Studio Brief 01 - 2nd mockups and layout adjustments

These sets of prints were done to determine how well the images will look on the proposed stock. Cairn Straw White 120gsm is an "eco" paper so it has small specks caused by the unrefined pulp. Because of the inks translucency, the colour of the paper does come through when printing over and replicates the effect similar to film grain. This further emphasises the look of film photography onto the reader and also adding a more handmade and almost personal feel to the publication. At this stage, debossing the first page of the publication has not been tested yet and therefore the first page remains blank. 

Goudy Oldstyle is used for the Display typeface of the publication because of it decorative features, more so than Garamond, which imply hand drawn strokes that tie in with the handmade feel of the booklets. 

The appropriately coloured strings correspond with the colour of the cloth covers, keeping the visual theme consistent. 

7mm maargins

5mm margins

10mm margins

In order to maximise space, a range of margins were printed to determine the best proportions. 7mm was chosen because it is thick enough to compensate for an unaligned  double sided printing mistake and offers the more space for content as opposed to 10mm. 

The copy typeface still did not fit the publication style. Futura is far too modern to capture the shophouses' character, when see in situ, the typeface stands out negatively against the elements in the publication which achieves a unified handmade look. In a similar reason for Financial Time's copy typeface redesign, the use of Futura is ineffective in achieve the desired tone of voice. The publication should be telling a story to the reader. Futura's clean lines and straight strokes creates structure which feels informative to read rather than descriptive. The typeface is thus changed to Baskerville which pairs with the Goudy Oldstyle. 

 
These changes were then printed again and the copy typeface aligns more with the shophouse's antique characteristics. Readability still remains an issue however. With the type size being 11pt, each line only has 3 words which makes reading the descriptions hard for the reader. To alleviate this, feedback was suggested to reduce the point size to 8 and to remove the 3 columns. Removing the 3 columns would remove its reference to the 3 shophouse French windows.

With 12 pt leading

When applied, the readability becomes significantly easier. Adding to this the leading as well was increased, creating a very casual reading experience that opens the publication up to more age groups. The addresses were added too in an effort to allow readers to visit the shophouses themselves. 

Studio Brief 01 - Laser cutting induction

Rastering

Rastering and Engraving

Going to a laser cutting induction, the process of rastering and then engraving the outline of the type was a useful technique in producing clean lines whilst retaining the textured effect of the raster. When leaving the image just rastered, the outlines are slightly jagged from the laser's process of individually engraving vertical lines. Engraving the outline of the type after it has been rastered eliminates the rough edges and produces a clean finish. This will be the desired effect when engraving the title of the publication onto the wooden sleeve. 

Studio Brief 01 - Initial Mockups

These mockups were made to get and better idea of how the page flow, binding style and cover colours all work together. At this stage not every design element is finalised however, the language of the content still needs to be adjusted for its audience, the shape of the shophouse window that will be embossed on the first page, the respective tiling patterns and the cloth bound cover. The advantage of printing these mockups is to have a better idea of its form factor. 

The original dimensions of each booklet measured 12cm by 20cm. When placed in the layouts in InDesign however the grid system did not fully utilise the area of the photos. And because the photos are the highlight of the content, the dimension of the publication should be designed around them to showcase them fully.

When handling both sizes however, the original size produced a better ergonomic feel which is important when people may be traveling around with the booklets. The thinner layout also accentuates the shophouse's narrow height. The design of the booklets dimension is therefore centered around the dimensions and effectively conveys the unique architecture of shophouses.

Taking advantage of how the booklet naturally lays with a separation at the middle, each one of the booklets has a full spread image. This allows for the reader to indulge in a full bleed  identify the area of the booklet quickly.

Studio Brief 01 - Tiling patterns

Tiling patterns are integral to the design and character of the shophouses. Including these in the publication would add to the overall design of the publication. Peranakans are known for their intricate tiling designs that decorate in and out of the shophouses. Majority of the research done in finding tiling designs resulted in Peranakan  tiling.

On the shophouses, the tiles decorate the architecture highlighting the construction through its placement on the columns beside the windows and the small ledge below. By having the tiles laid in this way consistently on all of the shophouses, the fixed layout then becomes an identifier and associated with Peranakan shophouse tiling patterns. Therefore the layout can be used on the cover of each booklet to summarise the content and to set the narrative.

http://vagabondbaker.com/2014/10/13/penang-street-art/

http://vagabondbaker.com/2014/10/13/penang-street-art/

For the Arab Street area, Malay tiling patterns were researched. Malay tiles are usually geometrical in design. The colours used are natural dye colours that are formed within simple motifs and clean lines. Unlike the elaborate Arabic pattern designs, these are not as intricate as the Malay community was not formed yet. Using a Malay pattern would also be more appropriate in representing the races in Singapore. As a way to justify that these are representative of the Malay culture, a Malay relative agreed that these patterns effectively represent and are associated with the culture. In terms of colour that represented Malay culture, she agreed that green is appropriate and said that gold could also be used to represent royalty.

Researching Indian tiling patterns for Little India produced varying forms of designs. Some follow a geometric design with clean bold lines that intertwine to create a complex pattern on first view. On the other hand, some tiles were very intricate with heavy symbolic motifs to their culture in simple configurations. Understanding the limitations of screen printing, a simpler design would produce a better registration, especially considering the small scale of each booklet. Not only is this consideration for the Indian designs, but for all of the possible tiling patterns to be screen printed. 

  
Tiling on Chinese shophouses are an uncommon decoration and when it is used, Peranakan tiling is seen. This is due to the Peranakans being descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago including British Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore). Therefore the Chinese who do reside in the shophouses are not pure Chinese but rather Peranakan Chinese who have had their own culture influenced by the Malays.

These hollow traditional Chinese jade tiles are different to those seen on a typical shophouse facade. As well as being decorative, it is meant to allow for ventilation and possible sunlight for the structure. As a way to communicate the Chinese culture more effectively to the reader, the tiling pattern could consist of both Peranakan and traditional Chinese tiles in its design.