Habits of Successful Publication Designers - Laurel Saville

Publication designers are fascinated by what the words and images actually say.
They are committed to reading what they’re given to design and turning it into something that will entice other people to read it as well.
Most publications are driven by words and reading.
Primacy of content
Content informs design
Enhancing the content and becoming a visual journalist - Luke Hayman (pentagram)
The best designs come from using the content to inspire, inform and improve design.
Steven Heller - Let your mind make connections as you read’
Kalle Lasnn (Adbusters Magazine)- ‘Designers are some of the most powerful people in the world, they take those concepts, words, ideas and shape them, give a tone, create an aesthetic. Designers set the mood and the tone of our culture.’
David Albertson ‘The work derives from a personal vision as opposed to a business objective’
‘Good graphic design makes a publication something that you don’t want to get rid of’
‘Really good graphic design can elevate content if it’s done in an ingenious and creative way’.
Design should have a multiplier effect.
Good design isn’t going to save bad content, but can make bad content more interesting.’ - Agnes Zeilstra (red magazine)
A magazine is for the reader, not the art director - Marcus Piper (Pol Oxygen magazine) - We are not designing magazines so people can see hoe incredibly creative we are.
Kalle Lan - ‘The soul of magazines has been lost, the whole idea of the designer as an author, a communicator has been lost’
‘The important thing is not to turn design into a profession that is only serving the needs of a client. I realise you have to do this, but designers have taken it too far’.
You have to look at what the publication is about, the content, the reader, where do they live, the mood, the agenda. You allow the answers to evolve as you begin to put pen to paper. - Carin Goldberg.
Vince frost- a publication is more of a living, growing, organism.
The designer is there to solve problems, make improvements and express a vision within the constraints of time and budget. - Ina Saltz
Luke Hayman - Start Simple - Start with the type
Arem Duplessis - Puts pictures before fonts.
Understand the angle of the piece.
Enhance the subject matter
Steven Heller - Great design creates an identity and a personality for your publication.
Jeremy Leslie ‘You have to consider how the publisher is going to go about distribution.
Laurence NG - IdN Magazine
There are other publications where consistency and structure is less necessary and actually impedes on the editorial mission. Some have audience who expect and embrace change.
The rules come out themselves with each project - Adam Machacek
You have to build up the experience and tell a story.
It’s most interesting to break rules if you first know what those conventions are and why you are breaking them. - Michael Ray
You could use 150 typefaces if the content calls for that.
Everything on the page has to be there for a reason - Jeremy Leslie
It’s as much the designers job to considers what readers will do as to what they will see.
Look beyond publications for inspiration
You can make it a more tactile experience, how does it open, what kind of paper is it printed on, what size is it` Arjen Noordeman
Adam Machacek - Produced a book jacket that can be unfolded into a poster with promotional stickers. , use only when appropriate.
Try to leave something to be filled in by the reader.
Edel Rodriguez, Start circling visual clues or images that are embedded into the text.
The cover is the face for the book, it determines the direction and all the decisions made inside of the book - Maya Drozdz
Consider the book as an object
As a typographer I get bored of looking at the same typefaces (Michael Worthington)
Typigraphy is the principal instrument, the only thing you don’t borrow from the other arts. victor burton
Make something yourself caron goldberg
Books are the most interactive stuff that we have

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Andrew Haslam - Book Design

Creating a Book

A printed book is the product of a collaborative process. The designer’s task may vary from book to book, but it will always involve working with others as a team.
Proofreader, Consultant, Reader, Art Director, Designer, Picture Researcher, Permissions Manager, Image Makers, Rights Manager, Marketing Manager, Print Buyer, Production Manager, Printer, Print Finisher, Binder, Distribution Manager, Sales Representative, Retailer.

Approaching the Design

Documentation, Analysis, Expression, Concept
A conceptual approach in graphic design seeks out the ‘Big Idea’ - The underpinning concept that encapsulates the message.
Makes use of pun, paradox, chiche, metaphor and allegory.
Need to establish a relationship between text and image
Need to contemplate the book’s external form in relation to it’s internal structure.

Book Designer’s Palette

Format, relationship between the height and width of the page.
Jan Tschichold - The Golden Section and Fibonacci Series, the constant relationship between square and rectangle.
Paper Sizes
Grid
Type Size, Body and leading.
Books can have formats derived from content.
Grids based from geometry, measurement, typographic elements.
Modernist grid - Muller Brockman - The lines of text align with the pictures, and display letters, titles and subtitles. Using a rational structure.
Books without grids - Type - Forces the designer to look at how meaning is shown through paragraphs and how vertical and horizontal space are used within the book.
Create a system of arrangement.
Children;s illustrated fiction
Use the principle of repetition, allowing the child to anticipate events.
Many Publishers have began to produce over sized copies so that teachers can read the out loud.
Photographi books - rely on really high quality printing.
Book Covers - Documentary Photography, Expressive approach, Ideas through illustration, using pattern, Typographic covers.
Manufacture - Line and tone, colour, screen, Printing effects, full colour reproduction
Light primary RGB Additive
Pigment primary CMYK Subtractive colour
Paper weight, Bulk, Grain, Opacity, Finish Surface, colour, Stock
Books in a series are generally produced on common stock to retain the series feel and allow to work to a fixed cost.
Physical feel, subject, readership, printing and binding process.
Paper Engineering - Pop up, fabrication.
Lithography, screen printing, binding.
Designing the forage
Hand finishing and machine finishing
Foil blocking, stamping, die-cutting, laser-cutting, perforating, paper drilling, thumb indexes
Holographic images

Interactive Publications

Embossed Children's Flap Book - Steffie Brocoli
http://www.steffiebrocoli.com/

Pancake! and Pizza! - Lotta Nieminen
http://www.lottanieminen.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nytbooks/videos/1564428590254309/

Sophie Dauvois - Okido Magazine

'The charges she levels at mainstream children's magazines include: the use of glossy paper, which isn't easy for children to crayon and draw on; cut-out activities that result in ruining the rest of the magazine;'

"We want the readers to have ownership, so the magazine invites them to finish the pictures and colour in,"

Designing For Children - Catharine Fishel

- Only the best Designs thrive, due to the enormous costs of paper, printing and production.

- Andrew Haslam - Book Design - Many Publishers have began to produce over sized copies so that teachers can read the out loud.

Guidebook Secondary Research - Web

Endangered Species

ICUN Redlist
World's Most Endangered Butterflies
Karner Blue Butterfly, Mitchell's Satyr, Verdes Blue Butterfly, Miami Blue, Macedonian Grayling
Declining in Abundance and Sightings across the world and UK
UK declining species consists of Wood White, High brown Fritillary.
Great reduction in cities
Destruction of habitats.
"The rapid decline of so many species is extremely worrying. They point to a major loss of wildlife and wild habitats across Europe. Far more effort is needed to support the traditional farming systems on which many species depend and protect key areas from development”, says Dr Martin Warren, Chief Executive of Butterfly Conservation
http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/europe/publications
Butterfly populations are constantly in danger of disappearing. Habitat loss is one of the leading causes of species decline.
Endangered by loss of habitat and by collection of specimens for international trade.
UK Endangered Species BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-1074694
Large White, Small White and Green Veined White all showed a decline within the butterfly count of 2017.

News Articles

David Attenborough - The Big Butterfly Count
The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world's biggest survey of butterflies. Over 60,000 people took part in 2017, submitting 62,500 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.
While the butterflies may have been relatively scarce, there was no shortage of participants for the world's largest count of butterflies. Altogether, 62,547 counts were submitted by over 60,400 participants, a 64% increase in the number of counts and a 66% increase in the number of people taking part compared with 2016. This made big butterfly count 2017 by far the most successful yet (the previous record was of 50,030 counts in 2015).
http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/2017mainresults
Red Admiral Thrives, whilst Whites Decline - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/25/red-admiral-thrives-in-butterfly-count-while-whites-show-decline
Survey to Show Apparent Spike in British Numbers - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/14/worlds-largest-butterfly-survey-aims-to-assess-apparent-spike-in-british-numbers.
Late Summer Flowers Draw A Crazy of Insects - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/25/country-diary-late-summer-flowers-insects-feeding-frenzy

Teaching Material

Butterfly Unit Contents - What Caterpillars Eat, From Caterpillar to Butterfly, Life Cycles, Eat Like A Butterfly, How to Attract Butterflies.

Places to Visit/Exhibitions

Natural history Museum -
'The Sensational Butterflies exhibition offers visitors a taste of the tropics and its native butterflies.Butterfly House Manager Luke Brown tells us what it takes to keep the hundreds of butterflies soaring.The exhibition hosts over 500 butterflies from several countries around the world under one roof - so it's no surprise that it takes more than a little planning to prepare and maintain the butterfly house for its winged residents.'
Building a Home, All you can eat, Sourcing Ethically, new Homes, Butterfly Midwife.
Tropical World
Stratford Upon Avon Butterfly Farm -
Enjoy the unique pleasure of watching hundreds of the world's most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment.
Schools - Questionaires

Associated Publications

One Thousand Things - Anna Kövecses

Visual Encyclopaedia, with interactive search and find pages.

Ábécés Könyv - Anna Kövecses

Personal Project to teach the Hungarian alphabet; 'a haze of warm nostalgia'.

Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle (Pop Up Edition)

Interactive experience to help maintain children's attention.

Okido Magazine - Sophie Dauvois and Rachel Ortas

An educational magazine, to engage children into learning arts and science, designed to the highest quality.

London Natural History Museum - Miranda Mcquitty

Learning with Nature - Marina Rob

Stratford Upon Avon Activity Guide - Madeleine Smith and Louise Hawkins

Tuesday, 12 September 2017

Guidebook Primary Research - Photographs

Photographs were taken as part of primary research, at the Stratford Upon Avon Butterfly Farm. Here they had butterfly species from across the world. Mainly it was found that species came from Asia and America, therefore the climate was very humid within the flight area. As part of the visit here, it allowed for photographs and research on the different stages of butterfly life and also different species. Here are a few of the best photos, which would be most appropriate for the publication.

To see all photos please visit the link below:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NzHhFRHPuyU7CMOx2