OUGD603: Yearbook - Designs & Pitching

Concept: Interactive but long lasting

 So, our primary concept allows the publication to be interactive, having tear away features allowing the work to be removable and kept as personal portfolios, or repositioned on a dye-cut cover allowing for additional customisation. The prints could also be  in an external context as prints or postcards. This could be transpired into prints, postcards or business cards depending on student preference including artwork and contact details.

The thought process also was, that when employers come to the degree show they will take a book home with them, and potentially look at it on the train or back when they are at home. This could also double up as a guide to new talent in the industry, so to whittle down their options on who to contact and (hopefully) employ some of us!

Development

As a group we decided on a scale, with Rob and Ben experimenting with many alternatives and intericate millimetres to get it feeling right. By having a 170 x 240mm or 150 x 300mm book we are able to keep it tactile and easily transportable, yet there is creative freedom to add perforations to remove the work, and show work large scale unlike previous years. Our intention is definitely do to something different than has been done before and this could be it. The dotted lines highlight where the perforation of pages will be and the dimensions of the postcards the book with conceal.

After speaking to Amber to find out what budget we had, I contacted evolution by email and over the phone to discuss all of the custom treatments we were considering and how that would influence costing.

Final Designs

As this is a fairly quick turnaround, we all spent time brainstorming and researching which design style to pursue aesthetically. As we all had separate roles, Rob mainly came up with the design but I do think it is really effective and crisp in grid structure. 

Keeping a contemporary feel the typographically led design. Interactivity is put into the cover by the dye cuts, allowing the audience to customise the cover and keep it on their book shelves as they wish.

Experimenting with colour ways - printing on coloured stocks

Clear and formal, similar to a catalogue format so if the postcards get removed then they still have a record of who's work is who's. 

Playing around with the comedic American yearbook, remembering the class as a bunch of individuals with a reference to our work, rather than being an anonymous number which can be easily forgotten. A yearbook is also a tangible artefact to keep and remember university years, so having these elements of personality may make it more treasured, and therefore be kept for longer. 

After the result had been counted we found out that we had unfortunately not been successful and would not be producing the year book for graphic design. We wanted some clarification and feedback from Amber for why she thought it had happened and what we can do now, we met with her to discuss our options and we were advised to not stop the project. We will now be potentially doing the BA (Hons) Photography Yearbook