DESIGN PUBLICATION_ DESIGN

Design Publication

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Written content_

As my publication was based around designing and illustrating children's books, I thought it could be a good idea to write it like one and so that the whole publication was essentially a children's book. So I thought I could write the content as a poem, like child's literature. 

Points of process to talk about:

Thinking about what I take into consideration when designing for a children's book, would be the different sections of the book. So this included;

- The cover
- The illustrations
- The connection between the illustration and the language
- The emotion it brings to a child 
- The audience - being both the parents and the children
- And then something about me as a designer

I then wrote about these 6 points in a rhyming format. 

Cover_

First is the cover,

it needs to excite.

Catch a child’s eye,

or their mother’s sight.

It can be uplifting or sad,

and even compelling,

As long as it matches,

the story it’s telling.

It’s the first thing they’ll see,

Sitting on a shelf,

It needs to stand out,

Stand out by itself.

What makes it different?

What brings the reader in?

This is where it starts,

it is where it begins.

Illustration_

Next are the pictures,

The characters of tales,

They need to be memorable,

Every small detail.

They could be friendly and nice,

All squishy and warm,

Wipe away tears,

Or rain in a storm.

They could also be scary,

And keep a child on their toes,

Or full of great mystery,

So nobody knows.

Whether the first or the latter,

I must succeed,

In producing imagery,

That makes a good read.

Connection_

Every word has a meaning,

Every sentence, a story,

How will my pictures,

Show them in all of their glory?

How will they fit,

With the words by their side?

Will a child’s imagination

And illustration collide?

They need to fit together,

Like the tracks of a train,

But still allow the readers,

Interpretation to remain.

It’s all about balance,

Between mind and sketch,

To create a starting point,

That thoughts can stretch.

Emotion_

What emotions will they bring?

To a child looking in,

A giggling giggle,

Or a cunning grin?

How will the child relate?

How will they connect?

To what’s in front of them,

And to what effect?

The aim is to build friends,

From the characters inside,

For the children to love,

And comfort to provide.

Audience_

The audience is key,

that I must keep in mind.

That every drawing I draw,

A child will find.

But also the parents,

Trying to make their kid snooze,

After all it is them,

It is them that will choose.

How will the design cater,

To both father and son,

There are two people to consider,

Not just one.

Me_

All of these factors,

all of them amount,

to the success of a design,

every one counts.

It is a wonderful thing,

How a child’s mind works,

Creating imagery for them,

It’s one of the perks.

Through all that I do,

And all I design,

I try to keep it new,

Outside of the lines.

Inspiration throughout,

Keeping imagination free.

This is my,

Methodology.

Crit with Tony Broomhead_

For the crit with Tony, I decided to talk about my design publication, as I wanted feedback on my idea for written content but also help on how I could illustrate this. 

Feedback_

- colours are key - could use a colour palette

- could create characters from the father and son - mother and child 

- need to ensure it is visually rich

- no more words - written content is enough

- maybe the story could be me producing a book?

- make sure the cover stands out - like i've written

- the words are for the parents, the pictures are for the children

- go to a childrens library and do research

- how is it going to end?

- how am I going to bind this?

Further decisions_

Pages -
Starting page
22 double page spreads - with one verse on one side and the picture on the other. 

Size - 
130mm x 100mm

Perfect Bound with hard cover.

I now started to think about what I was going to be illustrating for each verse. I went through the poem thinking of possible ideas of what could go with the verse it would be sat opposite. 

1 - child pointing
2 - open book
3 - book on shelf
4 - starting line

5 - 2 characters holding hand
6 - storm/rain/umbrella
7 - covering eyes
8 - Trophy

9 - 
10 - collision
11 - train
12 - unfinished sketch

13 - fox - cunning
14 - connect?
15 - lego character

16 - find?
17 - bedtime
18 - father and son

19 - numbers
20 - flowers
21 - outside of the lines?
22 - m 

____

I started making a start on these illustrations, I wanted the designs to represent how I work, and as I mainly work in black and white I decided that I would create most of the image in pencil work, however as it is a childrens book I felt colour was needed, so I decided to add a small amount of colour to every illustration. 

I tried this with colouring pencils and water colour and felt water colour worked best. 


(PICS)


As I was doing this I realised that the ideas for the illustrations were all random and although linked with the verse they were placed with they didn't link together like a story. 

So I decided that the elephant character should be used throughout the story.

At first I didn't use the elephant in every illustration, however after trying out a few I decided this may actually be a better idea to have the elephant character for every verse just conveyed differently. 

I went back to the poem and rethought the illustrations through. 

First is the cover,

it needs to excite.

Catch a child’s eye,

or their mother’s sight.

- Ellie and book

It can be uplifting or sad,

and even compelling,

As long as it matches,

the story it’s telling.

- Ellie reading book

It’s the first thing they’ll see,

Sitting on a shelf,

It needs to stand out,

Stand out by itself.

- Ellie in front of shelf

What makes it different?

What brings the reader in?

This is where it starts,

it is where it begins.

- Ellie at starting line

Illustration_

Next are the pictures,

The characters of tales,

They need to be memorable,

Every small detail.

- Ellie & balloon (character)

They could be friendly and nice,

All squishy and warm,

Wipe away tears,

Or rain in a storm.

- Ellie and umbrella under rain

They could also be scary,

And keep a child on their toes,

Or full of great mystery,

So nobody knows.

- Scared Ellie

Whether the first or the latter,

I must succeed,

In producing imagery,

That makes a good read.

- Ellie and trophy (suceed)

Connection_

Every word has a meaning,

Every sentence, a story,

How will my pictures,

Show them in all of their glory?

- Ellie in frame (glory)

How will they fit,

With the words by their side?

Will a child’s imagination

And illustration collide?

- Ellie with toy planes crashing (collide)

They need to fit together,

Like the tracks of a train,

But still allow the readers,

Interpretation to remain.

- Ellie and train

It’s all about balance,

Between mind and sketch,

To create a starting point,

That thoughts can stretch.

- Ellie on seesaw (balance)

Emotion_

What emotions will they bring?

To a child looking in,

A giggling giggle,

Or a cunning grin?

- Giggling ellie

How will the child relate?

How will they connect?

To what’s in front of them,

And to what effect?

- Ellie behind book

The aim is to build friends,

From the characters inside,

For the children to love,

And comfort to provide.

- Ellie and friend

Audience_

The audience is key,

that I must keep in mind.

That every drawing I draw,

A child will find.

- Lying Ellie and book

But also the parents,

Trying to make their kid snooze,

After all it is them,

It is them that will choose.

- Ellie in bed

How will the design cater,

To both father and son,

There are two people to consider,

Not just one.

- Father and son Ellie

Me_

All of these factors,

all of them amount,

to the success of a design,

every one counts.

- 3 Ellies with numbers (counts)

It is a wonderful thing,

How a child’s mind works,

Creating imagery for them,

It’s one of the perks.

- Party Ellie (perks - happy)

Through all that I do,

And all I design,

I try to keep it new,

Outside of the lines.

- Ellie floating with ballon (going outside of the lines)

Inspiration throughout,

Keeping imagination free.

This is my,

Methodology.

- Ellie and butterfly (Free)

So then I continued to draw each of the 22 illustrations with the ellie. 

I then scanned each of these illustrations in, however a lot of the pencil work detail was lost when doing this. So I tried taking a photograph of them instead, then lightening the photo in photoshop. This worked a lot better.

I did this for each drawing, and then placed them in illustrator to clipping mask the background shadows out and made them all into pngs which I then placed in indesign with the text next to it. 

For the text I used quaver serif, I felt this was friendly and slightly more playful than the average typeface but also still very legible. 

At first the text was in black, however with the colourings of the illustrations being slightly brown/sepia in colour I thought it would work better to colour pick a tone from them and make the text that colour. 

Cover_

For the cover I took the first and one of what I felt was a strong illustration from the content, and placed this in the middle. With the title 'A Design Methodology' and then 'Written and illustrated by Isabel Tanner', like how it would be on a children's book. 

Making the book_

Printing -

I printed out single double sided pages, to the cut down before binding.

Once all printed and cut down, I clamped the pages together and spread PVA glue across the binding edge. I did this a few times making sure it was secure. 

Binding_

For the cover I used grey board and antique white paper_

It was then just a matter of places the pages into the cover_

I was very happy with the final product. 

Final Photos_