Overview
Research : book themes and topics on traveling, photography and Japan.
Concept : find relevant solutions that suit the content of the book.
Development : experimenting layouts, placements, typefaces, images, illustrations and colours.
Iterations : changes and refinements based on peer reviews.
How It Started
Talking to my travel companions from my Japan trips and with my cousins and friends from their own Japan trips made me realised that they're all searching for less touristy places and curious to know about history and culture.
So I hope my travel journal can close the gap by filling them not only with information of less touristy places that I went to, but also what I learned from those places in terms of culture and history, in a form of trivia.
Sufyan, Cousin
The online travel blogs I read always show popular places that are crowded or overrated.
Jacqueline, Friend
My travel magazine never say anything about the history, just places to go and that's it.
Ernest, Colleague
My travel guide got say the history but too long to read. Feels like reading a textbook!
Iterations
There are a few iterations based on peer reviews on what they feel is right and look for in a travel photo journal.
Version 1
Initial concept is something colourful like a travel diary and magazine which influenced the colours and layouts.
Version 2
Then I wanted something elegant which feels more like a book than a magazine.
Version 3
But based on peer reviews, they prefer something creative and fun to read.
Version 4
I made refinements to make them more artistic, focusing more on art and images than words.
I got rid of the excessive use of vector art on every page which I realised lack consistency throughout the book.
I tried to give a sense of balance between the images and illustrations, and font pairings to make them more alive.
The book starts with an overview of the map of Japan showing the various prefectures.
Each chapter will focus on one prefecture that I've been to with day by day experiences.
It is a work in progress so there will always be changes and improvements.
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
Version 4
Self Reflection
Design Styles
The greatest challenge is finding the right typeface which suits the overall look and feel that I am looking for, which complements the photos used. Something which reflects tradition and a personal touch with the handwritten type of fonts used for the headings and sub-headings while using the serif fonts for the main body text to ensure readability.
Design Process
The process is similar to that of UI/UX design, where the early stage is wire-framing to determine the layouts and placements before working on the visual design. The difference is that for print design, I will have to consider the print material. Will it be hardcopy or soft copy cover? Will it be a thin or thick paper? Will it be a matt surface or glossy? What size?
Budget and Printing
Ultimately, it depends on the budget and printers limitations as well as the material quality. So in reality, designers have to discuss the process with the printers before printing. Print design is challenging as it is something that you design for users to hold, touch and pore over in a very physical way, so it's manifestation as an object is important for designers.
Target Users
Like any design, it depends on the publishers and readers on which final version they want for the final design. Publishers have different perceptions on what type of content and design that sells the best based on their experience, and readers have a different expectations on what type of content and design that they look for in a travel journal.