Brief
Create a photobook and Business card with logotype for Isaac Lawrence Brown, photography student as well as the front cover for our collaborative publication; The Lazy Collective.
Research
Looking through Isaac's stack of streetwear/fashion/music publications I identified a style aligned with this that would marry up well with his photography work. Here I've focused on two main publications that challenged conventions of normal layout and we both favoured as being a bit more experimental which we wanted for the Lazy Collective, (two issues of Fore and issue one of Push).
In keeping with the aesthetic I firstly thought about his business card.
Initial Designs
Typography
I mirrored somewhat the composition of the Lazy Gear handwritten font, drawn freehand on my graphics tablet. I experimented with a few different weights and textures and found the more pointed edge drawing tool on Illustrator mimicked the thick and thin alternating strokes of graffiti markers, suited to the street-style photography.
Business Card
I've found experimenting with layout of business cards really makes them stand out, I began this with my other fashion photography business card brief, having an image full bleed half on one side and other half on the back; so stretching a whole image onto two sides. This way I feel you don't loose details as much as you would having multiple images, it also gives a high end feel but is brought back to it's underground gritty context with the contrasting logotype, as well as the nature of the shots themselves.
I had originally experimented with different digital fonts before I used the handwritten one, trying out Rave King Regular and Andale Mono, I like this idea of having images and text repeating.
for the subtext (contact information) I've used Andale Mono. I liked the contrast between the messy logotype with numeric style of Andale, it also looks like a typewriter font, so bringing together this retro style popular throughout current design with the graffiti style, I want to emphasize a fusion of styles throghout the branding as this will be part of the ethos of Lazy Collective, coming together and acceptance of different styles, within the boundaries of an underground setting.
After discussion with the client we chose this as the final design. Isaac favoured the black and white design:
I experimented then with layout of the typography, I wanted innovative way s of presenting the contact information which a lot of the time is more of an after thought. However ironically the classic central design looked the best and the client picked it out immediately. I think with the limited space it's harder to be too experimental as you want it to be legible as really this is the function of the business card. I will save these experiments for the Lazy Collective which will be an a4 publication, giving me a lot more room to test out new compositions.
Fonts:
Andale Mono
Russo One
Germania One
Black Forest
Fonts: Logotype Handwritten by me & Germania One by John Vargas Beltrán as subtext
I produced this as an additional piece for his social media. I then printed out some cards for him, keeping the cost of production down I just used a template and printed them in the digital print suite, this way Isaac can easily reproduce these when he needs to, there's no need to pay excess especially as this kind of DIY feel makes sense in the context of his photography, capturing the underground, the up and coming.
Front Cover: The Lazy Collective
I initially was using the same picture as I have done for the rest of Isaac's branding however as this is a collaborative publication I wanted to separate this by using different visuals but maintaining a consistency somewhat, to show its a merging of styles (of mine and Isaac's.)
After these initial designs I got peer feedback. I thought the bottom right was the most appropriate however my peers thought it "looked unfinished", too blank as a fashion and music publication.
As a way of remedying this and incorporating more of my own style and illustrations relevant to Lazy Gear, I added the Aloe Vera hanging plant which is featured in the designs for the new line which is a feature of volume 1, The Lazy Collective. Peer feedback also said they really liked the layout with multiple images overlaying each other which is typical of more alternative street style layouts.
The final design I mocked up and extended the logotype in order to fit the spine of the publication:
For the body text I used Andale Mono as it contrasts the graffiti stylised logotype, incorporating digital and analogue styles highlighting the versatility of style incorporated in the publication.
A5 PhotoBook
Front Cover
I knew I wanted the design to be consistent with Isaac's business card as an extension of his visual identity, so I used the same placement of the logotype, the first larger experiment covered too much of the image, I think the dreads flying out and their shadows around the logo is visually really striking.
I changed 'logo and layout' to 'design' as it's self explanatory enough! I used the same typeface as on the logo where it says 'photographer', Germania One. The image I used on the backcover is my personal favourite, the contrasting use of colour with the front cover highlights diversity, as both shots are from the same shoot/ location but have very different aesthetics/ moods.
I did this purposely throughout the photobook, utilising colour as a means of narrative, we start off with a monochrome cover and gradually transition from black to green, through to purple.
In terms of layout with the photographs I experimented with irregular placement of imagery, however as it's just size A5 the images are too big and would look better alongside text laid out not centralised. I therefore had detailed/ close up images full bleed and had the full product/ photographs alongside it, central.
At the risk of being too boring and repetitive I did change this up for a few pages.. having imagery not utilising the confides of the A5 frame/ page.
Production
Having printed everything I cut it down to size using the crop marks to make sure they'd all be aligned. I decided to bind them a simple double staple which is the most appropriate, as they're smaller booklets, it's also cheaper and easier to produce this way for Isaac in the future as well so he can hand them out to clients.
Finished Outcomes:
In addition I made this gif for social media platforms of Isaac's photobook, on a black background in keeping with current trends of displaying publication design.
I'm really pleased with the finished outcomes of this project, I've found it frustrating that Isaac hasn't been able to provide the interviews for content and because his laptop broke he hasn't been able to give me many more photographs to mock anything up with, however the ones I do have and used in the photobook are gritty and striking, promoting Lazy Gear's new Aloe Vera line as well. I will definitely continue this collaboration with him when we have all the content and am excited as the front cover I feel really sets up a high standard for and insight into what the rest will look like.
I had a short time scale he briefed me a week before his deadline for PPP so I was worried I would have to rush the branding, however its transpired the more simplistic route of hand written type and consistent imagery works the best, emanating this underground street style he had hoped for. He was really pleased with the outcome and felt it was a true representation of his style, especially liking the contrasting typefaces and subtle blackletter underneath his logotype.
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