ISTD

TUESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2009

I came into uni today to work on my ISTD project. I have been collating lots of research over the past few weeks and because I was focusing a lot on my screen based project (website) it needed organising. I have lots of ideas and thoughts about what I am going to do with my people watching findings. I need to start experimenting. I find it very challenging to get started when it comes to typography - I don't know why this is. I feel I have an eye for it, but its the daunting feeling of a blank page - and trying to get the type and shapes to mean something relating to what I want to say.

I am very set on doing a small book that contains my findings, I think this fits well and makes the findings and things I have written about people contained and secure. I thought about doing a poster design, that folds down. But something doesn't quite feel right about that. I think its because I am studying people, and watching them, writing down things about them and they don't know I am doing it! Its almost a little rude or disrespectful to then create a poster - I think it sends the wrong message. A book is much more appropriate. These secrets notes I have taken, and my personal thoughts about the people will be securely and safely, privately contained within the pages of a book.

The brief says that the only production parameters are that I can only use one A1 sheet of paper, which can then be folded, cut etc as desired. There are no limits on binding/finishing either. Does this mean that I can use thread etc to bind the book? And does this include the cover? Can I make a cover from a separate piece of paper not included within the A1 sheet? I need to clarify these points because they aren't clear.

I emailed ISTD asking them these questions. This was their reply:



Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:08:57 +0000

Hello Vicky

Yes, you may fold it and use any form of binding. On the cover question I can only ask you to examine the brief. We do not have any preconceived ideas of what form the submissions will take. Your strategy should be used to express/justify your design decisions.

I hope you are enjoying the project.

Good Luck

John

John McMillan FISTD
Education Officer
International Society of Typographic Designers



The issue of the cover still seemed unclear to me, so I had a quick chat with Sally and she said to go ahead and make a cover from another stock if I want to. I think she is right, as long as I can justify my design decision (as John said in his email) then it should be okay. I will make sure I show that my inside pages amount to no more than one sheet of A1.