OUGD504 - Studio Brief 2 - Group Chat

Feedback on Initial Concept 

It was said that possibly the platform for individuals to buy and sell reclaimed materials would be used more than the individual distributor idea.
It was suggested that there could be an option to give things for free as well as sell goods. Having groups on the platform and the ability to filter results down to local areas or institutions could be useful e.g. search for things in Leeds Arts University. People would want to know if the materials were available close by before looking further afield.
It was said that trying to create a system where you received more points than money may make the site unsustainable.
Having a profile for sellers with a review or rating system would be useful. It was also suggested that making the rating system quick and easy would make people more likely to leave feedback e.g. Uber Ratings.
Because the target audience is creatives and designers it will mean the design will have to look clean and considered especially because individuals will be taking their own photographs of the objects.
Having a Paypal, Apple Pay and Android Pay button as well as card options will make it safe and easy to pay for materials.

OUGD504 - Studio Brief 2 - UX and UI Seminar

Understanding User Interface and User Experience 

Both come together and aim to solve a problem through a digital screen based means.

User Interface (UI)

User Interface concerns the a meeting or conversation between two things, in this case a person and a screen. It concerns actions such as clicking, scrolling and also visuals such as icons. User Interface also considers things such as text size and its ledgibility

User Experience (UX)

User Experience is concerned with the efficiency of the App, Website etc and how quickly someone can use the design to get from A to B. Unlike user interface, user experience aims to make the experience of using the design as enjoyable as possible, which does not always mean that the functionality is perfect. It is concerned with building the right experience for the right circumstance for example Reddit is a multilayered platform with different spaces to meet people making it not very easy to find things however it becomes an achievement to find different areas and to understand the website.

Examples of where Screen Based Interfaces are seen are:
Computers
TV's
Mobiles
Sat Navs
Head Up Displays (where the display is reflected on glass meaning the user does not have to look down e.g. in aeroplanes) 
Projections

User Experience Design Continued...

Helpful Links:
Google Design - design.google
IOS Human Interface Guidelines
Material Design




User Experience is concerned with the what, when, why, how and who of a screen based design and what affects a users interaction with it. User Experience constantly questions what people think of a design and how they interact with it.

Both the business needs and user needs need to be taken into account, as it might be a great experience but if it doesn't make the business any money then the design has not done it's job. However UX uses a user centred design process which takes into account the users needs at every level.

Applies to:
Web Apps
Mobile Apps
Desktop Apps

UX is the design behind the visuals.

User Experience Design does not have any visual design element. It is the organisation and construction of interactive elements.
Human Computer Interaction looks at the ways people interact with digital systems.
Usability is the ease and efficiency by which a user operates a system.
People have and use technical products because they have things to do. They want to fullfil a task, aide self identity and socialise.

There are Do Goals and Be Goals.

User Experience is focused around the emotional impact of a screen based design on a person where as User Interface is how any customer uses the product. User Experience considers the needs of different people.

User Experience Design Process
- Analysis -  Business Research/User Research / Data Analysis 
- Design - Conceptual / Interaction / Look and Feel 
- Prototypes - Realising design alternatives / Wireframing / Paper Mock Ups 
- Evaluate - Verifying and Refining 
- Iterations of everything 

The aim is to keep improving the design as it can't be perfect the first time.

User research includes:
- Focus Groups 
- Interviews
- Observations
- Identifying and conceptualising user roles, user needs, task roles

Analysis of data provides a basis for design work.

A Task flow is how to get different elements to fit together to achieve a task.

Techniques  

Personas

Personas are the characteristics of a potential user and often do not just reflect one person but generalise to combine multiple people into one. Personas reflect the data that is found in user experience research. They focus on the present and people that would use it now and are realistic not idealistic. They are best when they describe a challenging target user who has something to say. This technique provides insight into the users context e.g  behaviours, goals, challenges or pain points.

Task Flows / User Flows

Shows how a series of things are done to complete a task, they are the journey through the system. Sometimes this means the quickest possible route however sometimes adding a few extra stages is necessary e.g. businesses expose customers to other products before they check out.

From here on User Experience Ends 

Wire Frames

These are created after all the research has been completed. This starts to consider the layout of the design and where things are on the page.

Low fidelity frames are basic drawings whereas high fidelity frames add more information. 

OUGD504 - Production of the Book

Production of the Final Publication

Printing the booklet

The book pages were printed on to the bulky newsprint using an inkjet printer. The use of crop marks on each spread meant that it was easier to cut the text block down when bound. If printed in industry the book would have used offset lithography as it would be cost effective to create plates to print the design, however for a small run, using digital print is cheaper.

Making the Text block

To create the text block the pages were bound using fishing wire to create a strong bind and a piece of paper was used as a template to create all the holes.

Creating the cover and folding

To create the cover the gold and black stocks were glued together to create a duplexed page. Originally as testers these were stuck with PVA however this made the slightly thinner black paper ripple which didn't create a clean finish. Using a Glue Stick was also considered however it was thought that this might not be very strong and long lasting. Instead double sided sticky tape was used as this created a strong bond as well as letting the card lay flat creating a more professional finish.

Applying the Vinyl

To apply the vinyl it was fist considered drawing lines on the cover so that it would be applied straight, however it was hard to get rid of these after they had been drawn. As an alternative one of the lasercut cover designs with a box was laid out over the front cover, this provided a frame for where the title could be placed. Applying the vinyl using this technique meant that the title followed the grid and was straight. Using vinyl was much easier than having to stick the letters on individually and was more accurate. However the use of vinyl for the book, although precise is not very hard wearing as the letters can be removed and adjusted, making it not very suitable for a commercial travel guide which would be carried around. Instead, if manufactured this would probably be foiled however the facilities available in the print room have had mixed results so vinyl was chosen as an alternative. 

Gluing the book

Once all the pages were bound the text block was glued with PVA along the edge to secure all the signatures together. After this had dried the spine fold on the cover was glued so that the text block could be stuck in. It was found that if the book was to be produced on a large scale then a heated glue would be used as a way of sticking the spine to the cover, which would dry quickly and would avoid the card becoming wet. Applying a little bit of glue to the area between the spine and cover fold, meant that the cover and first and back pages would join slightly to hide the join between the cover and spine.

Cutting the book down

Using the crop marks on the text block mean the top and bottom of the block could be cut down. The cover was already lasercut to size so did not need altering. When the whole design was bound and glued together it was considered cutting the cover and pages inside at the same time like in the mock up. However in the previous mock up the edge had been cut at a slight angle meaning the pages could be slightly seen from the front cover. To avoid this in the final design the cover was left as its original size and the pages were cut down separately so that the text block was smaller than the cover creating overlap and hiding the pages inside. Within industry this would be done using an industrial guilotine which would be more precise and able to cut through the whole text block in one.

OUGD504 - Final Crit Feedback

Feedback and Suggestions on Design

For the crit a mock up of the binding was shown allowing people to see the size and format of the book as well as the back to front nature of the book. The inside of the book used an old black and white copy of the book however a colour version of the final designs pages was also shown folded into signatures for people to look through. Examples of the bulky newsprint stocks with double page spreads printed on were also shown to suggest how the images would look in the actual book and to give a sense of the texture of the paper. The cover design that had been chosen was also put out with both colour combinations (gold on black and black on gold) shown to see which people thought would be best.

Questions that were written for the crit and feedback given:

Which cover is the most effective (colour combination in creating an elegant looking book?

It was suggested that the Gold on Black was effective in summing up the culture and wealth of Dubai by creating a regal and expensive feel to the publication.
It was also said that perhaps the black on gold would also work well if the gold was foiled or elements were embossed on the front as a way of showing wealth and luxury. It was also suggested that black with gold foiling would work well as a way of conveying the extremes and contrasts found in Dubai. Although people suggested this it was also found that foiling in the workshop had had mixed results so there was uncertainty as to how it would come out if used. In contrast using the lasercutter meant that the design would always be accurate and precise which is needed to create a modern and slick looking outcome.

Are the lines understandable as a way of plotting the locations?

For much of the feedback it was said that perhaps it was not clear enough what the lines were for, with some thinking they were for illustration purposes
Many said that as long as there was some kind of key or explanation then this would be an interesting concept that would be a different take on a map. However when this was discussed with a tutor it was found that the contents described both the lines as the beach and road and plotted the locations on both of these, which indicated what the lines were about. Also the name Dubai : Two Journeys indicates the role of the lines within so it was said that this was explained within the book, however people may have missed it because the colour print out was only in a rough format. It was also said that perhaps the blue beach line didn't really fit with the gold beach line on the cover, however this was done because a yellow line would not have shown up when printed.

Are there any improvements?

In terms of improvements it was suggested multiple times that the stock should be glossy and thicker to best show off the imagery and create the impression of luxury and expense within Dubai. This was initially considered at the beginning of the project , however after research and the link to Arabic scripture in other elements of the book it was decided to make the stock choice reflect this traditional aspect rather than focusing soley on Dubai today.  It was also said that the stock and colour scheme could possibly be the same to create consistency. There was a question about the fact that the book was bound backwards and how this could confuse the 'narrative' of the book , however this reflects how Arabic books are bound. It was also suggested that perhaps a serif typeface could have been used for the body text as a way of hinting at the history and grandeur of the place.

Further Chat with Tutor 

It was suggested that instead of sticking the letters on the front of the book vinyl could be used. If sticking the letters, because of there small size, it was said that it would be very difficult to kern the letters and apply them so that they were straight. Cutting them out of vinyl, although fiddly would be easier to apply to the book. It would also mean that the whole title would be able to be used, which previously was not possible because the second line of text was far to small to even consider sticking down by hand.

Vinyl Experiment

After the suggestion about the use of vinyl I transferred the design for the title into an Illustrator file so that only outlines were visible as the vinyl machine only recognises vectors in the same way as the lasercutter. There was a selection of coloured vinyl in Digital print however it was said by the technician that because of the small size of the text only certain types of the vinyl would possibly work. Both black and gold were chosen to link with the colour scheme of the front cover. Although there was initially some doubt about whether the machine would cut the smallest text it did work and the letters were all intact. Taking all the cut out bits from around the letters was difficult particularly when it came to the counters within some of the smallest letters. Using a knife allowed the excess pieces to be prized away however sometimes the letters also came up meaning they had to be restuck into place. One done adhering the design onto sticky backing paper meant that the design could be applied to a surface as one rather than individual letters, which would make it much easier to stick down.

OUGD504 - Stock Changes

Initial Stock Considerations 

Initially the stock within the book was going to be bulky newsprint which has a glossy white side and a more textured cream colour on the other side. The stock aimed to reflect the contrast in landscapes within Dubai, with the textured cream size reflecting the desert and the white glossy side suggesting the clean and modern feel of the city. 

The paper was tested in the printer however it was found that the ink found it difficult to adhere to the glossy side of the stock.

Another type of bulky newsprint was also found which had the same colours on either side however was textured on both, was also tried through the printer. When this was printed on the ink form the images adhered into the paper better however the images were not as vibrant because they were being printed onto coloured stock. This stock choice was chosen to mimic the  colour of the paper that Arabic scripture was written on which usually an off cream colour. Having the two tones on either side reflects the variety of different tones of papers used within scripture in a subtle way.

Asking about Printing in the Digital Print Room 

Asking the technician in the Digital Print Room allowed me to get a better sense of how the design could be printed and the restrictions that may arise.

Printing down in the print room could allow for a better print quality on the coloured paper when compared with my home printer. It was said that the bulky newsprint with the glossy side would not print any better in the digital print room. It was also said that the ink would take a long time to dry and the paper might curl in the printer.  

It was also discussed that printing on the textured bulky newsprint would not really print any better on the printers in Digital Print when compared with the home printer. It was said that they don't usually print on paper like that for images because they don't stand out as well.

It was asked whether they had any papers that had a similar glossy and textured side however it was found that they didn't.

Previous considerations for allowing the images to be vibrant as well as have a background colour on the pages, was to print everything directly on a white textured stock.  However printing block colour has mixed results  and can become streaky which was not wanted.

Looking at the stocks available in the digital print room it was found that there was a lighter cream colour which would also reflect the Arabic paper concept, so this could be considered as a possible stock to use.

Pricing Concerns 

After looking at the prices in the Digital Print Room it was found that to print it would cost a  minimum of 75p and maximum of a £1 per side and possibly more depending on the stock choice. The book will be made up of  32 A4 sides so would cost between £24 to £32 to print which is not feasible. This would also mean that I wouldn't even be able to print block colour cheaply on the most basic paper, let alone using the desired cream coloured paper.

With this in mind the book would be printed on the textured bulky newsprint and produced on my own printer to reduce the cost of production. Printing on my home printer would create a similar print quality to the printers at college.  

OUGD504 - Final Cover Examples

Lasercutting Final Examples 

Using the gold and black card stock the final few designs for the cover were lasercut to see which were the most effective.

It was found that having the slightly thinner line that showed the whole beach and road line looked more elegant than the thicker lined design and was more representational of the geographical area and the contents of the book (the lines at the top and bottom). 

One of the designs aimed to lasercut the letters out of the stock and place this on another piece of card to allow the other colour to come through. The bits that fell out when lasercutting e.g. counters, would then be stuck back in place on the card underneath, making the letters whole again. However when the letters were laser cut at the right size it was found that the counters and cut outs would fall through the mesh in the lasercutter because they were so small. This meant that it was not possible to collect all the pieces to stick back onto the design. With this in mind it was thought that this idea would not be a practical way of creating the title.

The designs with the box, which will have lasercut letters placed inside, will work effectively, however it has been considered that perhaps the box draws too much attention to that area and is quite bold rather than being elegant. 

The designs with the just the lines cut out will have lasercut letters stuck on to the design which overall creates a minimal appearance to the design which is both highclass through the use of colour and contemporary in its design. Sticking the letters straight with accurate kerning, however could be a problem. It was decided that from the designs produced this was the most effective, making the lines the emphasis of the design through a change in colour and minimalism. Personally the black on gold for me is the most effective at reflecting a sense of wealth and highclass within Dubai whilst also making reference to the beach and road through colour and texture. The minimalist approach also puts the geographical concept of the lines as the focus of the cover as it is within the book.

OUGD504 - Final Layout

Final Layout Considerations and Reasoning

A modular grid system would be used within the design reflecting the layout of a city which is in a gridded formation, linking the layout to the geographical aspect of the concept. The primary grid system divides a double spread into three sections allowing for space for the beach line at the top, road line at the bottom and the rest of the content in the middle. Equal space is allocated to both the road and beach line and the use of a modular grid split into these horizontal strips means that the lines could be positioned parallel to one another as they are geographically. This structure within the grid system across all the pages means that the lines will be positioned in same place on every page making it easier to follow and to create the sense of a continuous journey through the place. The rest of the space across the spread uses the modular grid as a way of positioning the text.

It was decided that for each activity there should be a 'Title Page' in which the most striking image of the place would be used. The design of the book aims to be visually engaging with minimal written content so it was considered having a large opening image with only a title, showing the place in its best light, would attract attention and be visually engaging for a family. This initial image would encourage people to find out more information by turning the page. On these pages the image is constrained to a strip across the middle of the double spread reflecting the horizontal nature of the lines above and below. 

The headings for each of the places are always right aligned and positioned on the right page in reference to the way Arabic writing is read. The titles are also positioned in relation to where the activity is located, for example if an activity is on the beach line this means that the title is at the top of the space for content. For each activity there is then a second page which contains more imagery and some information about the place to give a better sense of the place. Text on the second page is always positioned on the same page as the actual location on the lines and is placed either at the top or bottom of the page depending on whether the location is on the beach or road. 

The positioning of the rest of the imagery depended on the orientation of the chosen images, however there were some consistencies within this such as:
- no images on the second page go across a double page spread otherwise multiple images would not be able to be used, which is important in describing and creating a sense of the place visually
- if there are two landscape images then these are put side by side to create a strip in a similar way to the title pages
- if there are portrait images then these fill one page in the available space between the lines to create balance between the two halves of the page and content    
  

OUGD504 - Laser Cutting Cover Experiments and Stocks

Laser Cutting and Stock Developments

The rough design for the cover will include the two lines at the top and bottom with the title of Dubai sitting between this following the grid system made for the design. This makes a feature of and mimics the concept within the book of the two routes running parallel to one another.

Using the text this time within the design would help to understand how best to create this in the final design, aswell as understanding the adaptations that would need to be made to make it a cover that would fold round the contents creating a softcover book.

- Rastering letters 

When the letters were rastered on different stocks and machines there were varying results, mainly because of the slight differences in settings on the machines. Rastering initially on both paper and card on one of the machines actually scored all the way through, effectively cutting instead. When tested on another machine it continued to do this on paper although less so, but daylight was still visable through it and it didn't stand out very well. However rastering on the kraft card worked much better and created a sandy looking texture within the letters which fit well with the theme of the design. Also the rastered area on the kraft paper actually became darker making it stand out more. 

- Cutting letters out

Cutting the letters out of the design would mean that the cut outs would have to be glued back in place with the other paper behind. This would be almost impossible for the smaller point sizes that were tested as the pieces were so small. If this idea is to be used then a bigger point size would be necessary. 

- Creating a box around the text
Another consideration was to cut out a box in the front cover to allow a larger area of the background paper to show through. The letters for the title would then also be lasercut out of the same top card then stuck within the box which would be easier to stick then perhaps filling cut out letters. Also the box frames the text creating emphasis.

- Cutting the design across the whole cover 

The designs were cut so they spread across the length of the book, however when this was slightly bent the card would distort in different ways because of the openings. The cover will be folded over the contents to create a soft cover book. However if the cover is attached to a backing card, then when folded, parts may warp and unglue themselves because of the cut design.
  

- Gap between the design and edge of the design 

The rough designs set the lasercut areas a centimetre or so in to prevent the design from tearing, if the lines were any closer to the outside then the paper/ card may not be strong enough for use.

New Stock finds

Before now it has been difficult to find any metallic looking papers that weren't reflective, as the colour needed to reflect both gold in terms of luxury and expense as well as golden sand, so there had to be a subtly to the stock rather than a glitzy quality. Both card and papers were chosen as it was thought that perhaps it would be easier to use the paper as the undercolour with the card on top.

The two new papers that were found have a pearlised quality to them creating a more muted gold effect. Although both 'gold', there was considerable differences in shade.

The darker gold came in both a paper version and cardstock, with both looking very similar. When the darker gold (possibly a little bronze) was overlapped with the black, there wasn't enough contrast between the two and the gold started to look brown, especially when put under the black with only a small section showing through. 

There was a difference in the two lighter coloured golds, with the card more of a richer gold and the paper version more creamy - yellow. The richer gold was more yellowy than the darker gold, although this stood out well against the black. However there is some uncertainty as to whether it works with the gold as the dominant colour because of its yellow tinge, so instead it could be used as the background colour. 

A black stock that had more of a bobbly texture to it was also found, which could be interesting in representing the tarmac texture of the road. 

Thoughts and Feedback on elements so far:

Natural paper 
It was suggested that the natural coloured paper worked well in creating a sand like quality and stood out in a subtle way, however it was considered that this was too organic perhaps for the golden aspect of the design.

Thinner line
The thinner lines it was said were elegant and that the bits that had fallen out of the diamonds in the road possibly didn't need to be put back in because it made the design stand out more. 

By having a thinner line this mean the whole of the two lines could be stretched across the cover, which is more reflective of the content lines, however it does not stand out as much as having a thicker stroke width, making it quite subtle. The bits that had fallen out of the beach line however will need to be put back in because the eye is drawn to these spots which is not wanted. 

Thicker line
When a larger stroke width the line stands out more and becomes more organic and abstract, better reflecting the the Arabic writing that it had taken influence from. To create this line width, however, the design had to be enlarged to compensate for the thicker lines, which started to interfer with one another at a smaller scale and lost much of the detail in the design. This meant only a small section of the design could be used, with the middle part being the most curved and script like part. However when enlarged like this some of the elements perhaps lose their elegance. 

It was said that the cut out bits within the diamonds, at this scale, would have to be stuck back in to better show the line. Without these too much negative space is created within the road line.

Gold paper / card
It was said that the new gold papers were more expensive looking and reflected a sand / golden colour. It was said that because the papers were pearlised this looked more elegant than a reflective gold which would have been too shiny. 

Colour Combinations 
It was suggested that having the black on gold was more expensive looking and refined, also the use of black on gold in this way creates the effect of a golden lines suggesting a golden beach and rich road the black becomes the tarmac of the road. However when the gold is placed ontop and the black behind, this emphasises the lines link to arabic writing which is usually done in black.

Text
It was suggested that the box idea was successful and created a clean a refined look. It was laso said that the cut out text which would need parts sticking back in could also work well.

Things taking forward and things that need considering :

- From feedback it has been suggested that the black and the rich lighter gold card worked best together so these will be taken forward.

- Further tests will need to be done, as there is uncertainty as to whether the thinner line or thicker lines are more effective, each having their benefits and disadvantages. The thinner line allows the whole design to feature and looks more elegant however may not stand out on the cover. Whereas the thicker line is more reflective of Arabic writing but potentially becomes too abstract and less representative of the design (it only uses a section of the bigger design), especially when the cover will be folded.

Testing of both the box idea and cut out text idea would need to explored further to see which is most effective.

Although the two coloured cards have been chosen it is not final which way round they will go, so this also need to be tested.

Tests that need doing:

Thick and Thin lined versions of:

Gold on Black with box text

Gold on Black with letters

Black on Gold with box text 

Black on Gold with letters

- The mock ups that have been done are currently not right because the book is to be read backwards so the front cover needs to be on the left rater than right.

- A small spine will need to be added as well to create a soft cover book so a strip of blank card with no design will be needed in order to fold it round and create a strong spine. If it was lasercut all the way across, the top card may unglue itself from the other card through use, whereas when left blank there's more for it to attach to.

- The two stocks that have been chosen are both card so it may be difficult to get this to fold accurately around the contents of the book. Possibly the inside card could be cut to cover the design but the spine would be left free so that there is only the thickness of one piece of card being folded making it easier to bend around the book. There will also need to be two fold on the front and back slightly in from the spine to allow the cover to be bent without taking it away from the spine. 

OUGD504 - The Cover

Cover Ideas

For the front cover the concept is to use the lines that have been used within the book as a minimalist design on the front, with the title placed between these. The brief asked for an elegant, modern and classy feel so the minimal nature of the book will create a  contemporary feel to the publication.

It was decided that in order to reflect the road and beach, both gold and black were to be used on the front of the book. The black would represent the colour of the tarmac on the road, whilst a bobbly texture would reflect the grittiness of its surface. The use of gold to represent the beach creates the impression of an idealistic landscape. The use of the gold would also create the impression of wealth and expense and when combined with the black would create a classy feel to the design. The title would be right aligned to reflect the positioning of the headers within the book and the original link to Arabic scripture.

It was initially considered that the lines and text could be foiled onto the front cover however with the resources available it was said that this could have mixed results and wasn't very reliable. With this in mind and also that the front cover was the first thing that would be seen on the book, an alternative needed to be found that would be more precise.

Lasercutting the design would allow for precise and accurate cutting of the design. To combine the two colours, two pieces of card could be layered on top of one another, so when cut the card underneath could be seen.

It was also considered that the design could be embossed however this would mean that the design would simply be one colour of card which would make both the letters and lines subtle in their look. 

For the design as a whole lasercutting the cover seemed like the most appropriate production method as this would allow for extreme accuracy allowing me to cut out the details within the line and text cleanly. This combined with the layering of card would allow multiple colours to be used within the design as well. The laser cutter also has other functions such as rastering which could be useful to experiment with.

OUGD504 - Cover Design - Initial Laser Cutting and Stock Experimentation

Laser Cutting Initial Trials

From the rough design for the cover, the beach and road line elements that would be featured on the front, were experimented with at different weights on the laser cutter. Lasercutting the lines at different weights, settings and on various types of stocks helped to understand what would work and wouldn't. Black and a cream coloured paper were used to get a feel for how the design would roughly look when layered up, so sections showed through.

Things tried and thoughts on the results:

- Cutting only the original line

It was found that when the line was cut the laser created a line that was only a few millimeters thick. This kept much of the detail of the design, however when layered over another piece of card you could not see the colour through because the line was not thick enough. The lines are supposed to be the feature of the cover, however because the lines were so thin it is unlikely to stand out and would look a little lost because of its subtlety.

- Bits falling out 

When the designs had been cut it was found that middle sections that were not attached to the rest of the design would fall out. In the actual design these would have to be restuck onto the card that will go underneath the cover. In some of the road designs it was found that it looked quite elegant without the inside parts, particularly the thinner designs. However the thicker designs had larger parts missing which stood out to much so the middle shapes would have to be put back in. Sections from the beach also fell out, this was only really a problem for the larger sections in which it created too much negative space within the design, so these would have to be filled. In other areas only small sections had come out which still looked like part of the design because they were similar in thickness to the lines. To fill sections the cut out shapes would have to be glued back into place on the paper that will go under the cover. For one publication this is not overly time consuming however creating multiples of the design would take time because they would have to be hand glued precisely in place.

- Cutting at 1 pt stroke

To cut the design at this width the stroke was increased then the line was outlined to make it a shape. Cutting at this thickness allowed paper to be seen through the design, whilst not losing the clarity of the line, and allowing the whole line to be used within the design. 

- Cutting at 2pt stroke 

Using a wider stroke meant that only a portion of the lines could be used as the design had to be scaled up to prevent parts of the design overlapping and merging into one another. Having the larger lines emphasised the calligraphic qualities of the line more, which were influenced by Arabic scripture.

- Engraving designs

The lines for the design were created in bits because of there curved forms, which meant that when engraved at larger point sizes it outlined and went over sections a few times, which looked clumsy.

- Rastering the designs

Rastering the original line did not work because the computer did not recognise it as a shape. Rastering the lines that were larger stroke widths and had been outlined, rastered properly, however in the diamond sections and in some other areas it was found that it left parts out, which was probably due to the shape not being understood by the computer. Rastering created a soft natural brown colour on the cream which was an interesting effect, tying in well with a sandy aesthetic which could be useful. It was found however that the rastering on the laser cutter took quite a while (10 minutes approx) to do, even for two lines, because it has to create lots of lines to fill the space, which would not make it a very practical technique when used for multiple books, especially compared to the cutting setting which would complete many more in the time it takes to raster one.  Rastering on lighter papers made the design look more visible, whereas rastering on the black card created a very subtle effect that could only be seen best in the light.

-  Stock Colour

The cream stock, although effective in creating contrast with the black, it does not reflect the gold or sandy effect that is wanted in the design, so an alternative will have to be found. Placing the black infront of the cream creates an elegant and minimalist design, however a more metallic gold colour will be needed. 

Overall it was found that cutting at 1 or 2pt stroke width would allow the other paper to show through best. It was also considered that rastering could be used for the title on the cover rather than having to stick the cutouts from the letters on to the cover. The contrast between the black an lighter coloured paper created a bold minimalist design.