"Every Book Starts with an Idea" essay notes and further thoughts

The essay at hand is a very inspiring piece that offers advice and knowledge on what is important within book design. It focuses on the different considerations of design as well as magnifying the significance of the content and how it ultimately shapes the design.

Here are some quotes I noted down that I found useful and interesting :

"Some are even done too well, books where nothing happens at all."

This gives me confidence when thinking about the my book design, although I know it is really important to create the best content I can, it is also reasurring that my concept could be something simple and not too overpowering. Linking my photographs with written content is something that is personally a worry, as I fear the connection between the two is not that strong. Creating a coffee table style book that relies on aesthetics alone is terribly tempting, however I would rather push myself further and create a great connection between the photographs, further content and book design.

"Ideally, all books start with a question, the clearer the question, the more precise the answer..."

This made me realise I need a question that can be answered that relates to the audience/reader.

I will bring a few of my ideas to the crit on Friday, where I will hopefully get some suggestions that I can run with.

"Rethink the form, rethink how information can be organised, rethink the editing, propose alternative directions."

Naturally there are restrictions that come with the majority of publications, especially commercial. However, I found this particular quote rather inspiring. Thinking further than a basic design that has been repeated so many times before is something I would love to incorporate throughout my design process and will hopefully achieve.

"The content is a source of inspiration in itself."

This is an extremely important point. If the design does not compliment the actual content, then the book will appear ineffective. Pages that flow and feel like they belong is much more appealing than a mismatched aesthetic.

"Be clear who you are, what you believe in and do not try to be someone else."

This is something I resonate with as I feel I often create something for aesthetic reasons. Although the work comes from the heart, it can get lost within the design, which is something I want to start to avoid. A more personal perspective might be the answer for this.

"You need to dream about the book you would like to design, and this dream is what drives you."

Another inspirational message that has personally given me the stimulation to create something special that I will be proud of that excels to a high level of industry standard.