OUGD603 - Brief 8 - Scrap Paper Notebook / Journal - Evaluation against the brief and Project Evaluation

Evaluation against the brief 

The concept focuses on the irregular and unique nature of the scrap and offcut papers. This is explored through an emphasis on the varied form of the papers by layering and angling the papers within the notebook. The text block is cut to create uneven paper inserts.The title typography aims to reflect the scrap / offcut aesthetic of the papers within through the use of angular descenders, ascenders and finials. Saved papers was chosen as the title as this created a sense of  preservation and the idea of the papers being important, which could also be interpreted as the notes within the notebook being important also.

The design celebrates the papers and their qualities through the use of a range of different tones, textures and weights of papers allowing a variety of papers to be showcased within the book. The layering of papers allows the book to be interactive whilst the variety of papers used within the notebook give it a tactile quality.The use of the green florescent paper reflects the idea of the of reuse and sustainable aspect of the papers inside. Green, which is often associated with these themes is portrayed in a brighter and bolder way within the design making it contemporary.The refined and minimalist feel of the design allows the papers to be the focus of the design. Keeping the cover text small and the line weight relatively thin allows the shapes, texture and colours of the papers to be the centre of the design creating a minimalist feel. The layering of the pages within the book allow the papers to contrast and complement each other emphasising their qualities.

The design is appropriate for notetaking with all of the lines horizontal making it functional to write in.

The combination of lined and blank area within the notebook allows people to use the space how they like making the notebook versatile and multifunctional. This also breaks the pages into areas, creating an element of compartmentalisation of information. Lined areas can be used for notes with blank areas perhaps suited to drawing or sketching.

The varied layering of pages and line layouts make the notebook engaging, tactile and versatile which would appeal to designers. The designs format is different for other notebooks which would also appeal to them.

The design is contemporary with the use of the florescent green cover creating a bold and striking design which is a contemporary way of portraying a sense of reuse and sustainable qualities. The playful format and page shapes within the book combined with the refined and minimal design create a contemporary aesthetic.

The design is well crafted and has a quality feel through the use of the varied weights and textures of papers within the book. The alternative page forms create a tactile experience.

The design is between A5 and A6 size making it an appropriate size for travel. The regular outer form allows the design to be easily stored but still allows varied pages to be created.

Project Evaluation

Within this brief I particularly liked experimenting with form and shape within the notebook and making the best use of the scrap materials that would feature within the notebook. I wanted to maintain the irregularity of the scrap papers whilst still making the notebook functional which I think has worked effectively within the design. During the production of the notebook the line designs were printed onto the different pages with a desktop printer, this was because no of the machines at university would register pages below A4, of which none of the scraps were this size. Because of this, printing the designs was time consuming using this type of printer especially because of the different paper stocks which wouldn't all go through the printer. If I was to do the project again I would probably try screen printing the designs onto the pages as this would give me more flexibility when printing the designs onto different stocks.