OUGD504 - Brief 3 - Primary Research: Village Bookshop

OUGD504: Brief 3: Type In Context

Primary Research: Village Bookshop 

To make a good start to this brief I wanted to analyse a range of existing examples of good quality specialist publications. Village is an independent book store and gallery based in Leeds, UK, specialising in self-published zines and artists books, this is the specific niche identified in the brief that my publication will be aimed at therefore felt this was the perfect place to start my research. I spend a considerable amount of time just looking at the different publications in the store varying in size, shape, binding method and print finished all considered to appeal to a specific target audience. 

I liked the combination of illustration and photography within this publication it gave it a fairly informal aesthetic due to its finishing method. The matt stock created a substantial weight in the hand and the 5 hole pamphlet stitch adhered to this minimal aesthetic which was tied together nicely by the monotone cover palette. I like the photographic style forming the content of this publication the colours are soft and aesthetically easy to view which is accentuated by the matt stock. I further think the boarders create a continuity with the cover using the stock to tie the whole publication together. I feel this is a strong minimal publication that has carefully considered design decisions to create an understated design that is versatile and successful in appealing to its audience. 

The second publication combines a range of specialist design features to create a more refined publication. The different sizes create a dynamic cover that is aesthetically engaging and contrasting in its stock using a cream cover and white half cover to create a refined depth to the piece. I feel the specialist coptic bind works well and will directly appeal to the target audience adding designed style to the publication. The content of the book is extremely well formatted using the available white space and creative placement of the images to appeal to the target audience and keep the publication dynamic and engaging throughout. Overall I feel the design decisions of this publication have been carefully considered to appeal to the target audience and create a specialist publication that effectively communicates the content. 

I initially questioned the scale of this publication as I felt it was quite oversized for its purpose however concluded the design decision was to accentuate the photography within the content and allow creative placement using white space. I initially liked the monotone cover design however felt it didn't complement the content as this was very dark using muted colours that do not really contrast or complement each other. The staple bind is effective and complaints the negative space and minimal aesthetic which I feel works well within this publication. I liked the varying layouts throughout the book as I felt it kept the content engaging and dynamic, this would ensure the audience do not get bored with the publication as it is unique and varied. I think there is a definite artistic style to the content, although not my personal taste it creates an intriguing publication that will appeal to its niche audience. 

The innovative concept of this publication really appealed to me, the book in a box created instant connotations of a high quality publication that has been designed specially for a target audience interested in design. I think the two tone black works effectively in creating an enigmatic first place t the publication, with the spot varnish adding a multiple textures inviting the audience to physically interact with the product. I feel the consistence of the sleeve and the cover brings the elements of this publication together however would have further incorporated this more subtly within the separate prints. I personally didn't find the black stock for the content aesthetically appealing as I didn't feel it showed off the content to its full extent. I feel I could take inspiration from this publication as I also have a range of high quality photography that further contextualises my content and could work well similarly to the prints included in this publication. 

Analysing these publications has given me a great insight into the aesthetic of specialist art/photography books as this is a style I will take influence from during my design development. Physically visiting the Village bookshop instead of viewing the website allowed me to physically interact with the publications gaining deeper insight into design decisions such as stock, binding method and print finishes. The layout of the bookstore provided me with inspiration giving me an insight into the target audience and being able to see first hand which publications stood out on the shelf which I can take some of these design decisions to create a successful resolution to the brief. I will definitely use this inspiration to develop initial ideas and revert back to this analysis when developing my final resolution.