Initial Mock Ups

I created some mock ups of my initial ideas, images below show experiments with paper stock layout, finishing techniques, type & grids. 

This mock up experiments with basic copy/print paper to experiment with layout and the containing the content in the grid I created. The die cut style screen is very fitting of the concept and creates a more engaging aesthetic to the publication without being too literal. With different paper stock and the same layout or content I explored alternative glue binding taking some inspiration from perfect binding, concertina and accordion bind. 

For this mock up I wanted to experiment with a contrast and combination of stock. So I created a cut out window for a sheet of acetate. This offered contrast between a matt and shiny stock. This idea was very fitting and an interesting test to explore the concept. This idea offers further exploration like could the contrast material or acetate be blurred to challenge the legibility of type further. 

The experiment below reveals how coloured stock creates an entirely different feel to the black. This mock up also shows the layout before I looked closer into type-setting. Revealing the publication with a slightly alternative layout and not using the reveal or cut out screen. 

This mock up uses a black and white photocopy on black stock. This printing method creates an aesthetic fitting of the drunken concept in that it challenges legibility. 

This mock up I wanted the idea to be more extreme so I wanted to experiment if the smell or look of alcohol could be shown through soaking the publication in wine. Unfortunately this did not go as planned and Rose wine did not give the publication any colour. So instead I attempted to re-create this using red food colouring a water to re create the aesthetic of a red wine spillage. The colour did not appear the intense colour I was anticipating even with concentrated pure red food colouring. Then I thought instead of focusing on colour could I create an uncomfortable texture. I achieved this by adding salt to the selected area. The result was interesting but not something I will experiment with further. 

I also experimented with an alternative print method of using black stock on with a black and white photocopy method. This gave the most effective finish and related well to the concept. This method also proved more engaging to the reader as you have to look carefully at the publication to read it and the black on black format does challenge legibility. This relates to the concept of not being entirely aware and some of our senses can be heightened or manipulated when drunk or intoxicated. The larger square format also shows an experiment of a varying size rather than the phone dimension scaled publication. However this scale of publication is not as fitting or as effective at communicating the concept. 

This layout shows a more literal reference to the concept. Using the actual phone as the imagery containing the content. This is very different to the purely typographic ideas. The layout also played with upside down imagery to communicate a disorientated feeling often associated with intoxication. This idea would perhaps be more effective using contrasting stock such as acetate as shown in an above experiment. 

The texture of this watercolour stock was purely an experiment of different stock use. The rough texture related well to the emotive feeling the reader may be responding to whilst reading the publication. Or the rough texture of stock to communicate the rough feeling of the reader. 

This experiment shows using a smooth finish and thicker stock. White card was used to create this mock up along with a concertina style glue binding. This offered an alternative consideration to perfect binding as I decided stitch binding is not appropriate or fitting of the concept.  

Below shows the most effective results from my initial experimentation. I experimented with higher quality stock and a finishing method known as foiling. The thicker stock had a slight texture meaning the foiling technique reacted slightly to this not giving the perfect finish expected. Although I think this aesthetic added to publication, as it can relate to the concept also. However I also encountered a problem during the production where the publication did not close as a book very well partly due to not being bound yet but mainly due to the thick stock. This could be resolved by containing lower gsm pages combined with the greater gsm for the (die cut) cut outs throughout the publication. I will experiment further by using alternative finishing techniques. For example using the laser cutter to cut out letters and embossing and debossing typography.