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Contents

Learning Agreement

Learning Record

Appendices

IntroductionBroad AimsBackgroundMethodologyStage TwoStage Three

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IntroductionPractical Work The Experiments

Experiment OneExperiment Two

Wedding InvitesiCycle

A. Supporting Theory B. Professional Practice: OWTC. Professional Practice: Freelance

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Learning Agreement

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The key aim of this project is to re-define what is meant by the term ‘book’ in the contemporary age. Traditionally a book is printed on paper and bound, but with new technology a book can now be stored digitally, does this alter what we perceive as a book? Similarly with ‘artists books’ which often deconstruct and re arrange the norms of book design, are these still books, or does the altered form mean that the very idea of ‘being a book’ is no longer attainable? Does a book conventionally bound but empty or with no relevant information remain a book? Is a book the sum of relevant information and binding, just one of these parts or neither? These questions are the most important to me.

Not only do I wish to explore the meaning of the word ‘book’, I also wish to look at the future of book design. With the advent of items such as the Kindle and the iPad changing the way that books are designed, how will conventional publishing evolve? This concern is secondary to ‘What Is A Book’, yet still a concern I wish to answer.

I shall also continue to explore my own work in publication design by creating work for design collective OWT and our monthly zine. Through the term I shall be continually working on self promoted and freelance work for both existing and new clients. These activities help my understanding of working in a print based publication and also help me learn more about working in a professional environment, dealing with printers, clients and store owners.

Introduction

“The key aim of this paper is to re-define what is meant by the term ‘book’ in the modern age.”

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I aim to accomplish the following:

-A better knowledge of the Publishing Industry.-A better idea of where I want to be working upon completion of my MA.-Have a new definition for what a book is. Is a book a narrative presented to a reader, a solid artifact or a feeling? Or is it the sum of many parts?-Have a concise knowledge of the history and possible futures of publishing.-Understand how people interact with the various parts of what makes a book.-Develop my understanding of how to design and art direct different publications.-Develop new skills necessary to succeed in the publishing industry.-Understand the differences in design and feel of the varying areas of publication design from small arts publications (OWT zines) to promotional booklets.

Broad Aims

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On my undergraduate course I had several chances to make publications, from one off self initiated projects in an ‘artists book’ style aesthetic, to large print runs of promotional booklets for The Access Project charity.

My current work with OWT creative, producing zines has helped me learn more about publishing on a low level, with small print runs for the monthly issues.

Having this experience has given me a base knowledge of several aspects of the publishing industry and I want to build upon it.

My study is designed to help me learn about where the industry is going, where it has come from, what the general consensus on different areas of publishing are, what people expect from a publication and how can I fit into a traditional publishing industry in an age where everything is becoming more and more digital?

Background

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I shall engage in several methods in order to reach my goal. I.e:

Library research (random and also recommended titles)QuestionnairesInterviewsInternet ResearchEvaluation and re-questioningTrips to relevant areasBook makingMaking own publications

I shall break down the three stages of the master’s course in order to show the timescale on which I shall be working.

Methodology

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By the end of the second stage I will have worked intensively on my practice based research. This will entail experiments comparing the different contexts and a more considered questioning of ‘What Is A Book’, the experiments shall be aimed more towards how do we interact with books than towards how to define a book.

I will look at the elements that give something the qualities of a book and then systematically remove or alter these qualities and record the affect that this has on the public’s interaction. I shall be creating these tests first with my tutor group and peers before re-evaluating them and recreating them on a larger scale for term three.

I will also be tying in my professional practice and deploying an opportunistic approach, entering competitions and attending lectures and talks that relate to my area of study.

The third strand of work that I have created this term has been to investigate professional issues through freelance practice

Continued blogging of my findings will also give me a way to archive my research and chart my progress as well as gain further insight into work as people can view and comment on my work. I shall be blogging for myself and OWT creative, the mix of reader and type of information created for each vessel is an interesting situation that I shall look into.

OWT shall require another three issues by this point, which shall continually be used to explore my graphic style and the difference in style of publication design.

Stage Two

“The second part of my research shall be aimed towards ‘how do we interact with books?’ ”

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We shall also be experimenting with the layout of OWT to see if format of a zine is as important to people as its content.

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By the final stage I shall have undertaken the majority of my background research and will be approaching a stage where I can say that my initial questions are answered and I am left with a body of research, which then needs to be translated into a final outcome. This final output will be in the form of a book and tackle the question of what is a book, as well as summarizing my years work. I shall also factor in time to work this ‘book’ into the various styles of book I have encountered through my research. For example, e-book, formal book, artists book, informative booklet and so forth. This will give further emphasis on what I have been studying and show my knowledge of how to design for a specific audience.

With all my research completed and this selection of books made I will then ask as many of my original interviewees what they think of the various iterations of the book and see how the presentation of the same info has changed their mind on the topic since their first attempt at answering the question ‘what is a book’.

OWT will be reaching the end of its one year life span by this point, so I shall be reflecting on the work created and how it has affected my MA work. I would also like to work on creating a retrospective of the work and exhibitions produced by OWT. When this is complete I shall fine-tune my work for presentation, portfolio and exhibitions.

Stage Three

“By the final stage I shall have a body of research, which then needs to be translated into a final outcome.”

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Learning Record

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Alongside work created specifically to test ideologies and thoughts on my main subject I also desired to carry on my work with OWT creative, testing theories in a professional environment. The work with OWT feeds directly into my work on the master’s course yet is also quite separate.

The third major part of work that I have created for this term has been freelance work, both new projects and continuations of previous work have been tackled and all made in such a fashion to work as further experimentation of my work for the course.

I shall discuss the merits of my freelance work and work created for OWT in the appendices.

Introduction

“I wanted to question how a reader interacts with a compromised publication”

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By this part of the year I was hoping to have finished the major part of my practical experiments.

The first phase of experimentation was carried out in a small group during a practice support session. The experiments themselves were as follows:

1. The group was presented with a selection of books mocked up with a cover, blurb and all the aspects of an actual book except for one thing, content. The aim was to see people’s reaction to a book which lacks a narrative. The experiment also aimed to see if people question the notion of the item being a book, or accept the item as a book despite it lacking a fundamental quality. The mock-ups were intended to replicate the following styles:

Children’s ‘How To’ – Charlie’s bicycleRomance - An Ominous SkyScience Fact - Explanatory EarthMen’s Lit - Insight

2. In order to see to what extent people judge a book by the feeling it evokes, rather than the message it carries I created a series of versions of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I created five versions, each with a different aesthetic.

The experiments succeeded on some accounts and fell short on others. However, even when the desired result was not reached I have been able to draw meaning from the results.

Practical Work:The Experiments

“The experiment aimed to see if people question the notion of the item being a book”

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(L) Spines of my four contentless books(R) Inside spread from my Germanic version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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The first experiment gave a range of results. The group was somewhat perplexed by how to classify the content less book. The group did not immediately mention notions that the content less book is lesser than a ‘complete’ book. I had feared the group would be quick to state that without content the book is not deserving of its title, that the format was meaningless when without narrative.

The major point of allowing the mock ups to be construed as books were the covers and attempt to make the book accurate to something that could be sold in a bookstore. Despite the shortcomings in the design the group still agreed that the book separated itself from a sketchbook or pad by its attempt at showing that it contains a narrative. The idea that the mock-ups could fit into the category of a ‘potential book’ were bandied around briefly and it seems that it could work as a sub category, in the same vein as a sketchbook. However, by having a cover and blurb the book makes the reader expect something from it, a different feeling to a sketchbook. The group agreed that the book felt unfinished, due to its set length and cover, as though the book had been designed and the length of the book set before the story had been written - In an essence, a book created back to front.

When seeing the mock-ups unopened the group was quick to classify them as books. Yet, when opened and the lack of content revealed the business of classifying became much trickier. Suddenly the group was trying to invent new sub groups, new ways to classify.

I can tell from this experiment that:

Experiment One

“The idea that if I empty out all the content and just make something that is an empty form, I don’t empty out the content at all”

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-People interact with a book before even fully understanding or looking at it.

-People chose to judge a book by not only its cover, but by its size, bind and positioning with other books.

People are willing to classify an object as a book if it presents itself traditionally (i.e. a cover and blurb, conventional sizing), even though it may be lacking core parts of what makes a book a book. Furthermore, when people are able to see that the book contains no information, they are still likely to classify it as a book due to their first impression.

Drawing parallels with another area of design, sculptor Anish Kapoor states:

“The idea that if I empty out all the content and just make something that is an empty form, I don’t empty out the content at all. The content is there in a way that’s more surprising than if I tried to make a content. So, therefore, … subject matter is somehow not the same as content.” (1)

I understand Kapoor’s sentiment here. With my content less book the missing narrative became a talking point. If the cover design had been a flat image then it is unlikely that the viewer would imagine a narrative for it, yet when given that same imagery alongside a blank set of pages the viewer was encouraged to create a story line.

My findings from experiment one go to show the strength of a books cover. In a conventional book store (i.e. a physical store, not an online store) the buyer

(1) http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/exhibitions/index.php?itemID=77

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is heavily influenced by the cover, at this stage in the reading experience the cover is the entire story. It can draw a reader in and suggest connotations of style and content that may be far superior to the actual content. A well-designed cover still serves as the best advert for a book.

There are parallels with the music industry, with book cover and album deisgn closely linked. See appendix A for further information on this.

The shortcomings of my experiments were that the discussion of design and how well the cover served as a successful advert over beared the idea of how does content affect the relationship between reader and book. The main points were that there was not enough consideration for the design and fabrication of the mock-ups. By using the same inner and cover stock all books were clearly mock ups - I had omitted to think about how the mock ups worked together as a group. The binding itself was well crafted, but affixing covers to the books was hastily done to be ready for testing. Also the choice of materials was also not only incorrect due its usage across the whole range of books but also due to the final look of the book.

Explanatory Earth, my take on books like A Brief History Of Time actually worked quite well with its glossy cover and very clean white stock. It had the right mix of aesthetics, between textbook and novel.

The worst case was probably Insight, an attempt at memoirs of a sniper based in Iraq. I had made efforts

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My four contentless books as originally seen on testing day.

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with all books to choose appropriate publishers and prices, yet the feel of the book was wrong. Insight shared the same publishing house, price and similar dimensions to the champion of its genre, Bravo Two Zero and the cover design was a similar blend of imagery, soldiers, maps etc yet the stock was too shiny, too expensive almost. Similar faults were found in An Ominous Sky and Charlie’s Bicycle. Due to the mock up not fully living up to its task of creating the illusion that it is, in fact, a book the experiment was slightly compromised.

Thankfully the group could see past the shortcomings, experience the experiment for what it was intended to be and gave good, useful feedback.

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I chose to base experiment two on the childrens story The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Eric Carle’s story is renowned for its simple narrative and illustration. Carle won many children’s book awards with the title, more tellingly though in the 2003 poll of the nations favourite books The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of very few picture books to be featured in the top 200(2).

The full use of the experiment was to look at how someone engages with a book when the feeling it evokes is changed in some fashion. As with my first experiment I intended to find out about this phemonenon as well as the knock on effect on the rest of the book and the reader/book relationship.

Five new versions of the popular book were created, each differing from the original, yet still telling the same story. The five versions used the same binding process and size to give a uniform approach. I wanted the format to stay the same, as removal of format is a separate experiment.

The five versions were:

A Germanic typeface in large type setting on grey stock, intended to remove the playfulness of the original and also make it hard to read.

Illustration. The idea here was to see how the removal of language affected the simple story; the illustration still aims the book towards children.

Wingdings. Taking inspiration from Dave Carson’s Ray

Experiment Two

(2) http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top200_2.shtml

“An experiment into how one engages with a book when the feeling it evokes is changed”

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Gun magazine which set a Bryan Ferry interview in the symbols based typeface. I wanted to see if the lack of readability lead to bemusement or if decoding the cryptic font could be fun for people who know the story. This version was printed on yellow and green paper, giving a slight visual pun on the caterpillar.

Times. This version was incredibly stark with the story taking place in small lines isolated in white space. The aesthetic is much closer to a publication created for a selection of very minimalist poetry.

The final version was created to use photography as its main focus, with Carle’s narrative running alongside.

Testing showed that the illustrated version created a feeling closest to the original. The use of simple colour and shape evoked the same sense of reading a children’s book and the ideas of learning. Also the absence of text forces the viewer to remember the wording of the story.

Surprisingly to me the photographic version was received particularly poorly. It was said to remove the fun from the story. Placing the text secondary to the photography made the narrative seem almost unnecessary. Also the edge towards a scientific publication removed any likelihood that it would be viewed by children, removing the narratives reason to be. I had thought the juxtaposition of unusual caterpillar species with the text would be an interesting take on the original but the test audience found it too far from the original, despite the link to the originals efforts to be an educational book.

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As expected the stark bleakness of the Times version was unwelcomed. It had no link to the original, yet was still better received by some of the test group than the photographic version due to its lack of imagery. It seems that if the viewer is given just the narrative and allowed to reminisce on the original imagery there is a better feeling than if they are given imagery that does not augment the original experience.

In contrast the Germanic version was welcomed, the group stated that it did not quite fit the child’s book aesthetic, yet the type had a fairytale style quality to it and it gave the narrative a different feel to the original.

I had hoped for an interesting reaction to the windings version, but the group quickly dismissed it. In part to the impossible task of trying to read it and lack of image to help the reader, but also due to some of the test group not being familiar with the original text.

As shortcomings in a test group come this one was pretty big. The lack of familiarity was very helpful in some respects as the group was able to give feedback based entirely on first impressions and were not blurred by previous experience. However, a big part of what the experiment set out to do was question how your experience changes with different scenarios when compared to the original.

For the most part the lack of prior knowledge was not an issue as there were still the five different versions to compare too, regardless of how well they thought each version compared to the original and how the experience was lessened or improved by my amendments.

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The five versions of The Very Hngry Caterpillar, from left to right: Illustrated, Scientific, Germanic, Wingdings and Times

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Inside spread from my Illustrated version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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The greater findings from this set of experimentations are how pre supposed ideas alter how one perceives and feels about a book. Each version had positives and negatives. In different circumstances it is unlikely that the illustrated version would be seen as the best of the five books. The lack of narrative means that it is heavily dependant upon memories of the original, interestingly students who had not read the original were agreeing that the illustrated version was the best fit due to its child’s book aesthetic and pre supposed ideas about what a book about a hungry caterpillar should look like.

When putting these ideas into a bigger context it can be seen that a reader has ideas of how they believe what they are looking for should look like, and a large part of their enjoyment of a book can depend upon how well this need for a certain feel to be achieved is satisfied.

For instance, the photographic version was largely devalued as a book with any worth despite it being the only version to use text and image. The test group felt that the joy of the book was removed by its quasi-scientific imagery, that the joy of imagining the caterpillar was removed when the caterpillar was placed there to see in such a rigid, un-animated state. By allowing the narrative to try and work in a different use it lost its original appeal.

In the wider world of publishing this could be used as an example to show just how strong the link between text and image is. It is universally known that if the reader does not like the image then the book itself may be seen less favourably, but to see that people would chose a version of the book completely bereft of image,

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over a book with poorly fitting imagery was somewhat surprising.

Summing up it can be seen that when one element of a book is considered independently there is suddenly a lot more work needed to create a good book. As with when dealing with the issue of a lesser cover, there needs to be more thought into the production. More over the point made by removing feeling from a book is that even if all areas of a book are satisfied it does not mean that it will be a successful book. Feeling is subject to the reader and the publisher/designer needs to think about how pre supposed ideas and existing imagery affect their decisions in the design process.

This could be an area that helps capture the market for digital readers, the ability to have different layout options could mean that books are provided with different images, tweaked narratives for different genders perhaps. Thus creating a book that could appeal to all. The question of whether it would be the same book when the imagery is changed is interesting.

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Appendices

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Appendix ASupporting Theory

When compared to online bookstores though, the cover has a much smaller part in selling the novel. The closest comparison would be to music sales where digital sales are getting more and more of the market share in popular music. When the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) first included digital sales in the Top 40 in 2005 sales figures almost doubled(3). Now, just six years on only one single in the top 40 midweek sales (week starting 3/4/11) sold more than 2% on CD - The Wanted’s Gold Forever. With a whole 5%. Only three other tracks registered anything other than 100% digital sales(4).

As a result cover art in popular music is less about creating interest on a record store shelf, but instant recognisability when viewed at a small thumbnail size on a digital store.

In 2010 e-book sales grew by 300% to take 6% of total sales in the UK(5). Admittedly, not at the figures of the music industry yet, but it does create an interesting point in how book cover design shall be viewed in the near future.

(3) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4456845.stm(4)http://www.popbitch.com/home/2011/04/07/justin-bieber-attorney-at-law/(5) http://www.thebookseller.com/news/digital-sales-now-worth-6-e-books-grow-300-2010.html

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OWT creative has continued to grow this term. We have curated an exhibition of work from our first three zines, created issues four and five and have issue six very close to being finished (it should be available the weekend after hand in).

Until recently OWT has had little to tie in to my work on the course other than experience of creating publications, dealing with printers, storeowners and other publishers of similar items. However there are decisions that go hand in hand with my work. For instance the art direction of colour usage, cover design and stock has been informed by my findings on the course.

There has been a big departure in format for issue six though. Issues one to five have all used the same format and have been well received, we have become one of the best selling items in Magma book store Manchester and for issues three to five to print run was increased from one hundred to one and twenty five zines. Issue six sees the departure from our traditional pamphlet stitch and the introduction of a screw binding. The issue uses single pages, stacked on top of each other, drilled and affixed with a screw in the top left hand corner, more similar to a pantone or carpet sample book than a zine.

The reason to change the format are many, firstly the title of issue six is Differences. The change in format works as an extension of the work inside by being different to the previous issues and indeed the norm in zine publishing.

Secondly it allows us to be more dynamic with our

Appendix BProfessional Practice: OWT

“An experiment in format and to see how a professional aesthetic fits into zine culture”

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choice of stocks. With a pamphlet stitched booklet it is difficult to alter stock between spreads, with the screw binding we can use card front and back covers in differing weights, there is work inside printed on tracing paper and red card that couldn’t be used in a conventional zine. Also we are using a brown paper stock to differentiate between the work from contributors and the information we provide with each issue. Furthermore the resulting fan of pages is used to create a narrative on pages equally dispersed through the zine. Overall the new format allows a lot more creative freedom.

My method of working with rough illustrations and creating several mock-ups was very useful. Due to the new change in format it was a lot harder to try and design solely on screen and a greater effort at creating mock-ups was necessitated. I really feel that I have developed more as a creative through the creation of issue six.

My own work uses die cut windows to allow text from one layer to appear in another, a message appearing over the four pages. I initially wrote my own message, but felt that the words I wanted to say did not fit with my presentation ideas. The desire to use cut windows and screen print evolved faster than the idea of what to display on the pages yet I tried to remain clear headed and not struggle to fit work to a format that it did not fit. Hence, my decisions to use lyrics from the song Autumn Sweater from American Indie band Yo La Tengo rather than my own message.

I enjoy creating a visual response to sing lyrics and this was no different, the themes of how a relationship

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changes and how people drift apart were disassembled. Illustrations depicting themes in the song such as time and change were illustrated in a fashion where they appear to be blurred by wind and smoke like paths, fitting the seasonal connotations of the song. Another tie in to the songs autumnal themes was a deep orange colour used in the screen print process, reminiscent of fallen leaves.

Due to the fact that the general public has not seen the issue it’s difficult to know how well the changes and my work shall be received. However, the ability to try new things and learn has already proved useful. We have already decided on ways to feed ideas from this issue into the next and it is refreshing to hear people approve of the idea of the new format.

Whether OWT fits under the banner of zine is up for discussion, we no longer seem to fit the aesthetic. The majority of zines use a rough look, black and white printing with photocopying errors and the staple binding is normally very haphazard, yet this unprofessional look is what attracts people to zines. I shall be recording how people react to the new issue and how the change of feeling affects the way people view the zine.

As with my work on changing the feeling of a book by altering image and text, it seems that people may not readily accept OWT as a zine as it is more professional looking. We trim our pages, neatly staple, use colour screen-printing and create our zines in editions. Each issue is a small portfolio of work from various artists, which we believe should be treasured rather than deemed a throw away or carelessly made item. I try not

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to sound dismissive of zine culture but as with many counter culture activities, zine making certainly thrives on its lack of professionalism and OWT as a collective puts a lot of pride in our efforts to make each issue as professionally as possible.

(L) Closed mock-up of OWT 6, showing screw binding in top right corner(R) Open mock-up of OWT 6, showing concepts for my final spreads

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Recently I helped create some wedding invites for a colleague of friend and former classmate Arran Murphy. The main design input was from Arran, the making part taken care of by myself.

The invites were a folded A5 page with a debossed cover. Creating the invites needed use of the laser cutter, folding machine, mechanical guillotine and debossing techniques. Although it was only a small brief it allowed me to re familiarise myself with techniques I have not used for a while and also get a better knowledge of how to use certain areas of the faculty.

Appendix CFreelance Work: Wedding Invites

“Relearning old techniques and learning new ones”

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Lasercut letters used to create a debossing template

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Manchester based company Cycles Recycled contacted me to create a new identity for their new bike hire scheme, entitled iCycle, which is to be opening in the MMU union soon.

After initial meetings and discussions on which graphic cues to take inspirations from I agreed on a fee, which would include a set number of concepts and changes before crating a final design.

The final design chosen was not my favourite design. I had worked hard to create a set of designs that was fun, easily manipulated and could be used in a variety of ways, yet the design chosen was a simple remake of the well known Factory records logo. The iCycle wording set in Gill Sans placed inside a black box, with the option of different colour backgrounds. I have issues with taking inspiration so closely from the original logo. However, it was what the company wanted and I am not the first person to spoof the Factory logo.

Professionally this experience taught me a lot though, namely how to deal with a client. Having worked on freelance work before where payment and changes to work have not been agreed beforehand it was a good experience to go into this brief knowing exactly how much I was getting paid and how much work needed to be done.

Also, the in future if I am not happy to create a logo rip off as I have done for iCycle I should not include a rough concept for it in my work, thinking it will not be used. If I am not happy with something it should not be included at all, whether I think it will be used or not.

Freelance Work: iCycle

“A help in increasing my professionalism and dealing with a client”

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