OUGD504 | STUDIO BRIEF 3 | EVALUATION

This brief was the most substantial brief in the module so far, and it was refreshing to be given longer than a week on a project. Editorial design is one of my favourite parts of design, so I went into this project feeling confident. I was already happy with the content I gathered in Amsterdam, so I felt optimistic that I could create something suitable, but something I was also proud of.

There were a lot of considerations for this brief. The binding, stock choice, size of the book, layout, images (edited or not?), typesetting and print finishes all needed to be thought about in this project, and I found it quite methodical to work through each of these considerations and document them as I went along in the project. I liked having total control over a brief, yet felt an initial stress/pressure as I didn't have a solid concept yet.

Experimenting with the layout and images first helped me come up with a concept subconsciously. Initially I wanted to take quite a contemporary approach and create an aesthetic that didn't really match my actual content. Eventually I scrapped this idea and moved forward with using the colours of The Netherlands flag as the main anchor for my publication. I kept with a minimal design and layout to not distract from the images, which I felt were high quality and pleasing to look at, so they needed full attention on the page.

I wanted a thick, glossy stock for my images, and although the stock I ended up with didn't match what I imagined perfectly, I think it was the most appropriate choice in the end. It was difficult to find double sided gloss, and looking back it would be easily spoiled and could look worn quickly. I knew I wanted to sew the book together, so I needed a substantial, hardy stock that would be able to withstand constant handling.

The binding was quite a trail as I decided I wanted to coptic bind it. I had previously done a coptic bind in a Level 4 project, so I knew what it entailed. After spending hours creating a mockup and binding the book, I wasn't happy with the end result. It was clear to me that the binding had to change for this to be a successful publication, so I changed the bind to a Japanese Stab bind, which made the book much more tactile.

Overall I'm pleased with how my book has turned out. The constant handling and changes I've made have made it slightly worn, but if this was to be produced properly it would look more professional and clean. I did enjoy this brief, and it definitely helped to have a longer, more substantial project that allowed ideas to develop and improve over time.