From Text to Book WIP and Final Crit

Idea 1
Things I've changed since the first version: different the typeface of the main text, created covers for each sections, had an idea of moving the table of contents for the case and having general principle as a separate chapter, fatter dimension of the book (the height is now a bit shorter than A5), each section having different width so that the titles can be seen when slipped into the case, and paper and colors have been picked.

One of the hardest parts was to select the colors and create a smooth gradient. I've collected different shades of yellow from different paper shops and that ended up as a bit of a nightmare to organize. Here are some of my tests:

At the crit people suggested me it would have made more sense to have 1 in between 3 and 4. I think it's necessary to find a paper stock that stocks different shades of colors to match the hue and really to create a better gradient.

Here is the completed version with the case and all the booklets:

Idea 2
The following image is some of the development of the design. It is hard to see from the photo but they are the tests with different stocks of paper.  At the end, I went for the yellow-shade heavy stock paper as it gave formality ans seriousness to the impression. I chose serif typeface, because I wanted it to have formal feel to it as the writing itself had formal and somewhat authoritarian impression, demanding the readers to follow the rules. This writing sounds formal like telling you ultimate rules (hence the serif type and heavy stock paper) but actually that is not the case as different books do things differently (which can be realized when using those bookmarks in different books).

The design considered how the bookmark looks when the book is being closed, as well as when it is being in used:

The disadvantage of using heavy stock paper is that it is simply too thick to put all the bookmarks in a single book. Bookmarks ended up being fatter than a small paperback book:

These images bellow shows the bookmarks being in use. The reader can see the actual page that the text is referring to, while reading the text. It provides an example of an execution by putting things into context. At the same time comparing different books allow the reader to see that there is no one ultimate way.

It turned out to be idea 1 and idea 2 became two almost very opposite ideas. Idea 1 is all about usability and idea 2 is more of a study of different books. I think at current stage, I still thought about usability of idea 2, making it sort of usable, but I think it would be a way more interesting if I can ditch the usability of idea 2 and really focus on "how to show that different books write and present information differently, and there is no ultimate rule to it".
Some ideas I have received at the final crit was to use a linear color gradient for the color of paper and seeing how the gradient would be disordered for different books.


Final Crit
Some of the photos taken at the final crit. The ones here are some interesting ones in terms of scale and forms, but there were many other great executions. I particularly loved Gabriel's piece (which I didn't take any photo).

本を作る時に、エディターや、デザイナーが知らなくてはいけない、文章や校正についてのルールの文章。その文章を使って、本をデザインするプロジェクト。
アイディア１は、難しくてわかりにくい文章を、なるべく楽しく、アクセスしやすいヴィジュアルとして見せるか、というユーザーの視点に立ったデザイン。アイディア２は、まったく同じ文章なのだけれど、あえてその難しい文章を、そのまま「正装」させたデザイン。ただ、こちらはブックマークとして使えるようになっていて、実際の本が一体どのようにルールに従っているかがわかる仕掛け。文章だけ読んでもわかりにくいので、横に実物の本を見ながらやればわかりやすいかな、という発想がきっかけとなったデザイン。ただ、それを通じてわかるのは、一応これはルールについての文章だけれど、本によってアプローチの仕方はまったく異なっているし、「絶対のルール」なんてものはないのだということ。現存の本の多様性が、ブックマークをするという行為を通じてわかるようになる。