Here are some other images of topographic maps that can hopefully inspire something!

Project Concept/Proposal

If there is one thing I look forward to at the end of the school year, it is camping. I love spending time outdoors especially when I can leave the city and my daily routines. I love the crisp air, and the sheer satisfaction of reaching a beautiful landscape after hours of hiking. I have only camped during the summertime but I am looking to expand that by doing either a fall, winter or spring trip. I love all the provincial parks I have visited...

For my term project, my book will be focusing on my travels to Algonquin Park. Located in the Canadian Shield, Algonquin Park is one of my favourite spots in Ontario. Even though I have only explored and travelled various sections of the park, I find its beauty alluring. Its landscape is inspiring and I still want to explore the rest of the park. It has so much history and I'm fascinated by it.

In terms of content, my book will have a heavy focus of personal photographs, notes and illustrations. In addition to notes, quotations may be used but no large bodies of text will be present.

Another visual element that I would like to incorporate is a topographical map of the park. I love the texture and the look of a topographical map, especially since I believe that a map is a creative piece on its own. I am looking to do this through the cover (embossed) or the inside pages of my book (2 options> 1: designed to look like a 3D map or 2: have the map visually 'move' within the contents). Below are examples of how I would love to incorporate the map into my book (I will choose only ONE option):


>If I were to pursue a cover with a topographical map of Algonquin Park, I would like the map to be embossed, thereby allowing the reader to feel the unique contours and geology that the park has. I would also opt for a white hardcover with its title treated in a very simple and elegant manner to allow the topographical map to speak for itself.


>I think this book is absolutely gorgeous but I have found very little information on it. Through observation, each page has the same copy but is cropped off to resemble a topographical map. I think it's great, and I would love to pursue this.


>These books were designed by Marion Mayr (see her awesome work here: http://maid.sonance.net). The lower pictures were very inspiring. I'd love to have that transparency and movement within my book. Please visit this link to see some awesome videos that show the beautiful flow and movement within her books!

Books!

A few weeks ago, the Toronto Reference Library was having a clearance sale on their withdrawn/used books at the BookEnds South store. I was able to pop by and check out what they had to offer... and I was able to find some goodies!
My sister found the 'Life of Pi' in mint condition. Since she loved that book (and I haven't had a chance to read it), we decided to purchase it. I can't wait to get a chance to read it.

I found a plethora of books that I wanted to take home and cherish... but seeing how they were all heavy hardcovers, I really had to choose what I really wanted. I picked up three books in total: 1 softcover book on Danish Films and two hardcover books published in 1989: Speciality Food Packaging Design and the Encyclopedia of Vanished Species.



I thought the book on Danish Films was quite nicely designed and unique. There were no barcodes, its title on the spine or other essential book prelims. The inside pages were so simple and well-designed. The images used were also very striking and spoke for the movies well. My only complaint was the spacing between paragraphs: non-existent. Because of the lack of space and/or indent, it was hard to distinguish between paragraphs and sometimes it was hard to read.

The book on Food Packaging Design was old. The dustcover was tattered and had a coffee stain but that didn't deter me. Some of the packages were well-designed and could pass for something designed today. I removed the dustcover to check out the actual binding and it was actually nicely done. They also had the title debossed into the cover and foiled along its spine. I love package design and even though some of these packages are quite old, it still interests me.





The book on Endangered Species wasn't the best designed piece (though the illustrations and typography were treated fairly well). I chose to buy this book because of the contents (it's hard for me to pass up something that has to do with nature + animals). It's a sad fact that humans have been affecting the natural state of the earth... and I hate to see wildlife disappear. Some of the illustrations were fantastic and I can't wait to be able to sit down and read this book.

Greetings.

This blog will be used to tell the stories of my inspirations and development of my Book Design course.

This Book Design course has been one of the courses that I have been interested in taking since first year. I've seen past projects and they've been nothing but top-notch and inspirational. I can't wait to get started on my book (even though I'm sure I won't get much sleep by the end of it!) and to see what my fellow classmates will produce (which will no doubt be amazing!)