Thursday 21 May 2015

OUGD505: Studio Brief 2- Evaluation

Book cover design, although niche, is something I've really begun to enjoy doing. From the freakonomics book cover design last module to Unweaving the Rainbow for this one, it's enjoyable to produce design based on writing. There's a particular skill with book covers, not only is the intention to be attractive and drawn in audiences, but appeal to right kind of audience as well as visually represent/summarise the book. I believe for this brief I have achieved that and in a way if I hadn't been limited by the two colour print required for the brief I don't think I'd have done it quite as effectively. My initial ideas required rainbows of colours, gradients against a white background, these would've ended up look rather garish as a final piece and the limitations of this brief required me to think a little more conceptually.

Throughout this brief I was determined to screen print again, it's a technique I haven't tried in a while and not something I want to become rusty at. However I felt, as I explained previously in my design boards, that I wanted to learn a new skill alongside refreshing an old one. Foiling was the skill of choice, and I really enjoyed learning it, it's really easy once you know how but it's the knowing how that's the hard part and I did make some mistakes. Out of ten prints only one came out properly, the glue was too thick on some and the screen got bunged up, the white wouldn't print properly, but it was something I've learnt from and hope to apply to any future projects I choose to undertake.

If I had, had more time to dedicate to this brief I would've really loved to add a foiled finish onto the wrap around jacket, it just doesn't have the same impact as the poster for this reason. I think the cover looses something by not being reflective and it certainly doesn't display the concept as well as the poster does. Also I'm incredibly annoyed at myself for folding the cover slightly too short so it doesn't fit the book perfectly. I think I would've also liked to experiment with different fonts a bit more, although Bookman Old Style works well on the poster as the only font once you begin to introduce a lot more text in the full cover it all begins to blend into each other and takes the impact away from the title. I did experiment with some san serif choices for the body copy/quote/blurb but struggled to find anything that suited it well before I had to call it finished and move onto other projects.

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