visual book ~ final process documentation

CDF F17 Project 5
Final Process Documentation

introduction

The goal of this project was to create a visual book using original text and imagery, effective typography, and effective grid. I decided early on that I wanted to make a non-fiction, instructional booklet on how to be a Publicity Head for Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, a position I’ve held for 4 shows and currently oversee as the Public Relations Coordinator. I wanted to incorporate examples of past assets, and specifically outline the requirements and purpose of each Publicity asset.

initial sketches

I began sketching out a rough approximation of how I wanted to distribute information among spreads. I decided early on that each “section” would be designated its only spread, with tips (text) and examples (imagery).

I originally planned on including a social media section as well, however in my final product I decided to eliminate this section due to the frequently changing nature of online specification (for example, Facebook frequently changes the dimensions of event cover photos, and who knows if Snapchat will still be relevant in 5 years?).

digital iterations

My initial spreads incorporated a simple color scheme with salmon accents, with Futura headings and Helvetica body text. I decided to split each section into three sections: an overview, requirements, and tips gained from experience.

My original cover idea was to use a photograph of posters on the wall that I took myself; for this draft I use a placeholder photograph. This decision stemmed from the fact that posters are often considered a Publicity Designer’s most important deliverable, and the poster design often influences the imagery used on all other assets.

This draft also incorporated a tab-style border on the top of each page, which signaled the reader’s place in the book relative to all other sections. I also played around with grid, experimenting with a loose structure that still conveyed cohesion.

feedback

I received a lot positive feedback, as well as some suggestions. Some suggested that the salmon accent was unnecessary given the colors present in the example assets, and I also received mixed responses to the tabs on the top. Most people said it reminded them of a website, and while that does have positive applications, I decided that wasn’t what I wanted and decided to remove it in further iterations.

I also received a suggestion to change the cover of the booklet to an illustration that conveyed the more of the process of being Publicity Head rather than the products of a Publicity Head, as the purpose of the booklet was to act as a guide through the Publicity process. This re-rerouted my plan to use a photograph for the cover and instead led me to a more graphic, illustrative route.

further digital iterations

I played around with changing the cover of the booklet, which ranged from illustration to just the Scotch’n’Soda Theatre logo. I also decided to remove the tab bar, as I didn’t think it added much to the actual experience of flipping through the book. The tabs would be useful if I ever made a website, however.

I also added some icons and illustrations through the book to help accent certain chunks of information. I still wanted to keep the overall aesthetic of the booklet clean, so these icons were pretty simple in nature.

final book

In the final iteration, I decided on using an line drawing on the front cover to sort of imitate the “IKEA style” of instruction as well as convey a physical action that is involved when being Publicity Head. I also decided to de-emphasize the salmon accent, using them only for section heading text and not the logos throughout the booklet.

reflection

This project was really useful in thinking about the placement of information and pairing instructional text with instructional imagery. It was also a really valuable exercise in pairing down a lot of information into an easily digestible booklet. However if I could redo the project, I’d probably experiment more with a stricter grid, and also experiment more with the relationship between instructional text and decorative illustration.