In this week of our imaging classes, I got to complete my final Coffee Table book. I went ahead and refined my master pages, making the finishing touches like aligning the paragraphs properly to the baseline grid and experimenting with the units and increments in the grids section. This not only made my book look more organised but also made it look like it has a structure and a common paragraph style and theme.

The Final Master Pages:

In order to get the grid formatting which I desired, I experimented with the increments in InDesign>Preferences>Grids section. I lowered the number to 10pt in the “Increment every” bar, aligning my sentences, this I learned makes it easier to match text size and leading values, which are shown in points.

Another helpful aspect of the Indesign software was the column structure. The column structure helped me gain a better insight into learning how to align my paragraphs and format my images with the help of the even column structure. I also got to edit the gutter sizes equally on all of my master pages to give in and even look. This definitely made my pages look neater and more organised. Below is a sample of six of the pages in my book adhering to the column and baseline grid formats applied:

To add additional graphics and visuals to my book, I went ahead and created icons that conform to each civilisation and its symbolic messages. For example, The Egyptians worshipped the cats and and the Greeks made marble statues of the royals and gods, therefore, I made use of those key symbolic representations and turned them into icons on illustrator using the brush tool. The brush tool has always been a creative way for my to express my ideas and illustrations because the software makes it easy for me to create a free flowing illustrations and drawing.

Icon making process

I used Augustus Caesar as a Roman symbol, as well as the Roman pillar. Furthermore, I used Aztec god symbols and deities for their civilisation and Tutankhamen’s face structure and mask for the Egyptian civilisation. This would make it easier for the audience to associate the graphics with the information and also make the book look more interactive and interconnected.

The Making of the Timeline Fold-out: (InDesign)

While making the layout of the timeline foldout on illustrator I had one thing in mind, which was to make the colour scheme and patterns a perfect match for the rest of the book so that it looks put together and properly stylised. Including the signature recurring line drawing style of the book for the pottery illustrations as well as the leaf motifs to lead the viewers from one object’s time period to the other like a train of thought. This made the timeline look cohesive with regard to the book. I first created the layout for the timeline on illsutrator and added the text on Indesign in order to align the writing to the baseline grid formats.

Above, I organised my illustrations on the adobe illustrator software and groups each form of pottery together to make it easier to move around the pages. I experimented with the different thicknesses of the brush took to give off sharper, bolder effects and thinner strokes for intricate detailing. I reduced the opacity of my brush to create the leaf pattern across the timeline. Experimenting with this tool was creatively fun and educational as I got more adept at quickly learning how to use it to my advantage the more I experiment with it.

The Prototype Learnings:

Below I got to create a 5×5 inch prototype of my book. I chose glue binding as a method for the binding because I had done the same type of bind for the “Invisible Cities” book layout which looked neat and gave my book a professional look. I chose to make the margins maroon/dark pink, the columns are blue, the text is black and the grid systems are green. Some boxes are crossed with a black pen, which insinuates that there will be text there. I created a separate Jacket and a cover for the prototype, too. I chose a colourful illustration of Frida Kahlo I found in the newspaper in order to show the colourful elements in my jacket as well.

While making this book, I got to align the grid structures, portray the columns, the placement of the images and text boxes as well as the grid systems. Doing this made me realise how important it is to create a prototype for a book as a part of your process work. It helped me gauge a better understanding of the formatting and layouts of my book and the way it works together and not just individually on separate pages on a digital screen. Creating this prototype gave my book a cohesive look and guided me to understanding how a book can be made and arranged as a whole.

The Final Prototype: