Instructional Booklets

As the book was intended to be informative, I wanted to look at the aesthetic of instructional book design, as I feel my book could have an almost instructional feel to it. 

I did not want to use some elements of instructional booklets, as I found them to be boring.

The elements of instructional manuals I intend to use:

Linear Pattern: I like the use of pattern in instructional manuals, as you can see on the tractor manual and the 'final cartridge' manual. 

Gradient: One reoccurring element of manuals seems to be a gradient. I intend to use this somehow within my design. 


One of my pages, with both a linear pattern and gradient:

Royal Mail Stamp:

For some reason, I felt inspired by the ink patterned stamp Royal Mail post on their envelopes:

This pattern inspired me to a similar patterned background for one of my spreads:

Beat Magazine:

I like the simple, easy to read type used, especially the serif titles. 

Use in my book - numbers:

Colour: I like the  subtle use of colour in type, shown in  just the title in blue. I intend to use a similar subtle use of colour in my publication. 

Archizines.com

In general, I used this website to identify different layout in publications:

The Unlimited Edition - Local Stratford Newspaper

I really liked the way boxes with a basic drop shadow have been used to create titles within this magazine. 

Weeks until hand in: 7 weeks.

Submission Requirements:

·                Blog with all workshop tasks completed

·                Thumbnail layouts - strong collection

·                Enlarged and scaled thumbnails with rough measurements

·                Traditional mark-up with margins, guides, grids, sizes etc - hand-rendered - to be     done on scaled thumbnails. 

·                Digital mark-up

·                10 Double page spreads or booklet format (content will be made up of '10 things someone should know about Graphic Design') - it is completely up to you on how to produce the book. You can just hand in 10 loose double page spreads, but that's the lazy option...

·                Consider printing method, format, final outcome

·                Time

·                Design and Layout!

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Stuff to know & find out...

·                What are grids, columns, gutters and margins?

Grid: 2D structure made up of vertical/ horizontal axis. Allows the usage of columns and rows. 

Columns: Vertical down the page - break up the body text - they improve composition and readability.

Gutter: Inside margin, or the blank space between  two facing pages - used to accomodate the reading process. 

Margins: The edge and border of the page. 

·                Explain what rulers, boxes, folio numbers and drop caps are

Rulers: The measurements in a document which helps align the design accurately. 

Boxes: Also called frames, and there atre three types: text, graphic and unassigned. You can manipulate the shape of them to help. 

Folio Number: Another term for page numbering. 

Drop Caps: When you enlarge the first letter of a sentence or paragraph to emphasises the letter. 

·                What are picas, points and pixels?

Pica: A unit of measurement, used to measure typography. There are 5 picas in an inch, and 12 points in a pica. 

Pixel: A square element, that is normally used to create an image. A 10 x 10 image will be made up of 100 pixels. There are 96 pixels per inch. When you use pixels for printing, it goes up to 

·                What is golden section?

Also known as the golden ratio, a special number which is approximately 1.618. The golden ratio is an irrational number, which means that you can't use it as a simple fraction, but you can calculate it by using a particular equation:

The golden section has been used since the Greeks and Romas, and is derived from nature. It is the only equation that can be used for aesthetics. 

·                What is DPS and what does it do?

Double Page Spread - Functionality or aesthetic ? A matter of opinion. Engages the viewer and helps maintain interest. It is down to you, and you can chose to use it or not. Budget can be a huge issue. 

·                What are sub-heads, paragraphs, captions and ligatures?

Sub Heads: A heading given to a subsection of writing. It will allow the reader to understand what that section is about. 

Paragraphs:

Captions:

Ligatures:

Apply to context and apply your opinion - is it aesthetic or is it a hard rule? 

Pagination: The process of dividing content into pages both electronically or printed. Printed collateral are usually created digitally (PDF) and then printed. Pagination encomapsses rules and alorithms for deciing where page break will occur. 


Research into the Following:

- Greeking
- Folio Numbers
- Ligatures
- Measures
- Rules and Boxes

Every shape and form has meaning constructed from it's context. As shown above (through a search on google images), a "cross" can have many different meanings. When composed of a vertical line crossing a vertical line equally, this symbol is made: +. This can represent: a plus sign, a first aid kit, the swiss flag. The reason you can see it as a Swiss Flag is because of the colour and box around it. 

When the proportions are changed, it can related to Christianity, and when inverted, the sign represents the worshipping of the devil. 

Visual Communication: A level of shared understanding of shapes and symbols. 

Many factors are key when looking at communication:

-Colour 

-Negative / Positive Space

-Proportions

-Social Context

Semiotics: 

-Symbolism

-Sign

-Signifier

Example: The Apple Logo - One of the most iconic designs in the world. 

Symbolism: The symbol is that of an apple with a bite taken out of it. 

Sign: A brand of computer. When lit up on a Macbook, shows that the laptop is on. 

Signifier: Simplicity, clean, easy. An apple is often associated with learning. 

Visual Language In Graphic Design Is Composed Of:

-Format

-Frame

-Figure/Form

Visual Dynamics

-Composition

-Type/Image

-Colour

-Layout

-Legibility/ Readability

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5 Different Fonts Found On Fontbook:

Helvetica

-Clean and timeless.

-Modernist and functional.

-Grotesk. 

Bauhaus 93

- Heavy weight. 

Curved/ Geometric. 

- Architectural. 

Devangali Sangam MN

-Sanskrit type, with letters I am entirely unfamiliar with. However, the shape and form of them are completely different to type I am used to. 

Century Gothic

-Sans Serif, minimal and quite light. 

Times New Roman

-Most famous and used serf, as it is the default font on Windows. 

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4 Examples of Design 

I like...

Zito's Sandwich Shoppe - Tag Collective - Branding

The idea was to create a brand thats fits well with the rich heritage of Italian Cafes in Brooklyn, New York. I think the overal design has a classic feel, and all the pieces work well together. 

iQ Toyota Typeface - Pierre Smeets and Damien Aresta

A typeface composed of the manoeuvrability of a car. Really inspiring use of media, as well as a fantastic engaging video to watch. 

I hate:

This website is the most difficult website to understand in the world. I have read every single word on the page, yet still have no clue what the website is about. The navigation is appalling  not to mention the poor quality of image.

Info Graphics are meant to be clear and concise, yet the Japanese have almost become famous for communicating crude  or misunderstood messages. 

Here the sign mentions every single agonising way in which you should not use a toilet.