Finals

Finals on CAD

Here are the final designs for the page layouts...

Final Print

For the outer envelope/cover I used a brown 150gsm stock to replicate a parcel envelope that it would be sent within. For the lookbook within I used a 120gsm matte white stock with a 200gsm matte stock for the cover just for that more official feel and to provide further protection. I decided to stick the back page down onto the brown stock and also saddle stitch the whole publication through the brown paper with black thread. This proves to hold the book together effectively whilst the black fitting in with the type on the brown cover. Using the folding machine and bone folder I have pressed in two folds to create the spine of the book, to ensure all the inner pages can fold into this space...

Evaluation of all

I am pleased with how the Lookbook has turned out, it appears very visually attractive whilst reflecting the principles of modernism. The brown cover adds a nice touch and concept, considering how the lookbook itself will be sent out to people by post or even just when passing by, etc. It provides a more official feel whilst adding that extra bit of protection to the inner pages. By duplicating the type off the inner cover onto the outer brown one aswell keeps it consistent with the margin guides for alignment throughout the lookbook and offers something abit different to how you would expect to receive a publication such as this. From my feedback, it suggests how this feature alone satisfies the mindsets of modernism, truly considering function before form - but this in itself provides a very simplistic design which is not over-complicated and appears aesthetically pleasing, satisfying what I have learnt about modernism in my opinion. I chose to use a black thread to saddle stitch the pages together, once more this proved to be a very effective technique of binding, whilst also fitting the whole aesthetics of the design. 


Upon printing I do always seem to run into problems that need to be solved! Initially I did realise the tab on the brown cover being 50mm in length was too large and would cover the type when folded over, for this reason I had to half this measurement, which did appear more fitting anyway..

I did have to pay for the print process twice as half way through trimming the first print I realised the page layout had corrupted upon packaging the document off InDesign, so they were all in the wrong order! This was easily resolved due to the availability in the print room at that time. 

Analysing the brown cover in more depth I did initially state I would have a 20mm border around the sides of the open lookbook inside, but after printing I have realised this was worked out incorrectly as the horizontal sides have a 20mm border but the top and bottom only have 10mm. This is not a huge production problem however, it is something I would adjust if I had more time. My time management overall for the practical side of this project has not been perfect which I will admit to but I do feel I have turned around a good response to the brief. I have learnt for next time to leave more time for the production process to ensure I can problem solve print tests to perfect my work, although now I do feel so much more familiar with the process of how a project needs to pan out so will feel more confident with cracking on next year. 

To reflect on how my practical work links to my essay, feedback shows some people were confused from the content within the publication what I had actually discussed, however once I had stressed the principles of modernism and how it has developed into contemporary graphic design they could see how the characteristics within the design of the lookbook do reflect and consider these principles. Although I discuss the various sub-groups of modernism in my essay such as influences from The Bauhaus, De Stijl, etc, I also provide a reflection on the united characteristics of modernism that appear throughout all these sub-groups. One of the most popular principles being Form follows Function, I did research into how The Bauhaus and De Stijl movements greatly encouraged this into their works and students, but also how it passed onto graphic designers such as Vignelli who developed it into their contemporary practise. I feel I have reflected this principle throughout the publication with considerations of how the design can be stripped back to the essence for most appropriate navigation of the human eye whilst still offering a very clean and simplistic style; which can also be viewed as satisfying 'internationalism' (another united principle of modernism) creating this language of design that all cultures can interpret and understand. To put the principles into action I made use of a grid layout throughout the lookbook to ensure consistency from page to page, this in turn, enhanced the negative space on the page highlighting the main text/imagery that you're eye is meant to be drawn to. Through trying to reflect Vignelli's ideas (which are quite restrictive) I used only a strict number of type sizes throughout aswell as typefaces, to ensure this consistent and concise method of design was clear. This partnered well with the content included as the Modern Day Surrealist art examples have so much going on in them that a busy layout design would have taken too much away from what you are meant to be drawn to, which would not satisfy form following function. The other principle I touched on in the essay was truth to materials, as it is a publication design I simply had to ensure I was using stocks which stayed true to their form, not like glossy/laminated/textured stocks which push their form unnecessarily in the eyes of modernism (although they do support forward, new thinking so this could have been something I experimented with!). 

Overall, I have listened to feedback and experimented with certain characteristics off the back of this but feel I have represented the principles of modernism and its ideas into my design process.