Final Designs

After carrying out research into so many different areas and genres of children's book designs, I have finally settled on an idea that I am proud of. I have taken inspiration from authors such as Keri Smith and her wonderfully unique tactile books 'Wreck This Journal' and 'How to be an Explorer of the World', Who's designs work perfectly to ensure the child (or even adult, in her case) enjoys the book and uses their own imagination and personality to fill it out how they want to. I have created one of a similar standing - however mine, I feel, encourages the use of the book to a much more personal level, while also involving the environment. By book, '#1 Explorer' works on encouraging to children to have fun outdoors and learn all about their surroundings, while also teaching them fun new tricks, getting them to rub sticky roasted marshmallows into the page, getting their hands dirty, ripping the pages to make things, scrubbing dirt into it - or even throwing it in the river.

I've thoroughly enjoyed putting these rustic-style prototypes together, as I feel they fit the purpose by encouraging children to learn more about the environment while they have fun, and also by showing them how it's done without giving them set rules. They play it into their own hands. After all, if you're teaching a child how to use the environment (to be

eco-friendly and open their eyes to the bigger world) then give them the subliminal guidelines, for example, it would have been inappropriate for me to have made my designs on computer software such as Photoshop, Illustrator or Indesign as we're trying to pry children away from the age of digital media, and remind them of the beautiful world beyond their screens. So, I have used a selection of various earthy watercolour pencils, my own hand-rendered typefaces and thick, rustic watercolour paper to create this earth effect. 

A main element in my colour choices was the decision to use flowers and shrubbery that I could find to colour my covers (this included Violets, Roses, grass, browning shrubbery, Buttercups, Dandelions and long reeds) I also created some lift-the-flap additions with hidden tips and hints for if the child needs some guidance.

I also turned the book into an adventure journey, at the beginning of the book (front cover) you will see a messy, muddy hand-print, once the child completes the book and reaches the final page (the back cover), this page is actually a certificate, to which they place their messy hand on the hand-print outline then rip the page off the back, so they can remember their adventure.

Here are my final designs for '#1 Explorer':

Font, Spine and Back Cover

Spread 1
"How to make Willow Dragonflies"
&
"Create your own Aboriginal Art Painting"

Spread 2
"How to make Nettle Paper"
&
"How to Roast Marshmallows"

My Final Designs
(with additional petals and shrubbery,
an example of what will be stuck into the book)

Peer Assessment

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on further ideas of how I can make my "#1 Explorer" tactile book more dimensional. Looking at my older designs, I've decided that the colours particularly were missing something. I really like the rustic effect of earthy watercolour pencils, I've decided to combine the use of these watercolour pencils with natural colours (as learnt from Gyles' outdoors workshop), and so I decided to experiment with purple violets, yellow dandelions and grass - which turned out successfully and is an idea I look to keeping until my final designs.
I wasn't fully confident with my tick-the-box idea for the final page. This felt too formal for what I was aiming for, and so, I decided to re-design it (and part of the front cover) by beginning the book (front cover) with a big, messy, muddy hand-print, and on the back cover I've designed a dotted-line hand-print, so to encourage the children to get messy and make their own hand-print - this would also turn into a little 'confirmation' that they'd successfully become a #1 Explorer, as they can then rip off the back cover of the book and it becomes a certificate. This gives the children incentive to get comfortable with their natural environment - while not giving them specific rules and guidelines - actively encouraging them to get messy and have fun with their surroundings by setting an example.

My designs as they currently stand:

the Peer Assessment for this module has given me an insight into the progress of my peers and gave me some constructive criticism and direction of where I can improve my work so far.

Current areas of Achievement:

> Good development of final concept.

> Inspired by other children's books already out there.

Current areas for development and improvement:

> Further work into report, research and art style.

> May need to show more evidence of the idea generation.

Client Workshop

We recently had our first meeting with our Naturesbase Children's Book Design client, Gyles Morris. He lead with a simple task: to sketch out places that meant a lot to us personally as children, and that stand out in our memories. This was particularly helpful as I felt it allowed me to really focus on what events and places meant a lot to me as a child - and more importantly, why.

The places I had chosen were my home, Arthog Outdoor Adventure, and the river Servern at Arley - near where I always lived. I realised I had chosen these locations due to the days out (and adventures) I used to engage in as a child. For example, I used to really enjoy playing in the garden at my home and by the river near where I lived, and once I was old enough to go away to Arthog for, at first, a weekend, this became such an important place to me, as it allowed me to take part in outdoor activities and learn responsibility while still having fun.

Following this task, Gyles then took us out of the classroom environment and into a garden area, where we were given the tasks to find "natural colours" from the ground, plants and anything we could find - I found that this technique could really work with my own book design idea for #1 Explorer - to subtly encourage children to use the environment around them, without "telling them what to do".

We then moved on to using the environment to create "natural book covers" and handfuls of mud and clay to create faces. This really encouraged us to loosen up and use our imagination and put ourselves in the position of children. I really enjoyed these tasks, and felt they are each having a great impact on my final designs for my "#1 Explorer" tactile book.

London Book Fair

A trip to London signified our mandatory visit to the London Book Fair, for research for our projects. I found the day interesting as it allowed me to understand the variation in recent and popular children's books. I found this trip linked a lot with my previous research at the beginning of the module. Here are some examples of some stalls and children's books that caught my eye:

Booki World's incorporation of digital media

Baker & Taylor Publishing

Old Pond Publishing

Wonderful simplistic designs

AzBooks

Azbooks' examples of puppetry/cuddly toy books for younger children

Azbooks' use of pop-up animals in books

Incorporation of sound in books, realistic imagery

Use of coloured paints to paint the story with - really love this idea as it fully involves the child, the story becomes part their's. This has some noticeable similarities to my designs.

Pop-ups

A book that turns into a mask - again, really involving the children with the book, fun activities!

Intelligent use of layering pages in books - works great with Non-Fiction and Reference  books.