A primary goal for this exploration was to develop the ability to think laterally and go beyond obvious imagery. Through this process, I learned the skill of finding quality images as well as imposition and bookbinding techniques. The noun chosen was the word "fire". For this booklet, I started with the obvious approach and moved to more abstract as the book continues, eventually circling back to an image closer to the original word.
The goal was to create a full bleed 5x7 inch booklet with a 15x7 inch infold. Through its creation, I had to consider bleed, page order, and how to feed the paper through the printer to allow the booklet to read properly when fully assembled.
For this concept, a mind map made the most sense in terms of planning and thinking laterally. I started with the central word, "fire", and branched out in several different directions, each more absurd than the last.
The following is one of my favorite spreads from the booklet. One of the constraints I had was to allow the page numbers to be a component of the composition, not just a small body of text in the bottom corner.
Another challenge was the limited color palette. After converting my images to monotone tiff files, I had just four PMS colors to choose from. The solution for this was to adjust the tint or even invert the images to create visual interest.
Before deciding on which colors of paper to use, I printed my spreads on several sheets to compare how the design's colors interacted with the color of the paper. I decided to go with a warm color pallet for my booklet.
The final step to finishing the booklet was the binding process. I created two booklets with two different binding methods. One was saddle stitched (stapled) and the other was a five-hole pamphlet stitch that was sewn.
The final product: to scale. The finished booklet is a compact size that can be easily held and enjoyed by the viewer.
