Experiments

Book cover research

• I made a trip to Waterstones to get some first hand inspiration from book cover collections
• Collections of books are extremely popular as it encourages the reader to buy the full collection - becoming collectables
• A lot of the books I saw had very limited colour palette which of course suited my design aesthetic. Either that or each book was one singular colour
• Seeing the books on the shelf together creates such a visual statement and is what really attracts the audience.
• It would be interesting to create some kind of sequence perhaps? so when each book is placed next to each other they somehow link together.  

Mass art collaboration

• Collaborating with graphic designers and illustrators from the US 
• Created a zine about Leeds
• Our concept was based around this juxtaposition between the expensive looking buildings Leeds has (Victoria Gate and John Lewis) and the more commercial 'cheap' shops which are placed literally next door.
• This prompted the name of the zine to be 'Poundland to Pandora' - the two shops face each other through the luxury Grand Arcade.
• Working to a quick deadline was most suited to me as I work a lot more efficiently and get a lot of work done
• I learnt the whole process of making a zine
• I created the illustrations from the photographs, adding yellow and blue to represent the old/new classy/not so classy
• Collaboration is a key skill to gain especially in the creative industry - its also a really great way of learning new things about yourself and techniques in which you can apply to your own practice

Reflection #3

I have currently been doing some research into Japanese culture and literature. I have been reading a few books by Japanese authors comparing writing styles and thinking about projects in which I can incorporate Japanese literature. Norwegian Wood was such a big inspiration and the epitome of the type of book I am interested in designing. Because of my love for Haruki Murakami's writing style and themes he deals with in his novels, I thought it would be an interesting idea to explore him further and maybe read a few of his books. I know that one of my favourite illustrators, Noma Bar has already designed a collection of books for a Murakami so this potentially could be an option? Also thinking about applying the work created to merchandise/posters/postcards/clothing/bookmarks etc.

Crit feedback:

• Treat this as an 'about the author' brief
• Really study Murakami and create imagery which can be applied to numerous outcomes
• Think about the books YOU enjoy responding to
• Could also think about old book covers, rejuvenated ' '50 Watts'
• Classic covers made more modern

My crit made me reflect on a few things as the brief we did in second year 'about the author' was something which I thoroughly enjoyed. The sheer freedom to express themes and motifs using various materials and processes. This combines both the heavily research side of a project with the intense making and strong visual elements which fits perfectly with me and my aesthetic. Designing a collection of books is also something which really excites me - there are so many things to consider when re designing a series, including the type, colour scheme and tone of voice. After designing the two books for Penguin, the prospect of actually pursuing a career in the publishing industry and designing books for a living sounds like an ideal job - because of these reasons I feel like it is pivotal that I create a Portfolio showcasing my skills in book designing.

Going forward

Start reading other books by Murakami

Think about the tone of voice you want to convey

Maybe take a trip to Waterstones or other book stores - look at collections, look for recurring themes, colour palette and how each book links with each other

Potential merchandise?

Think about the importance of the back cover and how the front and back connect

Look at designers who have made book cover collections - gain inspiration

7x7 image

Wedding invites

• Really enjoyed painting again! Painting flowers is something I haven't done is so many years but it was a really nice break from working so digitally.
• I decided to use the flowers which will be used for the wedding
• I also decided to make my own type as this is something I have previous experience in doing
• I think the overall design is very successful and screams sophistication which is something I really wanted to convey
• Second time working for a client and it was actually really good, she had no issues with it at all so everything went very smoothly

Norwegian Wood experiments

• I really admire Haruki Murakami's writing style and the beautiful imagery he creates through his incredibly descriptive analysis of very mundane things.
• There seemed to be a lot of replication of themes and motifs throughout the book which I thought I could use to my advantage, for example, music, love and death. I thought red would be a great colour to represent both love and death and of course Japanese culture.
• Red birds and the guitar were heavily mentioned throughout the book so I thought this would be a great idea to incorporate in the design
• I also experimented with the concept of 'Norwegian Wood' being a song by The Beatles and played around with the classic Abbey Road album cover and them walking over a zebra crossing.
• There were just so many scenes within the book which I wanted to illustrate but I needed to find some restraint and MOVE ON.
• I think I am spending too much time on this book and trying to illustrate all the designs in my head.

Refelction #2

Over the Christmas break I was trying to plan my up and coming months and trying to  figure out possible briefs I could take part in. I was commissioned to design some wedding invitations which I thought would be a nice little side project. The invitations actually took longer than expected as my client wanted a very traditional approach, one which included watercolour paintings of flowers (something i haven't done in like 4 years) so it was something I need to adapt to fairly quickly. I definitely enjoyed the analogue approach however, it was a nice bit of fresh air as I have been working so digitally recently.

I have also made a start on the 'Norwegian Wood' brief for the Penguin competition. I especially enjoyed reading this book as there was so many themes and motifs that ran throughout, making it fairly easy to create imagery from. Haruki Murakami's writing style is something that resonated so well with me - it flowed so nicely and he has such a beautiful way of describing mundane things. I was very much hooked, unaware that I was speeding through the book. This prompted a change in my approach however, as I realised I was spending so much time reading the book and not enough time actually creating the imagery. In my crits I found out that book designers don't actually read the whole books as they simply do not have the time. They read the blurb to get a real sense of the story and tone of voice which I guess is the most important thing.

I was feeling a little lost in terms of future briefs and whether or not I should do a big final major project brief so this Tutorial came at a very good time.

Reflections:

• If I want to go into publishing then I need to start actually designing book covers frequently - making a portfolio of book cover designs to show the client/employer this is what I do.
• Think about Product Range and Distribution
• Think about how the book can look online and in retail
• The physical nature of the book? the paper used? if it's a limited addition version 
• Think about creating 3 sets of books? A collection of books by Murakami for example 
• DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

Going forward

This was an incredibly helpful crit as it gave me clear direction for the future. Me and Fred made and agreement for me to finish my current briefs and the propose 3 further projects thinking about sets of books and possible collections. I need to start thinking about the types of books i'd like to design and for what audience? Could I explore one author and design a series of books by that specific author or perhaps design 3 sets of books each with different authors.