Mistakes and things to change

First mistake I noticed was that I'd spelt recipes wrong on the thanks page. DOH. Its a small mistake and probably wouldn't be noticed by too many, however, I really want this book to as good as it can be, as I've worked really hard on it, so don't want to just call it a day when there are still imperfections and things that need sorting.

Will be going back to print this correctly so thats given me space to make some other considerations..

Here's something else I will change. This recipe is far too close to the edge of the bind. You can still see it perfectly, but if I was to stitch it even slightly wrong, some text could be lost. So I'm going to readjust this and centre it.

Finally the back cover. I want to move the text up, just below the carrot. I don't think it looks right where it is. The background colour is a little dark throughout the book too, so will change the opacity of the textures background in order to make the imagery and text stand out a little more than it does currently.

Nothing major on the whole, just little design tweaks that will improve the overall design. Being critical of my own work is really important at this stage in order to produce the best possible outcome. 

Infographic complete

Here's the first completed infographic. 

I actually really struggled making this, because its so simplified that to make it look good the layout and design needed to be perfect. I wasn't sure how to go about it. 

Getting the roughs and ideas down on paper was fine, but making it into something finished was a challenge, because I'm not a graphic designer. 

Gathering contextual research was a great help, as were books from the library like 'Information is beautiful' and 'Knowledge is beautiful.'

So many books!

Im pretty pleased with how its turned out considering I was a little out of my comfort zone. I used the mono print textures again to maintain the harmony throughout the practical.

 I may use the same information and try a few new layouts, and then propose them as leaflets, or part of a starter pack etc rather than creating lots of new ones. Need to consider time scale now especially.

The simplest imagery

Ive been finding it really difficult to make the imagery for the infographic because its so simplified that making it look good is hard! I think the application of the imagery will be the important aspect with this, and the layout of the final design. As long as its informative and visually engaging I will be happy, but right now I'm struggling to see that this might ever look good. 

Fingers crossed...

Contextual Research - Katie Shelly

Picture cook is such a great idea! It combines two sections of my research. The idea of using infographics within a cook book in order to simplify something works really well. I need to consider the simplicity of this imagery when making my info graphs. 

My cookbook is not this simple at all, but I'm working with a range of products so as a whole it should communicate exactly what I want it to. 

I think there's a gap in the market for illustrated cookbooks. Photographs are often used instead, which makes sense, but perhaps the illustrations make for a far more organic and original looking book. Maybe when my book is all together, I could take it to village and other small businesses to see of they would consider stocking it. Just a thought to consider. 

Editorial piece

This editorial piece focuses on an article that was featured in The Guardian a few years ago titled '10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet'. Drinking too much water is one of the sub headings, and I aim to make an editorial piece for at least 3 of the 10 points. 

Ive used the textured that were used in the cook book, to maintain a coherent aesthetic, and so that the texture aspect remains an important aspect of the synthesis.

The reason I am not just working to one outcome, is because I feel this topic can be explored and used across an array of platforms. The wider the breadth of work, the wider the audience reached. The cookbook might not appeal to everyone, so by using editorial and infographics as well will boost potential viewers. This is far more educational than the cookbook, and is something that is covered within my dissertation.

The aim is to have -

- 1 completed small publication (The cookbook)

- 3 Editorial pieces

- 5 infographics

Anything extra will also be included, like the seasonal veg cards, but the above will hopefully be the main body of the practical submission.

Possible page layouts

This is one design idea. Having a recipe on one side and then the inspired textures on the other. I'm not sure whether is should be a little more muted though, maybe I should bring the opacity down a little, so that it doesn't take away from the recipe too much. Some pages will have recipes on each side, with the occasional double page spread for some more imagery. 

This is designed at A6. I was worried that this would be considered too small for a substantial submission, but I've considered my reasons. 

Why so small?

- Within my essay I argue that large corporations are taking over, and that we need to start building culture from the bottom up again. I want my book to reflect this. It will aim to help people rather than for myself to profit. 

- Texture is very important throughout this process, and I feel it is captured better when smaller.

- I want the book to be pocket sized, so that you can take it anywhere. As accessible to as many people as possible.

Layout option two. Think it could be quite interesting to vary the layout throughout, so something like this could also be an option. 

Front cover design

I like the idea of a panelled front cover, without any title. I want to out the title on a belly band, and I could perhaps foil the type. Im trying to figure out whether I want the title to be hand drawn or not, so I'm going to have to test that. I might have all of the titles of the recipes and the name of the book in hand drawn and then the rest in photoshop type. So much to consider. 

Need to work on this cover a little more, but thats the aesthetic I'm going for. 

Meeting with Roots and Fruits

On Wednesday I was invited down to Roots and fruits to discuss recipes and meet everyone there. They were so helpful, and each of them took time out of their day to sit down with me and discuss my project and what I needed. 

They gave me this recipe, and then a soup and a crumble too. I spoke with the manager and then two of the chefs, and everyone really liked what I was doing and were super enthusiastic about my work. 

As a means of thanks I would like to give them some seasonal veg postcards and then hopefully a copy of the book. 

Primary research really boosts your confidence, and is also a great way of networking. After completing this, I would feel comfortable asking them to showcase some of my work in the cafe, because I have that contact with them now.

TEXTURE

Why is texture so important in my practical response?

Texture will be the main synthesis to my essay. Within my essay I talk about the visual qualities of organic packaging, and how our minds believe things that aren't necessarily true. By using texture and imagery that is close to nature, you can achieve an eco-friendly and environmentally conscious aesthetic. With the recent push towards organic and natural products , its important that my book (that is promoting a vegetarian diet) embodies this. People will be drawn to the textures and aesthetic before the content. I am not creating any myths, but I am using what I have learnt to create something I know will work in the current market. 

Texture is also key in my practical because the textures you find in vegetables and food vary so drastically. Which is why I have been using mono print textures to create the images. 

Today I did some more mono printing, and eventually I plan to make a book of textures, because its a really important part of this module, both in my writing and visual. 

Need to scan these in and tidy them up. I really want my book to be original though, not printed digitally. That way I'm keeping it all as organic and raw as possible. The cook book is of course being printed digitally but the mono print book needs to be kept as it is. I just need to figure out the best way to do it. 

More mono printing next week. 

Some more primary research

Grub and Grog have really inspired a large part of this project for me, after doing some research there a few months ago, and meeting the guys that work there. I learnt quite a lot about organic farming and organic food through them, so thought id see if they would be interested in my practical and helping out like Roots and Fruits have. 

The response was really great. 

Having exchanged emails regarding organic movies previously probably helped me out a little, so networking is really useful. 

Ive replied with some examples of my work and the design board I made for Monday, which is proving to be very useful when trying to explain my ideas to people, as its a much easier way to visualise the final product.

I will hopefully go and meet with Dan this Sunday to discuss things further, but its all starting to come together.