Speaking From Experience - Research

Concept.

My aim is to produce a pocket sized publication that will provide new students with information on how to get buy in their first year at Leeds College of Art, studying Graphic Design. The publication will come in the form of a booklet; either folded or stapled, more likely stapled due to how many pages will be required. The reason the publication will be pocket size is so it can be carried around everywhere with ease. The publication will be full on information, tips, tricks and advice on how to make your first year easier. The content will inform and educate on the course, the college, Leeds and living on your own. As well as the printed publication I will also create a digital version, which can be downloaded onto an iPhone so the student does not need to carry the printed publication but can still look at it whenever they like.

In terms of content, the publication will have 50 things you need to know but no one ever tells you, about being a 1st year graphic design student at Leeds College of Art. The tone of voice will be a mixture of wit, playful, profane, serious and helpful to engage the student whilst also making it interesting and useful. The design of the publication will be simple and structure, using both type and image to convey the message.

Delivery.

The publication will be delivered in two different forms. The publication will either be folded as a ‘hotdog’ book/concertina book, or more likely a stapled booklet. The stapled booklet will be more durable and less likely to fall to pieces. The printed publication will be handed out to students on their first day at the college – as it is specifically targeted at graphic design students it will not come as part of the fresher’s pack as this is distributed around the whole of college. The digital version will come as a downloadable PDF file that can be down loaded from estudio and can be emailed to all first year graphic design students. The initial digital version will be designed to be viewed on the iPhone, however, further developments would be done to make it available on the iPad, the iPad Mini, android phones and tablets.

Production.

The production of the publication will be designed and created digitally and then almost all will be printed digitally as well. The cover of the publication will be screen printed rather than digitally printed, as it will present an alternative process to the students and an alternative aesthetic. If it is created as a bound product it will require special set up when printing so that when bound the pages are in the correct order. Another element of the production that must be taken into consideration is the binding. If the publication is going to be produced as a folded booklet it can be bound in two different ways; it can either be stapled or saddle stitched. Stapling is easier, quicker and cheaper, however, it is not as aesthetically pleasing as saddle stitching, which takes longer and requires more skill.

 Binding.

There were two types of binding that I thought would be possible with what I wanted to do. The first is a simple staple bind. This is something that can is usually found in leaflet, booklets and is very handy if you need to mock up something, however, due to the number of spreads I want to bind the staple may not be strong enough. The problem would occur if the staples were unable to hook the sheets, as well as the cover, together.

The alternate and more likely solution was to saddle stitch the publication together. This is where the publication is held together using thread. As the name suggests, wholes are punched through the centre fold line and then stitched together a specific way. The book/publication can then be folded and pressed so that it stays closed. 

Content.

To get the content for my publication I thought about what I would have liked to know when I started and I also asked other people what they would have liked to know. From my own experiences and the information I came up with 51 possible entries. The 51 possibilities were:

1.    The best places to have lunch.

2.    Blogging: Doing it.

3.    In on time.

4.    Don’t drink white ace. 

5.    2^nd/3^rd years.

6.    Lectures.

7.    Phrases/Dictionary.

8.    Blogging: Which 1.

9.    Make free time.

10. Swipe card.

11. Notes.

12. Emails.

13. ‘Shitty TV’

14. Money.

15. Computer/Mac.

16. Photoshop.

17. Illustrator.

18. InDesign.

19. Sharp knife.

20. Coffee, tea & energy drinks.

21. Don’t panic.

22. Less is less.  

23. Start straight away.

24. Start anywhere.

25. Pre-drinking.           

26. Make the most of Freshers.

27. Start up a Facebook group.

28. Equipment.

29. Get to know your year.

30. Set alarms.

31. Printing

32. Digital dungeon.

33. Use your diary.

34. Photograph everything.

35. Screenshot everything.

36. Check design blogs.

37. Collect graphic design that you like.

38. 4 types of typography.

39. Cooking.

40. Washing.

41. Blogging in sessions.

42. Sport (Football).

43. Work where you work best.

44. Last minute.

45. Macs: helpful but not essential – yet.

46. Estudio.

47. Google calendar.

48. Health.

49. Sign in.

50. Enjoy drowning.

51. Earphones

Once I had all of these possibilities I organised and chose the ones I wanted to use.

I edited some of the content to make it more informative and more interesting.