The main inspiration for my design was the magazine CEREAL that I found. I used similar typefaces to the ones found in the magazine - Bebas for display and Bodoni Italics for body copy. I used italics as this was easier on the eye than the regular Bodoni, and seemed to have a friendlier feel. I began using a grey background for title pages similar to the magazine, with a bright yellow concertina zig zag to represent the old style cameras. In a critique, it was stated that the grey wasn't very appealing and made the book seem unpleasant to read, so it was suggested that I should use brighter colours. I had also created a zig zag line to relate back to the concertina fold and old style cameras, however it was stated in the crit that this detail was not necessary and the text spoke for itself so I deleted this from the design. Finally, I asked for suggestions about my cover as I had not learned perfect bound I was unsure how to create this. I originally created a cover design with the play on words 'What the photography' which I thought would appeal to the young audience. However the group suggested that I could place the title on the sleeve similar to my mock up as this would make the production easier.
Experimental Cover |
Zig Zag Design |
Despite creating two columns in my book, after test-printing, the page size was too small for two columns, so I decided to span my body copy over the two columns, within the margin. I used the guides to centre the titles and boxes. I also tried to create the columns so that there was 7-9 words per line as this is ideal for reading. Bodoni 8pt was ideal as this size was readable and allowed the ideal amount of words per line. I was able to use a smaller pt size as the book is aimed at first year students so eyesight is less likely to be an issue.
Final grid design with 22mm central margin for binding |
For my contents page I needed to ensure the page titles and numbers could easily be matched up. So I created a line (rather than dots as this was consistent with my design) to guide the eye across the page to the number. I asked several people to check my designs and it was stated that the numbers appeared wonky, so I adjusted these later on to be in line and evenly spaced.
'The Camera' was quite a difficult section as labels are difficult to type set, especially with the size of my pages. To make the appearance of the labels as neat as possible, I tried to place several of the labels in its own column, using a ruler guide on indesign. This made the labels appear more organised overall. I used a digial feel typeface Andale Mono, as this reminded me of the typefaces typically found on the DLSR software. The advantage of this typeface is that a very small pt size can be used but the text will remain readable.
I really wanted to break down the existing information as much as possible, as I was aiming to make the information simpler to understand. To do this, I broke each function down to a double page spread, using diagrams where appropriate. I broke the information down into smaller paragraphs which I felt were more digestible. As the book is a supporting document with the spoken induction, I did not try to add any information if I felt something was unclear as the book is supposed to be a reminder of what was taught in the session. These pages were difficult to typeset as there was little body copy in a small space. To typeset, I shifted words up and down the lines and adjusted the tracking until I achieved the neatest rag possible.
Below is the concertina section of my book which will attach to the above perfect bound section. For this I decided to photography a simple object - a cactus. I felt that by photographing the same object, the effects of each setting may be clearer to see. As this is only a basic beginners guide I did not want to show any more advanced photographs as this would be something the first years will develop on during their time at university. Each photograph was positioned within the margins of each page, with a small caption explaining what setting the photo was taken with. I tried to keep the cactuses the same size and in the same position for consistency and a professional look.
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