OUGD504- Developments 01 + Feedback

As my documenting images are quite high quality, generally with busy composition in a B&W documentary style. I feel these images are what will attract the target audience more than the insights and specifics to do with HD Type. Harley Davidson has easily the largest social aspect alongside the motoring, and through talking to these people at social events one thing resinates- they love pictures of their bike. It seems all bikers are vain. After spending thousands of pounds, consistently every year (Harley’s are notorious for breakdowns), Harley is a commitment only for the obsessive and the love of their bikes. 

With this in mind, the emphasis needs to be on the photographs. As most photographs are shot landscape on 35mm film, a landscape layout will be the most appropriate for showing the images at a larger scale (which is top of the hirachy when considering what the audience wants).

Research into Binding Methods

Investigating possible bookbinding options on LuxPrint, Shordich's website - http://luxprint.co.uk/bespoke-bookbinding/ . Their innovative approach to bookbinding incorporates traditional processes attainable within the college environment, yet executes them to the highest professional standard. Despite exploring all manors of complicated binding techniques, the final outcomes appear simple and designed fully fit for purpose.

As I know I want to include some sort of metal work in my binding method, I plan to explore different techniques in relation to stock choices, allowing myself time to find the right method.

At this early stage, it seems clear the final publication should be hard back and fully bound. Quality is imperative within this brief and within the H.D motoring culture as a whole, something I need to keep at the front of my design decisions.

I also need to consider how many pages my publication will contain so as to choose a practical and durable method. At the moment, 26 letters + aprox 4 complementary images + roughly 10 blank/information pages = 40 pages*.

*This is a forecasted page count, saying I only allocate 1 page for both image and text rather than exploring double page spreads.

Even at this early stage, Japanese binding style does not reflect the robust, masculine subject content featured. This delicate nature is overall inappropriate and not fit for purpose within this target audience. I intend for this book to stand the test of time (well at least appear strong enough to do so), with the thin style of thread possibly failing/coming loose somewhere down the line.

 

Robust binding methods:-

 

Case binding provides a sleek, professional finish to a publication. This means it can be bound on the inside- making the binding method relatively invisible. This could be a benefit if I choose to have a busy cover, but from the research I have concluded so far- preserving the sense of ambiguity could be quite effective with a case bound.

On the other hand, Skrew binding is a simple and effective way of binding allowing a feature to be made out of the practical stuff. Screw binding could be an interesting one to explore- especially if the screws give off a mechanical quality, further emphasising the biker scene. It may be interesting to avoid a fully commercial route and preserve some ambiguity (similar to Pentagram), hinting at the content but not giving it all away. With this in mind, Screw binding is an area I shall explore.

Leather allows for a quality finish and feel, giving a luxury production method to a publication. It is very rare you come across a leather book in every day daily life, suggesting this would be more appropriate for something like a collectable. However, when considering bookmaking out of leather cost and time are two decisive factors. The finish could be impaired drastically by shoddy gluing etc, so it would be wise to test this idea out first prior to committing to real leather.

Furthermore, the use of leather then raises questions about how to get type onto the front myself. As I will have to make the book myself, I need to be considering ways of getting type onto any leather cover I may experiment with.

Slip cases are popular within the graphic design book community, yet less so within Harley Davidson. Slip casing is used to preserve the cover and add an extra emotive quality to the production. The anticipation when you slide the finished product out of a case would be interesting to create- just with time restrictions, I need to priorities an actual cover over to encase the book rather than a outer box. However, by having a slip case multiple components can go into the book- maybe taking an emphasis off the binding quality (if say, perfect bound?), as all content will remain trapped within this one box.

Two rugged and masculine takes on traditional book covers. The weight and tactile qualities connote strongly to the mechanics of the bike, possibly inspiring a wider target audience through this unique design decision most Harley publications have not yet explored. By introducing a cover as weighty as this, distribution points are limited as it would not be ideal to carry a heavy book on the back of a bike back from Rallys or shows. Instead, distribution would have to be  in places where transportation was easy. This would also effect the size of the publication and subsequently the grid systems as the larger the book- the heavier. There needs to be a compromise between thickness and weight, but I don't feel that is really necessary (or the most appropriate) cover resolution.

Chicago Screw

Gives a rugged, mechanical look (especially with the chrome on black leather being common and popular

within H.D culture). Allows the book to lay flat, acting as a coffee-table book. 

However, either paper size will need to be increased to cater for the proportion of gutter hidden by screw

binding, or a reduction of page content and image size (i.e.: not full bleed), so the pages can still be

turned with ease and not impair the readers experience.

A larger gutter is needed, along with a re-designed cover ratio as the visible element of the pages will no

longer be perfectly A4. The cased cover will need to cater for the fold in the page, swell as the area taken

up by the binding itself (approx. 1”/ 2.54cm).

Perfect Binding - Commercially viable and allows A4 paper to be used and fully utilised. As the pages are

finely held together at the short-edge with glue and mesh, fewer layout considerations (with reference to

gutters and margins) need to be taken into account as the majority of the page will be visible to the

reader- unlike Chicago Screw binding which still hinders viewer experience.

Perfect binding is not a permanent solution, especially when executed on ‘student’/‘budget’ level, so the

quality of finish could be impaired with heavier use. Fortunately, as the book is positioned as a collectable

item, heavy use isn’t too much of an issue. The likely hood is, it will be put on a shelf and pulled out on

the odd special occasion, either to indulge in imagery to provide escapism- or to show to fellow

enthusiasts and collectors when they come to visit. On the other hand, this does mean that if the

publication was pitched to a publishing house or distributor at this level, its possible pages could fall out

and therefore jeopardise the success of it getting picked up.

By the full page being visible through perfect binding, full bleeds could become more effective (or

ineffective), depending on how it comes out. As I have not had much experience nor practice with perfect

binding, further experimentation is needed prior to any final resolution.

Signature Binding- Commercially viable and solid when executed properly. As I have practiced stitched

binding before, I am confident this can be executed well to allow the pages to remain intact over time.

However, this does mean the pages will need to be double sided printed on A3 stock, rather than A4, to

allow the folding action. This means that content cannot be positioned too close to the edge of the page

incase it needs to be cropped off in the post-production process, especially if (for whatever reason),

pages do not line up. 

This method allows a sturdy finish, whilst encompassing full-bleeds and double full-bleed pages,

maximising the overall effect of the content. When considering how this can fit within the sleeve cover, it

allows a more fixed structure (un-reliant on glue which has the ability to fall apart- see test books).

__________________________________________________________

Stock Choices

I printed tests inside university to help choose the most appropriate stock. I do not want to commit to a binding method until I know the dimensions of the book, the thickness and can therefore make it all flow in harmony.

Feedback 02

In this mornings crit, I plan to ask the group's feedback on current binding, stock and sizing considerations. I have prepared a range of test prints, printed on Matte, Satin and Gloss- one on each, in A3 and A4. As the images are the highlight of the publication, I reproduced the same image to allow consistency, hopefully aiding the group in making a decision.

When previously asking Simon his opinion, he also felt that Satin stock was the most appropriate- yet this raised the issue of Satin not being double sided. This would cause issues later when considering layout. The use of one-sided satin stock would mean a single sided layout, doubling the costs (as double the stock). Simon raised the idea that I could experiment with alternative pages, possibly any text presented as a matte stock insert (?).. another idea I plan to raise to the group.

I asked the group:

Which stock do you feel is the most appropriate? 

Satin or Matte. The group concluded that it would be better for the stock to be more matte rather than more gloss- "the culture isn't squeaky and shiny so why should the pages be?"

I also made two small mock ups for size purposes and asked what people felt was better. Both was going off the 3:4 ratio

Jan Tschichold on Bookmaking (notes)

Could not conclude on a Q which was high enough quality, whilst still unfitting to the flow of the book. All of the Q's I had which came out right on film were relatively un-unique in comparison to some of the other letterforms featured.

Could not conclude on a T which was high enough quality, whilst still unfitting to the flow of the book. All of the T's I had which came out right on film were relatively un-unique in comparison to some of the other letterforms featured.

In two minds about featuring this image. I spoke to Nick and he advised me to avoid the plain typefaces (e.g.: Helvetica), in favour of the more unique types. He also advised that type/an explanation isn't always needed- swaying me towards the idea of a photo book with minimal text where needed.

Could not conclude on a Z which was high enough quality, whilst still unfitting to the flow of the book. All of the Q's I had which came out right on film were relatively un-unique in comparison to some of the other letterforms featured.

When considering the most appropriate way of executing the layout/content, peer feedback was very positive of illustrating the letterform, making it stand out from the image so the viewer knows exactly what letter the copy is discussing. However, again through feedback- Simon Jones said to be wary of this because people have done it before. Just to experiment, I created small illustrations to accompany a selection images for the second crit. This process hit a wall however, when I realised that there wasn't a quality image for every letter A-Z, negating the overall effect of having an alphabetical layout. Furthermore, when considering the target audience, they are not interested as much in typography as we are- possibly prompting a shift in primary target audience from bikers to design enthusiasts. This would make marketing and distribution much harder to put in place, as I have a based the bulk of my research on marketing to collectors- so feel it is only right to continue down that path.

Feedback 03:

Nicky: By illustrating the letterforms you are making the book really type specific, it links to the title much better but that means fewer documentary images.

Barney: Go with what the target audience want- if theres a chance you can market it and make some money then go with that. You can still incorporate information about typography in a preface or individual section, rather than like an illustrated report.

Beth: I really like it as the layout has a good flow, the letters all work in harmony on the page and I don't know if will be as interesting as a photo book. But at the same time, I don't know if its the most relevant outcome when considering the target audience.

Connor: You could always do it as a photo book for now, showing off the pictures of the scene that happen to have type in them, then extend it over the next summer to a more specific study.