Final Critique

Final Critique.

So we had to leave our work out on the table along with a few questions for people to crit on but then also ask them for their feedback on your design. Our group first critiqued the second groups work and gave feedback to their questions and work. We went second so I laid my work out then we had to leave the room so the feedback was anonymous.

The questions I asked:

Do you think the images are a good enough quality as they are rather pixelated from scanning in. Or if you have any tips or advice to get rid of this?

What stock should I use to apply different finishes?

Does the book look like one project, due to the separates parts?

How should I bind the book?

Feedback?
 

The feedback I received:

1) 
I think that the hand rendered fonts harmonise well with the hand rendered title & hand rendered looking bodycopy.
Cartridge paper works well, as does sommerset. Pick the best one for emboss, as emboss is the one that relies purely on the stock.
I have had the same problem with making mine look consistent. For mine I made a rule to print in black & white and one metallic colour. PRINT ON THE SAME STOCK! Maybe consider making the books into one with maybe perforated pages, to pull out.
Ring bind? Japanese bind? Coil? Ring bind will give you more movability with thick stock.
One thing I have noticed is that there is a grammar mistake. "for you foil".

2)
Explain the process of screen printing before flocking - many users of the publication may not have even screen printed before.
Align your work to a grid to create something more functional.
Illustrations need more work - they are pixelated and unclear.
Pages appear to be bare, with no colour.
Explanations need more detail.
I like the bird illustration, it shows your capable to produce something aesthetically pleasing.

3)
I think that your hand drawn images should be traced over in illlustrator so that they are cleaner and less pixelated!
At the moment it seems cheap & tacky! The typeface shouts children & may be patronising to adults.
What have you used to create your flocked & foiled images? I don't understand them?
Have you considered stock for printing?
Have you considered using grids for your layout.

4)
I think you should maybe trace over your illustrations so they appear more sleeker & fit better with the typeface. Have you thought about using a different typeface so it does with the hand drawn illustrations instead? Although, I like the use of the illustration.
I prefer the thick black stock as it has a lovely surface but maybe as a cover stock with white for the print inside.

5)
The "wine" colour on the black stock works really well - however I have no idea what it says.
I definitely think you should digitalise your illustrations - it would make it look a lot more cleaner.
Because you are using so many finishes in your final product make sure the stock/ colour palette is consistent otherwise it will be too much & loose it's aesthetics.

6)
I think you should trace over your images to maintain consistency. They are good wuality drawings so would be a shame for them not to be shown off to their full potential.
Not sure what they are about but the two middle stocks should work well in terms of colour & weight.
Maybe try & use the same colour throughout to link the finishes throughout your look book.
Perfect bind allows you to open a book fully and the height of the book won't be an issue if you perfect bind. Maybe bind the small books is a different way to make it more interesting.


I was very angry with my feedback at first as some one had used the words cheap & tacky. Which they would not have used if I would have been present in the room. Which therefore I seen this an a nasty feedback. 


After I have thought about it, I am going to try a different typeface for my bodycopy as I can see what they are trying to say but they just haven't said it in the right way.