To start off this brief properly, I decided to make a mind map to gather my thoughts and cover everything that needs to be considered.
Firstly, the layout of the book needs to be acknowledged. There are many ways to go about this, especially as the book will feature both type and image. The book could have multiple images per page, or just one. There are lots of different layouts to try and experiment with later in the brief. The front cover needs to be consistent with the layout inside, although using an image may not be the best way to go with the front cover. There are only enough images to cover the 26 letters of the alphabet, and repeating an image on the cover doesn't seem like a good idea. Having an eye catching, bold type-only front cover seems more appealing, as all of the images are left for the inside.
The stock and size also need considering. A small, A5 substantial book with thick stock is appealing to me for this brief. Larger paper sizes could resemble a magazine or newspaper, and that's not really what I want to aim for. There are lots of different ways to bind the book too, and if thick stock is used, it needs to keep it all stable and bound properly. I like the idea of an exposed spine, but I tried this in level 4 and it wasn't as successful as I'd hoped. Although, the book I created in level 4 was A4 and didn't have as much content as this brief. Creating some small mockups of each bind I'm interested in is something I'd like to do this week, so I can choose the most effective and move on with my project.
The colour scheme of the book should be consistent. Orange was mentioned here, as it's the colour of the dutch royal family.
"The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch."
- http://goamsterdam.about.com/od/planatrip/a/color_orange.htm
I also thought about using red, white and blue as its the colour of the flag of The Netherlands. The Amsterdam flag is red, black and white, so this could also be a consideration.
The print finishes are the final thing that needs to be considered. I really like the idea of using heat-reactive ink. I'd want it to be really sensitive, but I'm not sure what context this could be used in. I also would have to get help in creating this, as I'm unsure of how it works. Fluorescent and glow in the dark inks also caught my attention when researching print finishes, but again I don't really have any reason to put these in (apart from the obvious wow factor). Foiling also appeals to me, it adds a touch of luxury and expense to the publication.
Moving on from the mind map, I decided to sketch out some initial ideas for the front cover and inside layouts.
As mentioned previously, a type-only front cover is what would work best for this project. I think a sans-serif, bold typeface will catch attention, but also look friendly and inviting, rather than a serif typeface. Bold colours would also be effective on the cover, but should match the chosen colour scheme.
Here are my experiments for the page layout. I tried to create many different variations for this, based on what I've already looked at so far from my primary research. I think having full bleed imagery with some white space, e.g. the variation on the top left, is really effective. Full bleed imagery will mean having to print onto larger paper and cutting it down, which means it needs to be really precise. If I want to do full bleed imagery I'll have to consider the risks of this. Experimenting with the actual images on the computer may lead to more interesting, effective layouts, but so far I think the variation on the top left is the most effective, cutting across the spread slightly also draws the readers attention to the image, followed by the text. I'd like to create more variations of this style, so when the reader turns the page theres something fresh and new.
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