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Update on publications

So far, we have decided to create 3 or 4 x publications in our project:  - Major Pub: contains stories of participants  - Zine: contains OUR stories - Guide: a ‘guide to’ to asian snacks - Map: map of Asian supermarkets in Wellington (this may be incorporated into the guide)  Additional materials:

  - Fruit stickers - T-shirt 

This will be placed together in the cardboard packaging. 

Images: 

- Major pub: contains abstract close up images and colour palette of the snacks, as the content is perceptive-based. - Guide: contains literal images as content is objective-based, meant to inform - Zine: contains a mix of the above, to connect all elements of the project together.  -Map: perhaps different element so it is not repetitive  for another touch, but don’t want it completely separate and left out. 

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Layout Reference

I like how unusual the contents page for this book is.

The two images below are the chapter openers for ‘The Future Starts Here’. Like this reference here, since it’s using such a strong color, I don’t think the entire spread has to be filled. Having a white blank page like this is a good breather for the reader.

I also like how this book uses two grid systems- a 2 column grid and a 3 column grid. I’m not sure if this is suitable for ‘Import Export’ but it could be something we can explore.

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Layout Reference

Take not of the chapter openers of this book* It’s center aligned

And how some other pages uses a three colomn, left align copy.

This page is a kind of like a content page for that specific chapter. Every chapter has one.

Above: They’re using center align headers and subheaders here, while the body copy remains as a two column block. Could ideally apply this to ‘Import Export’.

Below: Chapter opener for another chapter. The book is rather consistent but doesn’t get boring as it each chapter is set in different colors.

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Layout Reference

Center Align title with two column body copy.

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Packaging of publication (measurements and mockup)

Front of packaging (closed).

Opening statement/intro pasted on left, small materials such as zine, stickers, guide/map on right

Additional materials can be pasted on here on far right

Two small flaps that open up the major publication. 

Additional materials can be glued on flaps. 

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Fruit stickers

This below is the sticker pack that we’ve designed. We’re thinking to change the colors into a specific color scheme as it looks very scattered at the moment. 

Below are existing examplars of appropriated fruit stickers. We noticed that even while the stickers are all individually different, the colors are complementary.

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Layout References

1. How the stories can be laid out. Perhaps like this in blocks scattering randomly around the pages?

2. Perhaps using indents and outdents to separate different stories?

3. Referencing this for its use of the date stamp and how it is usually in the same placement. This could be something we can explore as well.

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Delivery Parcel Reference

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*could do something like this. But instead of craft paper, we could use the cardboard material.

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Forms for publication cover/case

G.F Smith creates lovely designs of their paper samples which usually holds altogether by one piece of paper. We were heavily influenced especially by the design below: 

We really like the look of the white corrugated cardboard as it resembles of a parcel and we will also be able to clearly stamp around the cardboard. 

Form 1, based from an envelope net

Above: A few sketches that show different ways we can explore in terms of the folding of the cardboard. I have a strong idea in mind with the cardboard heading more towards as a case instead of a box. The first form (first four sketches) was based from the net of an envelope (below). This will give us more space to work with but I think it may over-complicate things in terms of folding. This also may overwhelm the overall design. 

 Form 2, based from plastic sleeve

I much prefer form 2 as it is quite simple and easy to open and fold back. This was influence by the plastic case used to carry paper. I also really enjoy how the sides of the publication will be exposed. Since we are following the style of our zine, I can see the publication being very colourful as well and I think for the sides to show around the case will create a nice contrast between  the case and publication. 

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Book cover idea

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Exemplar of how the delivery box is being appropriated here as part of the packaging design.

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Exploring form and layout of final publication

Different coloured coil binding! They make the design look super fun! 

Books with slipcase. We can look into separating the ‘Import’ and ‘Export stories into two books, and have one more book for the maps and locations of where you can buy the snacks or perhaps for the zine. The slipcase can also be made to look like a package as it we are “importing and exporting” stories. 

Above: Very common takeaway packaging that can be found in Malaysia and Singapore. We can look into how these materials are used to packaged their foods and apply to our own work. 

A form we can explore to attach our zine to the book casing. Custom declaration form found on packages. These are usually wrapped in a transparent bag stuck onto the package and opens similarly to an envelope. 

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Holy macaroni, we only have three weeks left what the heck

To be efficient and use our time wisely, we decided to make a brief timeline of things we need to have completed by the end of the week:

WEEK 10: - report draft done by Friday  - form and layout done by Wednesday - finalize t-shirts and stamps.

WEEK 11: - finalize form and layout - finalize report - start printing!!!

WEEK 12: - design presentation and practice

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Final zine used in our Shared Plates Exhibition

This zine contained mine and Ro’s story only and a backstory of how this project came about as we thought it was a good way to introduce our project and how it came to be. We also thought it was nice to have it as a build up/sneak peek to our final publication! 

The pamphlet we distributed during our exhibition laid out like a menu. We also attached an order form to the pamphlet which was inspired by the tally paper you get at Yum Cha. We like the idea of being able to clip things onto our publication, giving it more of a scrapbook feeling. 

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Exploring layouts and designs

As we had our exhibition coming up, we thought of making a condensed version of our major project to present at our exhibition and then later on we would somehow combine this with the rest of the publication. This would save us time and also give us a creative direction in the future. 

We decided not to over complicated things by just working with our stories for the content. But since this would have a smaller amount of content, we decided to create a zine. 

We wanted the zine to be a comfortable size so we decided on doing a B6 zine, in between an A5 and A6 as they seem either too big or small. 

We came across the plastic binder at the two-dollar shop, which we thought would be an interesting binding method since no one else has done it before.  It comes in different colors and we thought that might work well with the colors of our zine. We also tried out the metal paper fastener, to attach that to the jacket for the zine. 

Meanwhile, for the paper stock, we wanted something very colorful and vibrant to reflect the burst of colors we always see in an asian snack packaging. Therefore, we testprinted some images and colored texts on the different papers we were going to use and all of them seem to work. 

The main typeface we chose for this was Shrikhand. It is something a little more quirky and different from the usual perfect sans-serifs. The reason is because a lot of Asian snacks uses quirky fonts and we wanted to incorporate that to the zine as well, in a more refined and aesthetically pleasing way of course.

There was a printing error on one of the test prints where the images have overlapped. Although we didn’t get to use this idea for the zine, I reckon we could somewhat use it for the major publication. 

All of our stories have been transcribed from the voice of the storyteller with little editing (edited only when necessary) because we wanted the stories to be honest and straight from the reader’s perspective so you could experience what they experienced as close as possible. We thought the way that movie scripts laid out would be a interesting format to follow as it is clear who is speaking, what they are saying and if they are doing something eg. laughing. 

Above: movie script we based our layout from. 

Below: Some of the test prints we did for the layout. 

Another idea we wanted to explore was the ‘scrapbook’ idea, where we tried sticking on external prints onto the zine itself. We wanted it to feel kind of “handmade” and personal. Below are our experiments.

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Week 7 - Advising with Kerry Ann (notes)

RESOURCES

- Paper:  Paper source - Offset, trimming - Regers Printing - Bulk trimming - Prestige  - Sleeves and food packaging - Moore Wilson Wholesales

- Riso printing at Massey: Wednesday 26th Sept. 

- Mobile research, last content, bring along to AAAH for small quotes, stories that could be used - Ethics form