A Character Sketch of the Book:
My book is small and fits comfortably in two hands. The dimensions of my book are 5X1X3. It is a photography book that is split up into different categories. The cover is simple, white with black type. The book is about 120 pages in length, the first section of the book is the introduction for 4 pages and then the book jumps right into he content. The spreads include one or more photographs of patterns juxtaposed to create a new sense of meaning.
The Evolution of the Project:
In the beginning the book had no form. All I had were the pictures with no identifiable reason to make the book tall or short and no method to how I should be laying out my information. Once I figured out my idea with the blocks it gave meaning and purpose to everything I did for the blocks. It created a grid upon which I designed the entire book. It helped me design a font that I used for all of the spreads and it gave me that extra element of fun that I was looking for.
Making Choices:
One of the most important choices I made for my book was quality over quantity. At the moment, my book measures up to be about three quarters of an inch, and in the beginning I was really determined to create my book to be a perfect one inch thick. I was making boring spreads, one image to one page, so I decided that I would get rid of all of the spreads that I found boring and only create interesting ones regardless of the thickness of the book. If I look through the book now, even though all of the spreads are now interesting, it is very long and takes time to get through.
My second most important decision was to use the grid I had created and begin juxtaposing the images, textures and using the grid lines as extra decoration. What I found when I was designing, was that the spreads with more than one image in them were the interesting ones. Only very few images could actually hold one page to itself.
Compromises:
One thing I wish I had done was experiment with different cover types and binding. Although the spreads look great, the presentation of the book doesn’t really live up to them. I need to add end pages and ending credits to the book. I have not yet made my clear box for everything to sit in, but I am getting material and should have that soon.
Pleasures and Frustrations:
I think book design was a great learning experience and a challenge for me. Before this class (believe it or not) I still found working with grids and page layouts a challenge, but once I was faced with this challenge and I just kept working at these spreads, I think something in me clicked and I learnt something about designing a spread. I would tell future students coming to a book design class to make sure you do your book on something you are genuinely interested in. If I hadn’t actually been interested in patterns and photography, I wouldn’t have had the stamina to continue.
