OUGD406: Speaking From Experience: Design Options.

Colour & Type

I began looking into the physiological factors of colour especially since my idea is to enhance self esteem and try to improve confidence. 

I noticed straight away which colours/ tones definitely not to use and these include:

Red

Overall red seems too intense and generally quite an aggressive and bold colour which wouldn't match the calm and gentle nature of the work I want to produce. 

Orange

Orange is often linked with food and just generally I don't think this colour links with the mind and my theme as a whole. 

Brown

Brown is quite an earthy colour and natural which can have many purposes but as a whole I don't think it is linked to confidence or creativity. 

Colours I felt were really relevant to my design:

Yellow: Emotional, optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.

Blue:  Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm and soothing.

Green: Balance, harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace. 

Violet/Purple: Spiritual awareness, meditation, authenticity, truth. 

Pink: Physical tranquillity, nurture, warmth, femininity, survival of the species. 

These colours definitely reflect confidence, calm, intelligence and creativity all of which then therefore allow for design/art to made in a confident mindset. 

Type:

I started out by writing some of the quotes out because I liked the idea of keeping it personal, however it really doesn't work for a book because the type needs to be consistent throughout. 

I started looking at some popular fonts on Dafont. 

This font simply looks too formal/ ordinary and somewhat like the words are being shouted, I need to introduce friendly fonts and colours to match the tone of voice. 

I thought about using letterpress to create a handmade feel which could potentially make the book seem more friendly. 

I felt as though they weren't suitable and the script is definitely illegible. 

I came across this font which appears to look hand rendered however it is a consistent font. I like the fact that the heights of the letterforms aren't all the same and the descenders don't reach below the baseline. 

I tried a few different variations but felt as though they could work in a solid colour or as an outline but overall I was really happy with my font choice. I want to keep the book informal and somewhat "fun" as it is for freshers, so a serious sans serif or serif could seem daunting and somewhat preachy. 

Options for the book: I have previously taken part in a book binding workshop  here.