alward4005

[alward4005]

Production (Post 6/6)

I ran into a couple of problems with the production of my book. The first being that when I went to export it as a printable book with Distiller, it shifted each of my pages off by a couple of centimetres. If I did not have to print this double sided it would not have been an issue, but because I did the alignment would have been off. Therefore, I created dummies of what I wanted the book to be to see how I needed to lay the pages out in a new document in order to figure out the order. Originally, I thought I was doing sixteen page sections (four pages folded), but that gave me too many pages. Therefore, I figured out I had to use eight page sections (two pages folded). For each of these dummies, I wrote at least a few words from each page in my document on them, so I would have an understanding of where everything had to go.

When that was completed, I created eight different InDesign documents. I had seven sections total and an additional eighth for the cover/back cover. Afterwards, I thought it would be a good idea to print my entire book in black and white at one of the lab’s printer’s to ensure everything worked properly. Despite forgetting to print double sided the first time, everything was working the way that I needed it to. Therefore, I went ahead and got it printed in colour at York’s Fabrication Lab.

Unfortunately, I did not take any more pictures as I was physically constructing the book. However, it was very similar to the hardcover book that we made in class. I did run into a couple of issues though, such as forgetting to attach my end papers and then trying to tear off my text block from the covers, which resulted in one of my pages ripping. Additionally, I did not properly measure my dust jacket to fit my book correctly. However, in the grand scheme of things I am happy with how the book came out.

[alward4005]

Layout and Type (Post 5/6)

I chose to make my book 7″ by 9″ because there were some elements that needed to be large enough for people to properly read them (primarily the flow chart that was discussed in Content–Visual Elements). I added a margin of 1.5″, just because I felt that it would be good to have a lot of negative space. The book I had used as a reference was “Bye Felipe” and I felt that the biggest problem with that book was that they had crammed in too much information on each page. It was difficult to navigate, and since this book is meant to be giving people tips, I wanted it to flow clearly.

I chose a six column grid (only three were visible, but I acted as though they were divided in half again) for each page as I felt it would provide me with a lot of versatility. Despite the fact that the left page was the same on nearly each page, the more visual (right) side needed to be able to be as adjustable as possible. In some cases the content went outside of the margins, but never by too much. I chose to do that though to ensure the book didn’t get too predictable.

A page number was placed on each of the left hand pages, to give readers an understanding of where they were in the book (in addition to the numbered tips). However, because the right side was more unpredictable in the alignment of elements, the number was skipped on each one.

The body copy is Roboto Regular and is size 10pt with 18pt leading. I wanted the copy to also be able to breathe, even though there is never very much of it on a page. Roboto Regular was paired with Roboto Medium at size 14pt with 18 leading for the subtitle on each page. I wanted the subtitle to be bigger and tighter to grab people’s attention more than the body copy. I figure if someone is skimming through the book, if they are able to just read the title and subtitle that should be informative enough. Finally, the title was done in Barlow size 30pt with 36pt leading. I changed it to the pink colour instead of the dark grey (almost black) that is the subtitle and body copy so it draws more attention to the viewer’s eye.

[alward4005]

Content–Visual Elements (Post 4/6)

One of the features of my book was to have a visual to go along with whatever point I was tip I had written. I figured that this would help to deepen reader’s understanding of each tip if my language was not clear. Some of the examples were things that I had taken from my own experiences on dating apps, such as this conversation that I had about Donald Trump. (The app that I had used was Grindr, so it was already pretty anonymous, but I blocked his profile picture for added security.) This was a screenshot that I had as I was completely baffled by the conversation that I was having with this man. Beyond having a difference in political beliefs, him not wanting a political president was one of the most dumbfounding things I have ever heard. Therefore, I chose to pair it with a tip about the importance of using the block button on dating apps so that you don’t waste your time arguing with people, like I had.

I also came up with some content on my own, and some of it was also interactive. Not interactive in the sense that anything was moving, but that a reader could participate in the book as well. My very first tip in the book is about the importance of figuring out which type of relationship is best for you. Due to the fact that there are so many, I felt that creating a flowchart, that acted as a quiz, would be a good way to start and get readers engaged. In order to come up with something like this though, I originally had to draw it out by hand in order to get a sense of how things would flow together.

These are the two main methods of what I used for coming with with content for my book. Some exceptions were quotes and tweets from other people that I found either really humorous or had stuck with me for their deeper meaning. Despite the fact that the book was written satirically, it was still important for me that people were able to actually use this book as a guide to dating.

[alward4005]

Content (Post 3/6)

This is a screenshot of each of the pages that I had of tips for the book itself. I was originally planning on doing 25 tips for the book, so I tried to come up with as many as I could. Ultimately I was able to write down 31. However, I found that a lot of them became repetitive or were far too specific to likely hold any value for anyone other than myself. Therefore, I really had to cut down on which I was going to include.

From this original list I only included fifteen (the ones that are light grey are the ones that I included in the book). However, I was able to come up with an additional six as I was putting together the book. For the book’s overall format, I wanted to ensure that each tip flowed into the next one. Therefore, if there were two that needed more of a transition, I did my best to come up with another one on the spot.

In hindsight, I should have put each of the tips that I ultimately included into another document to keep them all together.

[alward4005]

Colour Palette (Post 2/6)

After having the art style completed I knew that I now needed to decide on a colour palette that was going to be carried out throughout the book. Originally I had taken references from books like Milk & Honey and wanted to make the book completely black and white. I thought that it could be a paradox on how complicated dating actually is. However, I ultimately felt that would make the book seem unfinished. It also needed to have some sort of flare to it, due to the fact that the book was written in a satirical tone.

Therefore, I decided it would be a good idea to add the colour pink. Pink is my favourite colour and since this book was based off of my own experiences, I felt it would be a good idea for me to be represented in some way. Additionally, pink was originally to be on the LGBT+ flag, but was removed because dying fabric pink was too expensive/pink fabric was hard to come by. Therefore, it is a subtle homage to the origins of gay visibility. However, I had paired this pink with a light tone grey and harsh black lines. This was not overly aesthetically pleasing, and I felt it put too much emphasis on the men’s hair as opposed to the act of kissing (which obviously represents kissing).

Therefore, for my final variation I decided to make their skin pink. I accented one of the men with white and the other with a very dark grey, which is almost (but not quite) black. I felt that this worked the best out of all of the possible variations that I had for the colouring of the cover image. Therefore, the pink, dark grey (black) and white became the three colours that I used throughout the book.

[alward4005]

Art Style (Post 1/6)

I started the book with the cover art. The reason I chose this was because I was unsure of what I should do in terms of the art direction. I did not want to move forward with the book until I had done so, because with other projects I have completely redone them if I changed my art style along the way.

Initially I thought that I was going to use fine lines and cursive writing for the cover. Because dating in the gay community is a very delicate subject, I wanted the art to reflect that. However, because I knew that I would be writing the book in a satirical way, I was not sure that this was the right direction.

The next art style that I tried was a harshers, more grungy art style. It was more about harsh lines and rough imagery. This was almost a complete 180 from the previous artstyle and even though I liked that it had more drama tied to it, I still was not satisfied with the overall aesthetic. 

Finally, I decided on an art style that blended the previous two. While the lines were thick, they were made with a round paintbrush, to provide a more positive tone to the piece. I felt this made the piece seem to reflect the tone of the book the most accurately.

All of these drawings were done on Procreate, which is a drawing application for the iPad and Apple Pencil. I had found a reference picture here on tumblr too work off of; however, I was unable to trace back its origins any further back than here.

[alward4005]

INITIAL SET OF 30 TIPS

01. Set Realistic Expectations

We can’t all be Meghan Markle, so it may be best to let go of your fantasy of marrying a prince.

02. Don’t Settle Either, Know Your Worth

With the previous tip being said, determined qualities in a partner that you are absolutely set on.

List of the qualities I look for in a guy + blank list for people to add in their own

03. Don’t EVER Do Anything That You Don’t Want To Do

If a guy tries to tell you that you have to do something to be with him, he’s not a quality man

04. Don’t Allow Yourself to be Fetishized

The gay community has a tendency to fetishize people for a multitude of different reasons. But, you shouldn’t attempt to enter a relationship with someone who is only with you based off of specific physical characteristics.

05. Not All Attention is Good Attention

Get off of Grindr if you’re looking for a relationship. I myself have been sucked into it countless times, but none of the men I have met off of that app have truly been looking for a relationship.

06. Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

This can apply to literally anything. If you don’t want to go on a date with someone, say no. If you don’t want to go back to someone’s place after a date, say no. If you don’t want someone to kiss you, say no. I promise you, you’ll feel a million times worse if you just stay silent.

07. Go to Queer-Positive Spaces to Meet People

If you’re in school, join the LGBT club or start one! Having a chance to meet other members of your community in a space that is not sexualized is incredibly refreshing.

If not, depending on where you live there may be LGBT community groups that you can also join.

08. Use York Friends to See Guys

In my personal experience, guys are generally on better behaviour when they know that you’ll be telling one of their friends if they’re an asshole.

09. Grindr, No. Tinder, Yes.

Tinder is notorious amongst the straight community for being a hookup app. Luckily for the gays, we already have one of those. Therefore, Tinder is primarily used as an app for those who are more LTR oriented.

10. Utilize the Block Button

There are men who are on these dating/hookup apps purely to stir up shit. They’re going to fight with you over the craziest things and it is just not worth your energy. You’re not going to change anyone’s mind through a text message, nor should you have to.

11. Keep Statistics Off Your Profile

Yes these apps are superficial, but don’t give users even more reason to be. By including things like your height and weight you’re likely only going to meet people who are looking for a specific body type. In my experience, those guys don’t make great boyfriends.

12. Use Your Best Photo

As bad as this sounds, the better your photos (I say photos, because you should definitely include more than one whenever applicable) the more matches you’re going to get. When someone takes a photo where they’re mid blink in a dark room, that scares people off.

Also, make sure your images project what you’re looking for.

13. Bios Are Used to Break the Ice

If you struggle with being creative when talking about yourself find a tweet or a tumblr text post that you feel represents you and use that! No one is going to call out your plagiarism on dating apps.

Mine is “I don’t need a man, but where is he?” And I’ve had countless men reply with “Here I am”

14. YOU Message First

Compliments are also a great way to start a conversation and people tend to be more likely to respond to “Your eyes are so pretty” over “Hey”

15. Be Patient with Those Who are Not Out

That being said, if you’re someone like me who is clearly gay maybe you’re not the best partner for them, at least at this point in their life.

16. Don’t Cling to The First Guy Who Shows Interest

Especially in small towns it seems as though as soon as you find someone else who’s also interested in the same sex you need to immediately start dating. You might not be right for each other, and I promise there are always more options out there.

17. Long Distance Disasters

For example, if someone is moving away to go to school, but will be back each summer you can probably make that work.

18. Deciphering Cryptic Messages

“I’m pretty open” — I’m most likely a fuckboy

“I like to go with the flow” — I’m most likely a fuckboy

“We should chill sometime” — I’m most likely a fuckboy

“I’m just curious, are you a top or a bottom” — I’m definitely a fuckboy

“Oops I didn’t mean to send that dick pic” — I’m definitely a fuckboy

19. Do Not Use Dating Apps Past 9pm

People tend to get a little twirly* beyond this time. You won’t be meeting super quality men on here beyond this period, unless of course you too are looking for sex.

20. Follow Local Gays on Instagram

This is a good, relatively harmless way, of getting more well known in your own community. Although sometimes things go down in the DMs, it is also possible that you can make friends this way.

21. Prioritize Interests Over Appearance

Obviously it makes sense to go out with someone that you find physically attractive, I am in no way negating that. However, if the two of you have absolutely not shared interests, you’re going to really struggle, especially in the long run.

22. Don’t Ghost

This may sound obvious, but when you’ve gone on a disaster date, or when someone has stronger feels for you than you do, it’s so much easier to just disappear. This is never the best way to go about ending a relationship at any stage.

23. Don’t Compare Yourself to a Partner’s Ex(es)

It’s easy to compare yourself to a partner’s exes, and if you’re doing this in a way that makes you feel inferior you’re really just playing yourself. Keep in mind, even if you think an ex is prettier, smarter or more successful than you, it didn’t work out between them. Obviously, they’re not as perfect as you think they are.

24. Don’t Backslide

Similarly to the previous piece of advice, if you ever consider getting back together make sure you know what you’re doing. Often relationship end for a reason, and sometimes it’s just that you two weren’t compatible. Although it is easy to backslide to someone you have history with, make sure you remind yourself of why it didn’t work in the first place.

25. Don’t Compare Your Relationships to Anyone Else’s

Personally, I have a lot of straight girl friends who seemingly fall into relationships with very minimal effort on their behalf. It is important to remind yourself that every situation is different. There’s no point in getting upset, just focus on yourself.

26. Stop Looking

I have never followed this advice on purpose, but I have found the less I actively pursue a relationship, the more likely I am to find someone. I think this is because when you’re actively looking you give off a desperate vibe that scares guys off. I’m not telling you to turn to hookups, or to cut guys off all together, maybe just be content with some casual dating for a bit.

27. Limit the Number of Guys in Your Rotation

A rotation means something different to everyone. Often times it refers to the amount of sexual partners that you have on hand, whether they be friends with benefits or fuck buddies. I use it more to talk about the amount of guys I am seriously talking to. Make sure it is not an overwhelming number as that always leads to problems.

28. Always Do What is Best for You

Some guys have mastered the ability of subtly (or not so subtly) guilting their partners into staying with them. This is emotionally abusive and definitely not a healthy relationship. If all you can think about is finding a good reason to end things with a person, that in itself is good enough. Just tell them you’re not interested anymore.

29. Don’t Be Afraid To Share Your Feelings

Communication is obviously key in any relationship. Don’t even allow little things to build up, because that’s going to result in everything spilling out at once and you’ll both end up hurt. It is a good idea to casually bring up things that are bothering you, while they are bothering you so you can both try to compromise.

30. Learn to Be Happy By Yourself

Being able to be alone, without feeling lonely, is an incredible skill. Once you’ve mastered that, finding a fulfilling relationship will be a piece of cake.

[alward4005]

TERM PROJECT SUMMARY

I have completely changed my term project. Originally, I was going to make a poetry book, but I have since changed my mind and focused on making a book about gay dating.

Obviously dating can be a rough experience for anyone, but in a community where hookup culture is so prevalent, dating is an incredibly daunting task. The purpose of this book is to provide people with approximately thirty tips on how to navigate romantic relationships.

Each piece of advice will be paired with a screenshot of a conversation, a diary entry, etc. from my own life that supports it.

[alward4005]

I’m drunk and this poem is probably really bad I’m sorry

[alward4005]

Term Project Summary

I am still not entirely sure of what I want to do with my term project. I initially wanted to create a poetry book using the poetry from a user here on Tumblr, but I have not yet been granted permission by her to do so. Therefore, I think that I am going to have to either change poets or projects all together.

My idea for the book was to create illustrations, similar to those found in poetry books like Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. However, I also wanted to incorporate hand written elements as well. This was due to the fact that I feel meaning is sometimes lost in typography.

I am going to reblog one of her poems so that you can get a better understanding of the content.