Alterations . . .

After my meeting with Jess at Velvet magazine last week I have been making some changes in regard to the layout of the publication experimenting with some of the suggestions that she made.

* I have decreased the font size on all of the pages with the main body text now down to a size 9 instead of 10.

* The main body of text, sub titles and reference text now all have their own font type so that it is easy for the reader to distinguish each feature from one another, it also makes the page more visually interesting, and I’m pleased with the end result.

* The images on the recipe pages have been increased in size dramatically, communicating to the reader what the end product will/should look like, and is now the main focus of the page, whereas before many of these images were the same size as the ingredient imagery.

* To decrease the number of pages I have shortened the Rachael Dinnage interview so that it now only covers one page, the same as the other two interviews in the same feature. Brining the total number of pages (including the front and back cover) in the publication to 100.

* To make different sections on a page even more distinguishable Jess suggested adding in more of the dotted boxes to break up the page layout and create some segregation at the same time, something I have done on the project pages, as well as getting rid of some of the text and imagery to create more white space.

* I’ve also shortened the Make Do and Mend article so that there is more white space and the page now looks a lot less crowded.

I trialled many of the suggestions that Jess made during our meeting however some were not quite so successful, adding in three column text boxes did not work on the pages, making the text look squashed. I also played around with the text on the shoot pages to little success, the closer I moved it to the image the more it detracted from it, and I want the image to be the main focus and then the text.

I have sent the pdf version of the publication off for the last time for Jess to have a final look through, as I’ve made all of the necessary changes and all of the content minus the land girls shoot is now in the spreads.

Packaging . . .

I laser cut all three boxes for the publication packaging today, it was my first go on the biggest laser cutter, which I need to use given the size of the card that I was cutting the packaging out of. I had one trial piece of card to test the power and speed settings of the laser out and to make sure that I had all the cut and engrave lines set up correctly on the Illustrator document, luckily everything went to plan and there weren't too many alterations regarding the power and speed settings.

At the last minute I changed my mind and decided to go with the simpler box design, as the previous opening out box I just didn't feel was sturdy enough, and it would not have contained the pages in the way that I would of liked. The eyelets that I had planned on using to hold the box shut were only available in gold or silver and I wanted ones that had more of a worn/aged look to them.

I also decided to include the dandelion on the front of the packaging as I had thought of leaving the front blank, but because there is no writing to say what is inside I want the dandelion to become the logo of the publication, making the publication easily identifiable to my reader on the shelf.

Below are images of the packaging being cut on the laser cutter - 

I used a glue gun to hold the box firmly together, which has proved effective and so far all of the boxes are still in tact. To keep the box securely shit I have used parcel string and a voile-esque natural ribbon wrapped around the box, with the luggage tag attached, printed with the Dandy-Lion logo and the brand strap line. I'm really pleased with the final outcome, and feel that it fully represents the Dandy-Lion brand as well as my own design philosophy.

Proof reader . . .

I received the copy of the publication back that I sent to my proof reader over the Easter break, there weren’t too many changes which I was surprised at, although she did pick up on a few things within the layout and text of the publication that I had not noticed.

Continuity – this was the biggest, I had not noticed how on some pages I had done one thing, and then on others something completely different, I’ve now rectified this continuity errors and the publication is now looking a lot more cohesive.

Spelling - there were still a few spelling mistakes, and it seems to be the same words that I keep spelling wrong!

Rachel who proof read the publication is also a potential target reader and she said how mush she enjoyed reading through it and found it very informative, I'm hoping to send her a pdf copy of the publication once I've made all the alterations to see if she has any suggestions and to get some feedback from her on it.

Meeting with mentor . . . Jess Pack

I visited Jess at Velvet magazine today, to go over my publication in person, it was really beneficial and she had a lot of changes that she thinks would benefit the publication particularly when it comes to the font type and size that I have used throughout. To save on space and reduce the number of pages within the publication, she suggested bringing the text size down to a 9pt instead of the 10pt that I am currently using, she said that this might also help the sub headings stand out more from the main body of text, as at the moment it all looks part of the same thing.

Below are some of the other suggestions that she made during the meeting -

* Images of the contributors look a little flat, why not make them into Polaroid shoots or using a drop shadow to make them stand off the page a little more.
* Inclusion of the person's photo who has written a particular article or feature.
* Experiment with more columns on the pages, keep some as two columns, but look at using three to add a bit of variation as all of the pages look the same, mix it up a little.
* Add more typefaces for references and sub titles, making it easier for the reader to distinguish between the different pieces of information.

* Look at maybe angling the images, maybe have some overlapping, or bleeding the image off of the edge of the page, play around with scale.

* The text within the shoots is really good, but be more experimental with it, try incorporating it into the image in some way.
*The main images on the recipe pages should be made a little bigger, to draw the readers eye to this image first, at the moment they are nearly the same size as the ingredient imagery. Also try and separate the different pieces of information on the recipe page, i.e. ingredients, method etc by using the dotted boxes you've used on other pages.

We also discussed some of the potential pages that could be cut or edited although she did say it would be a shame to loose any - 

* Letter template
*Shorten the make do and mend section, maybe reduce the project pages and only have one page instead of two.
* Condense Rachael Dinnage interview more, could possibly get all of this onto one page by utilising three columns.
*Could also cut out the posters at the beginning of the land girls and grow your own section.

I also asked her about what she thought would be the best programme to do my web-site on would be, I showed her The Gentlewoman site and said how much I liked it, she suggested looking at Wordpress, as it really quick and simple to use and you it also has a lot of ways you can personlise it to your own tastes/style.

Meeting with an orginal land girl . . .

I had a meeting today with 89 year old Lillian Hous, who is an original land girl. It was so interesting, Jillian had loads of stories to tell and I was talking to her for over two hours, she told such a different story to that which is portrayed in TV programs and films. Unlike traditional land girls she stayed in a hostel in Suffolk and went to farms within the area that needed the WLA help. 

Lillian also had a great selection of photo's from when he was working as a LG as well as her original LG badges, which she let me have one of, and her certificate from the queen mother and ex-prime minister Gordon Brown thanking her for her efforts during the Second World War, she also showed me a more recent medal that she was awarded in recognition of her work for the WLA. 

I would love to go and speak to her again she had so many stories to tell. Below are some of the photo's that I've included within the feature on her as well as some of the medals and certificates that she received.

Just the land girls shoot left to do now, and then the publication is ready to be printed!

Land Girls shoot . . . developments

I received an email from Ben, who was the photographer for the land girls shoot, saying that he is now unable to do the shoot due to work commitments and for personal reasons. I am so disappointed he was perfect for the shoot, and I now have a very short amount of time to find a replacement, as none of the other responses I got to my very first email where at all suitable.

I have sent out emails to the whole of fda and ba photography in the hope that I may get someone through this, I have also asked both Naomi and Vicky, who are styling the shoot if they know of anyone, as well as asking both Phoebe and Holly who were the photographers on my previous shoots, fingers crossed I manage to find someone.

River Cottage . . .

I've been of the Channel 4 TV programme for a while, but I managed to watch an episode the other day, and it has a very similar ethos and message to that of the Dandy-Lion publication. Set in the heart of the British country side in the most idyllic white cottage, the programme encourages the growing of your own fruit and veg, eating within season as well as baking and making your own bread (the episode that I happened to catch). I have since watched other episodes, I really like the emphasis on supporting your local community and enjoying food with friends and family, with importance put on fresh ingredients, a message I am trying to communicate within my publication.

From watching this programme it proves that there is interest in the subject out there, as the show is in its 7th series, and has a plethora of books and dvds to accompany the series, as well as events at River Cottage, located in Axminster on the Dorset/Devon border. Somewhere I now very much want to visit.

http://www.rivercottage.net/