Publishing II - Final Compilation and Reflection

Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Publishing II: Mass Communication
Final Compilation and Reflection

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INSTRUCTIONS

Exercises

Project 1 - Content Generating

Project 2 - Layout & Final Mock-up

Final Project - Digital Book

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SUBMISSIONS

Exercises

Mock-up Making

Fig. 1.1: Size exploration.

Fig. 1.2: Size exploration. From left: 160 mm x 240 mm; 148 mm x 22 mm; 180 mm x 180 mm.

Fig 1.3: Completed mock-up (1).

Fig 1.4: Completed mock-up (2).

Fig. 1.5: Staple binding.

Fig. 1.6: Spread.

Signature Folding Systems

Fig. 1.7: Signature fold.

Fig. 1.8: Page numbering.

Classical Grid Structure

Fig. 1.9: Van de Graaf grid.

Fig. 1.10: Digitized grid based on the chosen size of the book.

Text Formatting

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Project 1 - Content Generating

Text

Visuals

Fig. 2.1: Final 16 visuals.

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Project 2 - Layout & Final Mock-up

PDF

Click here to download the PDF file.

Thumbnails

Fig. 3.1: Final layout (thumbnails).

Spreads

Fig. 3.2: Spread (1).

Fig. 3.3: Spread (2).

Fig. 3.4: Spread (3).

Fig. 3.5: Spread (4).

Fig. 3.6: Spread (5).

Fig. 3.7: Spread (6).

Fig. 3.8: Spread (7).

Fig. 3.9: Spread (8).

Fig. 3.10: Spread (9).

Mock-up

Fig. 3.11: Final mock-up (folder).

Fig. 3.12: Final mock-up (folder).

Fig. 3.13: Final mock-up (front cover).

Fig. 3.14: Final mock-up (spread).

Fig. 3.15: Final mock-up (spread).

Fig. 3.16: Final mock-up (spread).

Fig. 3.17: Final mock-up (back cover).

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Final Project - Digital Book

Desktop Version (1366x768px)

Thumbnails

Fig. 2.1: Desktop e-book thumbnails (1).

Fig. 2.2: Desktop e-book thumbnails (2).

Fig. 2.3: Desktop e-book thumbnails (3).

Online e-Book

iPhone 6 Version (750x1334px)

Thumbnails

Fig. 2.4: iPhone e-book thumbnails.

Online e-Book

Click here to download the e-book files.

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REFLECTION

Experience

Honestly, this module was probably the most taxing out of all the others in this semester. Although it did keep me up several nights, I have to say that it wasn't so much the workload that wore me out. Rather, it was the mental pressure and stress that developed as a result of me wanting to push myself further. Will it burn me out eventually? Most likely, which is why I've been trying to find my own ways of dealing with this before it gets out of hand.

Looking at my final book now, there's a part of me that hates it to death, and I'm not exactly  sure why. My optimistic side tells me that it's only because I've been working on it for so long that I can't see it for what it really is, but my realism tells me that my book is lacking in many ways. I think I agree with my realism. But I didn't slack much in this module (except at the very start), which means that if my book really is lacking, I have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on before I can finally produce something decent.

Observation

I think one of the most significant things I noticed in this module is my design style: it's too clean and safe. Even though it doesn't seem to be that big of an issue right now, I realize that it does hold me back sometimes when I'm designing. I also noticed that I'm quite rigid when it comes to layouts because I tend to stay within the grid and follow it almost religiously.

When I look back on my first semester and compare it to my work now, I honestly don't think I've improved much. Like I said before, I still have a long way to go before I can actually come up with something good. I guess I've just been plateauing but didn't realize it until now, or maybe I'm just being too hard on myself as usual.

Findings

Designing a book is extremely hard. Not only does it require a certain level of consistency for easy reading, it also needs variations of layouts across the pages so that readers don't get bored. And for me, it's a struggle to find the right balance between the two, especially because I'm the kind of person where it's either all or nothing. I guess that's yet another thing I need to work on for myself. Why is it that the more time I spend in this course, the more I find myself lacking?