GRADUATION PROJECT Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’ A cookbook by Pankaj Bhadouria Sponsor: PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE INDIA Volume: 1 STUDENT: PARAG CHITALE PROGRAMME: Masters of Design (M. Des)
GUIDE: TARUN DEEP GIRDHER
2017 COMMUNICATION DESIGN FACULTY (GRAPHIC DESIGN)
National Institute of Design Ahmedabad
The Evaluation Jury recommends PARAG CHITALE for the Master of Design of the National Institute of Design IN COMMUNICATION DESIGN (GRAPHIC DESIGN)
herewith, for the project titled "Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’ A cookbook by Pankaj Bhadouria" *
Chairman Members :
Activity Chairperson, Education
ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ORIGINALITY STATEMENT I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and it contains no full or substantial copy of previously published material, or it does not even contain substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or final graduation of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in this graduation project. Moreover I also declare that none of the concepts are borrowed or copied without due acknowledgement. I further declare that the intellectual content of this graduation project is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. This graduation project (or part of it) was not and will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.
Student Name in Full:
Parag Ajit Chitale
Signature: Date:
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT STATEMENT I hereby grant the National Institute of Design the right to archive and to make available my graduation project/thesis/dissertation in whole or in part in the Institute’s Knowledge Management Centre in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my document or I have obtained permission to use copyright material.
Student Name in Full: Signature: Date:
Parag Ajit Chitale
For the ones who dare to pave the way...
COPYRIGHT Š 2017 Master of Design, Communication Design (Graphic Design), 2014-2017, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad India. All illustrations and photographs in this document are Copyright Š 2017 of the author, or the respective people/ organizations, wherever mentioned. Please note that the colors used in the design deliverables throughout the document may not be the correct ones due to the difference in printing process used for producing this document. Written and designed by Parag Chitale Edited by Tarun Deep Girdher and Parag Chitale Typeset in Kepler designed by Robert Slimbach and Open Sans designed by Steve Matteson Printed at Siddhi Printers, Ahmedabad in August 2017 Processed at National Institute of Design, Paldi Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India Pin- 380007 www.nid.edu
Designing
î he Secret’s in the Spice Mix A cookbook by Pankaj Bhadouria
For Penguin Random House, India A graduation project at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
Disclaimer The language in this document is not very formal and that is intentional. I believe in conversations and I believe that they let you understand what is ‘between the lines’ which sometimes can get lost in ‘reading the next line’. The document is authored in this conversational tone simply to make the reader comfortable enough to be part of the process and (hopefully) to get something good out of it, just like I did. So, put your reading apron on, and let’s see if we can make it to the dinner.
Synopsis ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’ written by ‘Pankaj Bhadouria’ is a cookbook consisting of recipes of spice mixes from around India. Unique in its idea, the book offers easy methods for home-made spice mixes which you otherwise buy from stores for an unreasonable cost. The project is built around the publication design of this book, published by Penguin Random House, India. The project helps develop a deeper understanding of publication design by gathering and analyzing information about the important aspects of the process. The project gives an opportunity to define design direction and take design decisions for the mentioned cookbook by working closely with different stakeholders like the author, editor, design, production, inventory, sales and marketing teams in an engaging environment. The project starts with understanding the context, the content and analyzing, refining it for the final copy, designing the inside pages by taking important decisions about the visual design and production details. Along with the inside pages the project involves designing the cover for the book. The project follows the process till the production of the book by staying true to the philosophy of 'learning by doing'.
Contents xii Find your recipe | Prologue xiv
Acknowledgments
xv
National Institute of Design
xvi
Graduation Project
xvii
Guide
xviii
Sponsor and team
xx xxii
About me About the project
1 Read the recipe | Understanding the Context 2
World Book Fair
4
Penguin Random House India
8
Understanding Publication design Domains Stakeholders
Lifeline of a book
Acquisition and Scheduling meetings
Advance Information and Catalogs
Physical aspects of a book
18 Gather the ingredients | Understanding the Content 20
Case Studies
The incredible spice men
Rick Stein's India
The big book of treats
MasterChef cookbook
Chicken from my kitchen
32
Cover - Peter Medelsund
34
The cookbook
34
The chef and her brand
Synopsis presented at PRH
Given Parameters
Cover brief
The content
The recipes
The photographs
x
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
46 Start cooking | Ideation & Design Intervention 48 56
80
Start thinking
138
The revised file for production
Given classification
140
Epson for the inside pages
Proposed classification
141
Visiting the press
Inside pages
Printing the inside pages
Printing the cover
Exploring layout options
Introducing Icons
145
It's here!
Analyzing the layout options
148
Marketing Strategies
Type exploration
Refining the type
Colour story exploration
The cover
150 On the side | Other Projects 152
Cover stories
Illustrations
153
Time-line for other projects
Author photograph
154
Bollywood Boom
Type exploration
162
Encounters of a Fat Bride
Cover options
170
The Dramatic Decade
Back cover
174
Millionaire Housewives
182
What I did not learn at IIT
182
What I did not learn at B School
186
Looking for the Rainbow
Case studies
104 Keep tasting while cooking | Testing, Refinement & Modification
190
Hack into Your Creativity
Final direction
196
Breach
Style-sheet
200
Aur Phir Ek Din
Inside pages
Problematic recipes
118
Workshop at DK
119
Inside pages
130
106
136 Adjust the seasoning & serve hot | Final Execution
206 Smile with satisfaction | Reflections
Copyright page
208
Graduation Project
Colour correction
209
NID Journey
Enhancing the usability and experience
Proof reading 211
Credits and references
Handover of the cover
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xi
Find your recipe Today, let’s do something new, something very interesting. Let’s cook something special for ourselves. Everyday, on my way back from the office, I try to remember what’s there in the fridge and decide what to cook for dinner. Cooking is such a therapeutic process. You get ready, you prepare yourself and you carefully invest your time to do something creative. You follow every step and ultimately reach your destination. Ah! The pure joy of creating something from scratch! For tonight, let’s do a new recipe. Look for it. There will be one that will win your heart.
Prologue Learning something new, something interesting lifts you up. We all are always looking for that. Design project is an important step in the academic structure and as a young designer is directs your path to the future. Before making any decision, you think a lot, you research, you introspect. You weigh all the options against your pros and cons list. With utmost care you follow the path and ultimately reach your destination. Ah! The pure joy of doing exactly what you want! For now, let’s dig a little deeper to inspect the foundation of this project.
Acknowledgments “This is for the ones I needed, do now and always will.”
My salt and pepper Books! Before anyone and anything else I must thank books. I can not think of
“You are way too childish for a Master’s student.”, I’ve been told. I take it as a
anything else that has impacted my life like you have and every single person
compliment as it makes me feel closer to the amazing UG people. They have this
mentioned in following few paragraphs will agree with me. Thank you from the
unique energy about them that just makes everything shine brighter. I admire their
bottom of my heart. Thank you for being there, always.
fearlessness, spontaneity and genuine curiosity. I should specially thank my fellow UG people who I’ve gotten to know, tried and managed to understand a little better and
My most sincere and heartfelt gratitude towards Penguin Random House, India
going to cherish forever (drama). Special thanks to Ishita, Nidhi, Pupul because I
(PRH) and Ahlawat Gunjan for showing confidence in me and giving me the
look up to you guys. Thanks Abhilasha for helping me proofread the document. A big
responsibility to design a book cover-to-cover. Thank you for being a strong support
hug to Vivek, Tejal, Simoul, Arun and everyone else who made me feel like my
and directing me in the right way. I am and will always be humbled by your generosity.
own self. You are the powerhouse on which we oldies survive. Thanks.
Special thanks to Gurveen Chadha, Commissioning Editor at PRH, for believing in me and for being the patient listener that she is. Many thanks to Aditi Muraleedharan,
Feeling of being in a family, being around people who care for you helps you grow.
Copy Editor at PRH for making sure that everything is perfect. I must thank Balraj-ji
I learned this from Vishnu, Kiran, Aravind, Kailashnath, Prasam, Arya, Akkta
for his help. Major thanks to the Design team at PRH, India—Neelima, Meena, Neeraj-
and Naina. I sometimes can not believe that at some point, you all were strangers
ji, Chetan-ji, Devangana and Akangksha for all the constructive coffees, punny lunches
to me. I know, it’s a cliché but if I list all the ways you guys have helped me be a
and countless learning moments.
better designer and a better person and the things you’ve made me realize about myself; I’d have to make three volumes for this document. You have become a big
Tarun Deep Girdher, I can not thank you enough for everything you’ve taught me
part of who I am now, and I am thankful for that.
- knowingly and unknowingly. I feel fortunate to have started my journey in Graphic Design under your supervision and to have been able to come to this humble
Tripti, my go-to person for everything related to life and staying alive. I would not
conclusion with your guidance. Working with you on Alpavirama 2014 Catalogue
have been able to be the reasonably regular person I claim to be now, without you.
was the turning point for me, where I found the print-person in me and found a
Thank you for showing me the possibility to have an organized adventurous life. Thank
way to participate in this celebration of printed word. I have utmost respect for
you for not disowning me, despite having several thousand opportunities to do so.
your commitment to work. This project could not have been possible if it weren’t
Thanks for sharing food with me, thanks for putting a roof over my head, thanks for
for your support and guidance. I am grateful for your encouraging and contagious
teaching me how to live a life and love a life. Thanks for calling me late at night, early in
enthusiasm that resonates with positivity and inspires me to thrive for perfection.
the morning, in the noon and every other possible time in a day because I need that.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thanks for believing in me. Thanks for everything, literally every single thing.
I must thank all the faculty members of Graphic Design Department at NID. I feel
Passion, honesty, trust, support and love. This is my family to me. Their constant
honored to say that I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Tridha Gajjar, Immanuel
support and unbelievable belief in me always makes me do things I never thought I’d
Suresh, Anil Sinha, Rupesh Vyas, Mona Prabhu whose insightful feedbacks helped an
be able to do. Growing up in a family that knows the importance of and respects the
engineer become a designer. I must thank the amazing people at NID print Labs,
value of education has always kept the flame of curiosity in me, alive. Thank you
Bharatbhai, Sureshbhai for showing us how to work with RGB and how to put
Ajji-Nana for teaching me what commitment is. Baba, Thank you for being a
CMYK on the paper. Thank you Lalithaben and Jayaben for your supportive smiles. I
frien-dad and telling me that passion has no limits. Aai, Thank you for being the
consider myself blessed to be a tiny part of this ever-inspiring legendary department
wonderfully strong person you are. Juitai, thank you for proving that you can
at NID.
achieve your goal if you stay smart and work hard. Thank you Pushkar for showing me that trusting your potential does take you places. Thank you Ira for brightening
Thank you HEAR, Mulhouse for showing me that it’s possible to believe in yourself.
up my life with your smile. Thank you all so much for all that you’ve done for me and all that you’ve done with me. Thank you for being you, because that makes me, me,
I would be completely lost if it weren’t for the wonderful people at NID. I must
which is pretty good, most of the times.
thank all of my batch-mates, juniors, seniors and the faculty members. Thank you for showing me the way to be stronger. I can not forget to thank all the Bens and Bhais and Coffees and Chais that have added nothing but a charming liveliness to this journey.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Prologue
And of course, Thank you, the reader, for your patience, courage and optimism.
National Institute of Design National Institute of Design. Being India’s premier design institute, NID has undeniable legacy when it comes to design research and education. It was established in 1961 by Gautam and Gira Sarabhai in coherence with the thoughts from ‘The India Report’ written by Charles and Ray Eames to promote design education and practices to help the developing India to cope up with the need of hour. NID is committed to train designers to solve problems unlike design schools in other parts of the world. NID ahmedabad offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Industrial Design, Communication Design through seven different design desciplines. Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film and Video Communication, Exhibition Design, Product Design, Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture Design departments direct the aspiring designers in the right direction by giving them a solid foundation of design thinking and required skill-sets. NID has a strong global presence and has been a part of a very successful student exchange program. NID has collaborated with numerous design schools and design thinkers on various opportunities and has provided a platform for young ideators to showcase their work. NID, being one the most important design schools in the world, proves to be a leader for the modern day innovative design thinkers. When I decided to pursue higher education in design, my aim was NID, just like any other aspiring design student. I had no idea how that was going to happen, I just knew it was. When I entered the campus for the first time, for the interviews, the brick-red and green stole something from me and in June 2014 I came here to give it back. I became a part of NID and it became mine. I should let you know that NID is unique for everyone. National Institute of Design for Parag Chitale is definitely different than what it is for the hundreds of brilliant minds who were here and for the hundreds to come. My NID taught me to tame the engineer in me and to nurture the designer. It purposefully threw some curved balls and asked me face them even when it knew I didn’t know how. NID taught me to find solutions on my own. NID taught me to not slip and fall on the spiral staircase. NID taught me to be self-sufficient, independent. NID is not just a design Institute, NID is not just the wonderful campus, NID is not just the people, NID is not just having chai with your friends at the chai-gate, NID is something that I for one can not quantify. One thing is for sure, NID is intimidating some times and inspiring all the times, we need to be wise and courageous enough to make the right decision. www.nid.edu
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xv
Graduation Project The end of the students’ academic tenure at the National Institute of Design is marked by the culmination of a substantial investigation in the field of design on a topic closely allied to their discipline of study. It is through the graduation project and subsequent documentation of the same that this investigation takes place. This is the final academic project for the student. A jury comprising faculty members evaluates the students’ performance in the graduation project, after which, students are awarded NID’s professional education programme final graduation. The graduation project is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their expertise as independent practitioners of design. However, this project must be done with academic rigour incorporating systematic inquiry and informed design decisions. The phrase ‘systematic inquiry’ implies the presence of a structure and method by which the student must carry out his/her project. The graduation project should reflect the thought leadership manifested through creativity and innovation. The project should lead to new knowledge creation and should align with broader objectives of the institute. The graduation project reflects the student’s ability to: • Apply his/her learning to current practices in the process of creating new forms of products, processes, services, and systems. • Analyze and refine his/her ideas in an iterative manner on the basis of critique. • Evaluate/reflect upon the creative processes s/he has followed. While the last point above represents a higher order of inquiry usually expected in research, its significance in design cannot be understated if the designer is also to be viewed as a ‘reflective practitioner’. The graduation project reflects the students’ competence to excel in their chosen profession. This project orients the students to the needs and demands of the industry; it also helps students to make an informed decision about which career path they would like to follow upon graduation.
www.nid.edu
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Prologue
Guide
Tarun Deep Girdher Tarun Deep Girdher, one of the finest design educators at National Institute of Design,
Tarun is good at confusing his students and I mean it in the most positive sense.
Ahmedabad. During my entrance interviews, Tarun was one of the members on the
After having conversations with him, most of the times I have re-thought my ongoing
panel. I remember, he kept taking notes and he kept asking to-the-point questions
project sitting in the GD studio as I was feeling a little lost and a little found at the
which without a doubt made me think hard before answering. After the interview,
same time. Tarun shows you how many doors are ready to be opened and then you
I came out of the board-room smiling, knowing that I had had a talk with someone
are spoiled for choice. He makes you think about all the possible directions before
incredibly amazing. Even today, after every chai with him, I get the same smile.
setting your path. This, though being momentarily overwhelming, works. With Tarun, you never get an answer, you find one; which is even more rewarding.
Tarun introduced us to Typography. He taught us how to use it effectively. Tarun has always been a serious teacher who is fun to work with. I have never seen anyone
I have learned so much just by observing him work and interact with people.
as concerned about and connected with the students as him. Tarun, since joining
He makes you think about your decisions and the consequences of your action
NID in 1999 has taught Typography, Visual Narratives, Introduction to Printing
before you start executing them. Design transcends the half yearly projects, the
Technology, Communication Skills, Letter Design, Publication Design, Introduction
assignments, the documents and the walls of NID, it is a way of life, he shows. I
to Illustration, Environmental Perception, Hand Book Binding, Emerging scenarios
respect his professional work ethic and his commitment to work. With his actions,
and has guided numerous students in their design projects and diploma/graduation
he shows his students the benefits of thoroughly understanding the problem
projects. Tarun has an undeniable special soft corner for print and publication
and questioning everything before taking a decision. Through our numerous
design. His passion for creation propagates through his work to his students. I am
conversations, I have realized the importance of keeping a positive, open-eyed,
one of the many who are thankful for that.
open-minded attitude towards the world. Tarun, someone who is always ready to help, demonstrates that everyone is a student forever and everyone has space to grow. He is an inspiration.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xvii
Sponsor
Penguin Random House, India When it comes to books in India, you need a publishing house that understands your point of view. Penguin Random House India knows the market, understands new forms and styles of literature in India, and is a subsidiary of the well-established and well-respected global publishing house, Penguin Random House. As printers and publishers of adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction in the UK, US and India, we’re one of the most recognized names in publishing. Penguin India was started in 1985, and is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent. Publishing started in 1987 with only six books. In 2017, as we celebrate thirty years of being in the region, you now get around 250 new titles from Penguin every year, along with an active backlist (already published books) of over 3000 titles to top that. While you may know Penguin India mainly as a portal for the classic fiction you love to devour, we’re also known for modern fiction as well as narrative non-fiction, including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, illustrated and children’s books. Penguin India boasts a list of authors that are some of India’s favorite writers, who will make you long for book readings, new titles and life updates. Featuring three Booker Prize winning novels, Penguin authors have also been recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors. If you seek to get to the roots of Indian literature, Penguin India also publishes in Hindi. If you’re seeking to spread bibliophilia to the masses, Penguin India titles are available in several Indian languages through our local language publishers. These include Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Urdu. With our strong digital and online presence-the strongest among Indian publishersand our robust book club-Penguin India hopes to stay connected with you and your needs at all times. The Penguin App, launched in 2011, as well as publishing over 2200 e-book titles every year contributes to Penguin India having the highest recall value in India among readers like you. As you make your way through books, either reading them or writing them, Penguin India has you covered no matter what mood, intellectual junction or stage of life you are at. www.penguin.co.in
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Prologue
My guardians
The Design Team The design team at Penguin Random House, India works on design aspect of the publications which includes the responsibility of designing the covers for most of the books, inside pages of the books that need design intervention and everything around it. The design team is an integral part of the PRH family as we all know, we do judge a book by its cover. The design team is headed by Ahlawat Gunjan, (standing at the left end) who has an impressive portfolio and a very generous, kind personality. Gunjan as the Design Head has the responsibility to manage the workload and work-flow dynamic in the design team along with his own cover designs and watercolour adventures. Neelima P Aryan, (standing next to him) is the senior designer who keeps the design team motivated with her enthusiasm and designs wonderfully crafted covers that the readers admire. Chetan Kishore, (standing next to Neelima) is an eversmiling face in the design team. He works closely with the editors on variety of projects. Neeraj Nath (standing on the right end) is the bade bhaiyya of the design team. Working on the commercial covers, he shows a positive workplace attitude. Meena Rajasekaran, (sitting on the right) is the designer whose work shows the dedication and passion that she puts in. Her work is very impressive and spans over a large spectrum of genres. Devangana Dash, (sitting next to me) is a designer who will do the right thing the right way. Through her design, she succeeds to captivate the intended audience. The newest face in this list was Me (sitting at the left end). I was going to work on a complete book for the first time. I never needed to look anywhere else for inspiration, the design team was there for me. The design team at PRH works very closely with each other. The team works with
The design team at Penguin Random House, India
the editors, authors, illustrators, artists and the technical team. The design team is the essential cog in this giant machine and this team is doing its job flawlessly. The intra-team communication is crystal clear and sharing of ideas and critical feedbacks is what makes this team different. The positive attitude towards the feedbacks, the open conversations about design, the impromptu sharing of inspiring work and very professional work ethic is what the team is all about. The design team is the part of the PRH family that always keeps pushing the boundaries. Books make you think, they make you grow. This team, in that sense, was the guidebook to publication design, the one that I longed to read.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xix
About me
Who is this person? Hi, I am Parag Chitale.
Graphic Design from National Institute of Design.
There are a few things about me that I have tell you to give you a better idea about
Setting an ambitious goal always gives us motivation to do better. Knowing myself,
me. I am from Pune. I am almost always smiling. I sing. I enjoy writing and I am a
getting into the best design school in India was what I needed to do. All I knew about
graphic designer who also is a computer engineer. I am someone who is curious to
design education was that it was not easy; you need to be creative, you need think
know more and enthusiastic to learn everything. I enjoy conversations. Also as
outside the box and also getting into NID is everyone’s dream which hardly ever
I am writing this, I am realizing that I love to but need to stop making these lists. The
comes true. I decided that I it was going to happen for me - I was going to get into
last few years were different though. They added one important thing to this ever-
NID. It had to happen. I started looking back at my life to see if I really was remotely
growing list. Something that was sort of lacking — a solid sense of direction.
compatible with the life I was dreaming of and I realized that somehow every story was a happy beginning! Working on my portfolio and preparing for my entrance
To understand how this happened, let’s track back a little, just a little bit, to the time
exam with nothing but pure optimism is the time in my life that I’ll cherish forever.
when I was studying Computer Engineering in Pune. A bright science student with
The realization that (un/sub)consciously I was preparing myself for this task all
a curious mind having a very positive outlook towards education, my graduation
my life started to sink in and I got goosebumps. All the roads were leading to one
degree had to be engineering. Very interestingly that never stopped my love for
destination—Post-graduation in Graphic Design from NID. After the most impressive
‘extracurricular’ activities. In my school years, I was always participating in music-
entrance exam, challenging studio test and heartwarming interview, one fine
art-drama-activities to vent out my creativity in a positive way, hence along with
evening, all the focused hard-work, the honest efforts and the optimism transformed
attending adequate number of lectures in my engineering college, I was already a
into a little golden word, “Congratulations”. I read it, jumped off the kitchen counter
dedicated member of the drama club, lead singer of our college orchestra and had
and took the earliest train from Pune to Ahmedabad. I had done something good.
bagged some pretty important awards for the college and was one of the toppers as
And on my way I thought, ‘OK, now what?’
well. I was quite happy with what I was doing. But in my third year, things changed, fortunately for the better.
'Now what?' is what I ask. 'Now what?' is what keeps me focused. Just like jazz, the next step is what makes the music. In the two-three super-fast years at NID, it kept
We had a training program for campus placements. In one of the sessions, we were
asking us Now what? What more can you do? What else do you have in you to make
asked to write down our ambitions in life and the second I put my pen to the paper
yourself a better designer? — The questions that were needed to be asked, needed
I realized that I am not supposed to be an engineer for life. Considering that fact
to be thought upon before moving on to another. NID has given my life a perfect
that I was enjoying and was good at being an engineer, it was an interesting moment
direction and pushed me into the future in such an accelerated state that it amazes
for me to find myself realizing the fact that I did not want stay just that. I wanted to
me every time I look back. It has been just around three years and a lot has changed.
stay creative and not only productive. I wished for the possibility of a satisfied happy
I am grateful for that. From being completely unaware about my prospects of being
life that offered me creative challenges as well. I thought to myself, “Now what?” I
a designer, to slowly seeing a ray of hope and now to actually graduating from NID;
needed to figure out a way to use my passion for creative arts along with my need
it has been a series of revelations strengthening my beliefs and making me push
to tackle and solve problems. As I thought about it seriously, a number of doors and
myself to learn more and grow.
windows suddenly opened up and the winds of change started flowing. Having an engineer’s brain, I started making lists and tables of all possible opportunities. All the
So, here I am now, scrutinizing myself, pushing myself out of my shell, dissecting
calculations were summing up to one interesting word—Design.
myself to get a clear idea of who I am, learning to unlearn and everything that comes with it. This is what I am doing now, testing every single thing about me and keeping a check on the progress I am trying to make, taking one of the most interesting turns in my life, and the most refreshing one, definitely. In 2017, in my mid-twenties, I am completing my post-graduation in Graphic Design from National Institute of Design with a project with Penguin Random House India! Something I never would have thought I would be doing just four years ago. So this is what it is, for now. And I know that the story is going to get more interesting; it’ll always keep moving ahead, one page at a time, asking 'Now what?'
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Prologue
What does he really want? Why publication design?
Why this project?
Books have always played an important role in my life. The beauty of ink on paper
The project involved designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’ authored by ‘Pankaj
is so captivating that it’s difficult for me to get away from that black on white.
Bhadouria’ who is one of India’s leading chefs. To be honest, as I did not have a
Fortunately, in my first semester at NID, I got the opportunity to get involved in the
television growing up, I had no idea who Pankaj Bhadouria was. I had no idea how
catalogue design for Alpavirama-2014. Getting introduced to publication design
interesting her journey to become a celebrity chef was. I only knew I was going to
process by Tarun was an eye-opening, life-changing moment. Witnessing the
work on her cookbook. The fact that it was a cookbook was what made me interested.
amount of efforts put into those pages to convey the intended information to
Cookbooks are interesting. They are merely information manuals, to be completely
thousands of people, the number of critical decisions to be taken that’ll literally
honest, but they are designed and presented in a way that it makes you want to take
shape an idea and getting to see the culmination of that process, the actual printed
an action. They make you feel hungry, they make you feel something through the
book, was very intriguing.
images and the typography. Getting to work on this book that celebrates spices and talks about the authenticity of Indian flavors was a definite add-on. The scope of this
We had our classes of production process with Bharatbhai and having witnessed the
project would let me work from the beginning till the end with fairly enough liberty
Alpavirama process, I had the opportunity to refresh the memories and understand
to take design decisions under guidance of the people at Penguin India who have
the details in a finer way. Visiting the printing press, watching the actual process of
enriched experience in the field. This is what I wanted from my graduation project, a
printing coupled with the new knowledge I was absorbing made an impact. Then
guided project that’d let me explore the field of publication design.
onwards, the print bug stayed alive. When I went on my exchange to Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin in Mulhouse, France, I kept an online blog that’d help me reflect on the
Before hopping on board with Penguin India, I had a thorough talk with Tarun who
semester. As the semester progressed, I kept thinking what more can I do with the
was definitely going to be my guide. I always ask for his advice whenever in doubt.
blog that would add something new in my learning. There were almost 22 posts
This project was definitely tempting but I needed to be sure that it would make a
and they seemed nice as a compilation and then I thought of turning it into a
worthy graduation project. After getting a ‘go ahead’ from him and finalizing the finer
publication. I knew the basics, I had all the content and I had nothing but time.
details with Gunjan (my mentor), we made it official. I was to move to yet another city
Thus, ‘Write Right Write Left’ started taking shape as a book. My very first self-
and deliver a complete book within the period of mere four months! This one was
initiated completely independent publication project. I learned a lot through that
going to be a page turner.
process. With a bucket-full of faux-pas and tremendous positivity, the book came alive. After coming back to NID I got it printed at the dearest Siddhi Printers and holding that modest little book in my hands was one of the happiest moments of my life as a budding designer. When I had to decide what I wanted to do for my graduation project, I knew it was going to be publication design. I have always been curious about this gigantic industry that, while staying between the lines, creates masterpieces. After getting to know how I can be a part of it, I was sure. I knew I wanted to explore this field of graphic design where words and images come together, giving foundation to ideas. Graduation project is, I believe, a major investment for the future. Being an active part of the process, being able to observe, understand and apply the methodologies learned in the course-work would give me a crystal clear view of the publication deisng process. I waited patiently to get exactly what I wanted and then one fine morning, I was walking towards Penguin Random House, Gurgaon, to start my graduation project that involved designing a complete book! I guess, sometimes you do get what you want if you want it enough.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xxi
Project Proposal
Overview and Scope OVERVIEW Penguin Random House India is one of the leading publication houses in India and abroad that publishes quality content. The book ‘The Secret’s in the Spice mix’ is one of such projects that gives voice to a unique idea. Authored by Pankaj Bhadouria, the winner of Masterchef India season 1, the paperback cookbook re-introduces the authentic flavors of spice mixes from around India to food enthusiasts. With 50 recipes from different domains of food and the recipes for their unique spice mixes, the book encourages authenticity and originality of flavors by making cooking easy for everyone.
This project would give me an opportunity to 1. Develop a deeper understanding of publication design by gathering and analyzing information about the important aspects of the process. 2. Define the design direction and take design decisions for the cookbook ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’ regarding visual design, production details and also sales, marketing, etc. 3. Work closely with different stakeholders like the author, editor, design, production, inventory, sales and marketing team in an engaging environment to understand and participate in the process of publishing a book.
I have sincere expectations to gain an all round understanding of a publication design system during my project tenure by adhering to the philosophy of ‘Learning by Doing’.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Prologue
Methodology Phase 1: Understanding the Context
As mentioned in the offer letter for the internship, I had the opportunity to design 3
Understanding the brief and defining the time-line.
book covers per month. That meant I was going to be working on multiple projects
Primary study– understanding the different aspects of publication design.
at the same time. This was going to be very interesting to manage as my priority and
Understanding the process of book design through active participation in several
the time-line for the graduation project was not supposed to get disrupted because
ongoing projects and practices at the organization.
of the covers and the process for the covers was not supposed to be carried out
Secondary study– domain understanding, contextual study (studying the existing
half-heartedly because of the cookbook. The time and efforts put into each of the
relevant books)
tasks, it all had to be managed precisely so as to keep the balance of everything. For me, working in a publication house for the first time, a complete book and 10 covers,
Phase 2: Understanding the Content
it was a feast. A feast for which I had to cook!
Understanding and analyzing the content of the book. Working with the commissioning editor to understand and develop the mission and vision for the
In NID, we had a dedicated time for our design projects and the time-lines for the
book. Working with the author to understand/refine the content. Broadening the
projects never overlapped with other courses. We would start our project and follow
understanding through case studies and design audit of existing cookbooks.
the proposed time-line for the duration of the project. The week-based modules also have the same strategy and they come one after the other never all at once.
Phase 3: Ideation and Design Intervention
This gives the student the time and opportunity to immerse themselves in the
Exploring different possibilities for the tone of the publication. Exploring different paper
matter at hand. For learning environment, this is quite helpful as you can focus on
choices and visual design directions through typography, visual styles for the cover and
one thing and absorb as mush as you can.
the inside pages. Working on the information hierarchy and information management. During my exchange to HEAR, we had multiple courses everyday. This sudden Phase 4: Testing, Refinement and Modification
transition was, for I was quite used to NID schedule, a little troublesome at the
Establishing the final design direction and working towards the final layout of the
beginning. Over the period of time, I taught myself to compartmentalize the
book and the cover through iterative inputs and reviews.
workload and work simultaneously on two independent projects. This experience was going to help me in my project and it did!
Phase 5: Final execution Working on the final layouts and preparing pre-press artworks for the inside pages,
Ultimately, in the four months, the process for the cookbook mingled with the
the cover. Handover to the press.
processes of the covers and a wholesome learning experience emerged. The first lesson — workplace teaches you different lessons than those taught in a school!
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xxiii
Proposed time-line for the project
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Guide visit
January
February
March
April
The most important difference between a hypothetical
In the actual time-line on your right, you’ll be able to
project and a live-project is the weight of responsibility
see number of projects and their respective time-lines.
on your shoulder. In a live-project you are a part of a
This internship was full of ‘firsts’ for me, one of them
bigger process and if you fail to deliver the needed, the
was definitely working with such an intense time-line.
system fails. Acknowledging this fact without feeling its
Every single project was a live-project and was different
burden helps you prioritize your work.
than the previous one. Very interestingly, I got to work on different genres of books ranging from cookbooks,
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
During these four months, I worked on the cookbook
business books, non-fictions to children's books and
in its entirety along with eight cover designs, one
fictions. As I write this in the first week of July 2017,
title design and one more complete book. This was
some of the books are already in the market, some
possible only because I kept tally of all the deadlines
are on their way to the press (handover done) and
and the work done. The computer engineer in me kept
some will be out in late 2017 (design approved). If not
changing the loops and distributing work to check the
anything, this project has taught me to understand
load on the processor. This helped me to follow the
the consequences of my decisions. We have a
intended time-line for the cookbook.
responsibility, so we need to act correspondingly.
Prologue
May
Co-existence with other projects
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Guide visit The secret’s in the spice mix
Handover (Published)
Bollywood booM
Handover (Published)
Encounters of a fat bride
Handover (Published)
The dramatic decade
Design approved
Millionaire housewives
Design approved
What I did not learn at IIT
Design approved
What I did not learn at MBA
Design approved
Looking for the rainbow
Handover (Published)
Breach
Design approved
Hack into your creativity
Handover (Published)
Aur phir ek din
Design approved
January
February
March
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
April
May
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
xxv
Read the recipe Now that we have the recipe for the dish we want, let’s read it nicely. It’s nice to know interesting little details about the recipe before we begin. We should know what cuisine it is, where it’s originated from, how it has traveled. If we are involved in the recipe from the beginning, it’s easier to follow it to the point. When we know the ingredients and the steps, every recipe is as easy as boiling water. If we don’t know if it’s an appetizer or a dessert, how are we going to choose the serving plate?
Understand the context Now that the project is decided, we must understand it thoroughly. One must be hundred percent aware about every single relevant thing about the project. It starts with the domain study, and primary and secondary research about the problem area. Collect all the relevant information about the project so you have a definite knowledge base, on which you can build your solution. If you don’t know where you are, you can not find the way to your destination.
World Book Fair “Before we start, I think, you should see what we actually do.” -Ahlawat Gunjan
The first contact World book fair is a tremendous opportunity for a book enthusiast to explore more and get overwhelmed. The book fair gives platform to the publishers to showcase and sell their work. What a wonderful way to start a publication project! My internship was about to start on the 15th of January 2017 and the New Delhi World Book Fair was organized by National Book Trust, India and India Trade Promotion Organization in the week from 7th to 15th January 2017. I was in conversation with Gunjan, my mentor at Penguin, who suggested that I should visit the book fair as Penguin has a huge exhibit there. I was excited to see the books and the people I was going to work with. Penguin India turned 30 in 2017. Since 1997, Penguin India has grown to be a giant name in the Indian publication industry. The book fair was a fortunate place to witness the joy of creating books and the joy of reading them. The number of people who actually wanted to come and buy books, the number of publishers, the incredible energy was reassuring. In this world of kindles and ebooks and audio-books and social media stories, there are people who still cherish the miraculous wonders known as books! I grew up with books and I used to go to such fairs with my father and he would buy me all the books that I wanted and I’d go home happy and smiling. This time, I took home ‘Little Women’, a book that taught me to be true to myself and be kind to everyone. The cover for this Penguin Classics edition of the book is designed by my mentor, Gunjan, which I bought from the book fair organized by NBT whose identity is designed by my guide, Tarun Deep Girdher! Small world, big dreams, everything sort of fitting together.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Context
A few snippets from the book fair and the ever-inspiring buy.
A lot to think about “People feel a connection with a book based on how it looks and how they feel holding it but ultimately a ‘reader’ buys a book for what’s inside.” -Anonymous
As I got to the Penguin exhibit, there was a rush in the
When it came to cookbooks, I was more observant as it
air to put the exhibit in place for the opening. As an
was to be my primary domain of study. I’ll put down a
enthusiastic to-be member of the team, I decided to
few major observations.
help and I was then in charge of the ‘Food & Drinks’
1. The readership for cookbooks is mainly because of
section. I was to nicely arrange the books in the shelves
the cook. The chef who wrote the book matters a lot.
and help the visitor get what they wanted from that
The chef is what people looked for in the book. Cooking
section. It gave me the opportunity to go through all
is a skill based activity and to do that correctly, you
the books penguin had that fell into the cookbook
need a reliable guide.
section. Witnessing the Penguin exhibit at the World
2. Visuals help the reader make a choice. As
Book Fair, the love for books and talking to people
cookbooks talk about creating something, it helps the
there gave me some very interesting insights about
reader if the visuals are attractive and strategically
how the readers respond to books as well. I observed
placed.
some of them, followed some of them, I talked to a few
3. People who are not just a beginner when it comes to
of them to get to know what they were thinking while
cooking and wanted to explore more preferred books
buying a book.
that had an interesting theme to them. 4. The books which were visually clean and
Very clearly, there were different types of people who
appetizing, were bought frequently, provided that the
wanted different things from the book fair.
content is what they wanted.
Devoted followers: These were the people who buy
5. The books that were light-weight were less
nothing but books from one publisher or an author
intimidating for the beginners and to-be cooks.
and they believe in the brand. They believe in the
6. Some of the readers preferred books that had a
quality of the content and the quality of the production.
range of recipes.
They headed straight to find what they wanted as they entered the area.
To sum up, the visit to the New Delhi World Book Fair
Devoted readers: These were the people who enjoy
2017 was a very important and positive first step in the
the written word. They do not follow just one publisher
project journey. Talking to people who love reading
or an author but they follow one genre of books.
gave me insights from the users’ point of view. One line
Explorers: These were the people with whom I
out of the many conversations I had got me the most.
identified the most. They were looking through the books, they went around the different exhibits and
One visitor said, “People feel a connection with a book
bought all the different books they thought were
based on how it looks and how they feel holding it but
intriguing. I learned that they read the excerpts, the
ultimately a ‘reader’ buys a book for what’s inside.”
blurbs, they look inside and then decide.
I guess, that is the ultimate truth.
Proximity searchers: Some of the readers had one genre in mind and they wanted something from that area. If not able to find exactly what they wanted, they looked into the other sections which were closer to their previous idea. Take it and go: Some people had just one specific book in mind, for which they searched, and once found bought and left. Very odd, I thought, but cost-effective, I realized. Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
3
Penguin Random House India
“…committed to expanding our role as a cultural institution beyond the books we publish…”
PRH as a global brand image of the penguin bird as the primary character,
to nearly 250 editorially and creatively independent
that in collective memory is the image of Penguin
publishing imprints. Together, our mission is to foster
Books, as well as the name, was suggested by Lane’s
• Established on July 1, 2013
a universal passion for reading by partnering with
secretary, Joan Coles. The initial design was created
• Shareholders: Bertelsmann 53% and Pearson 47%
authors to help create stories and communicate ideas
by the then-twenty-one-year-old office junior named
• Headquartered in New York City with operations in
that inform, entertain, and inspire, and to connect them
Edward Young, after a trip to the zoo. You might also be familiar with a number of leading
independent imprints
The result of a holy union between two publishing
publishing houses for whom Penguin India is the
giants—Bertelsmann’s Random House and Pearson’s
exclusive distributor partner in the region, including the
Penguin—Penguin Random House was formed on
Penguin Group, A&C Black, Atlantic Books, Bloomsbury,
• Employs more than 12,000 people globally
1 July,2013, owning 53 per cent and 47 per cent of
Faber&Faber, Granta, Hay House, Icon, Kyle Cathie,
• Publishes 70,000 digital and 15,000 print titles
Penguin Random House respectively.
Marshall Cavendish, Mira, Quercus, Sterling, Constable
annually, with more than 100,000 eBooks available
& Robinson, Oneworld and Zubaan.
worldwide
Our dedicated team of publishing professionals is committed to helping authors realize their very best
With a rich history dating back to the 1800s, our
work and to finding innovative new ways of bringing
expansive publishing portfolio contains books and
stories and ideas to audiences worldwide. By leveraging
products for readers of all ages at every stage of life.
our global reach, embracing new technologies, and
We’re also proud to count more than 70 Nobel Prize
collaborating with authors at every stage of the
laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read
publishing process—from editorial and design, to
authors as part of the Penguin Random House family.
sales and marketing, to production and distribution— we aim to provide them with the greatest platform
Penguin Random House is committed to expanding
possible. At the same time, we fiercely protect our
our role as a cultural institution that serves society not
authors’ intellectual property and champion freedom of
only with the books we publish and investments we
expression, ensuring that their voices carry beyond the
make in new ideas, creativity, and diverse voices, but
page and into the folds of communities and societies
also through our charitable donations and leadership
around the globe.
of numerous campaigns and initiatives worldwide that promote literacy and reading culture, support freedom
Penguin Books was the brain child of British publisher,
of expression, and reflect our belief in the power of
Allen Lane, in 1935. Urban legend speaks of his
books to connect and change lives.
fruitless quest to find a good book to read at the Exeter Railway Station, which, among other factors, led to the inspiration for Penguin Books and his producing a range of affordable and high quality paperback books. At the time, paperbacks weren’t the chosen format for anyone wishing to publish serious, well-written literature. The books soon found a profitable market in the UK, surprising initial sceptics of Lane’s idea, and setting the tone for intellectual reading as a layman’s game in the twentieth century-a tradition still upheld by you, amongst millions of other bookworms today. The Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
20 countries across five continents • Made up of 250 editorially and creatively
with readers everywhere.
4
Some key facts about Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House is the international home
Understanding the Context
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
• Comprised of adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing
PRH family intro Penguin Random House is the international home to nearly 250 editorially and creatively independent publishing imprints. Together, our imprints publish over 70,000 digital and 15,000 print titles annually, with more than 100,000 eBooks available worldwide. Browse our divisions and imprints below to learn
Portfolio
Puffin
more about the distinct and diverse voices that make
Portfolio is the imprint which once was the only
One of the most successful imprints in the PRH family
up Penguin Random House and help bring to life our
business imprint of Penguin Books. Thriving in the
is Puffin. The younger brother of Penguin Books, Puffin
authors’ very best work.
non-fiction category of books, Portfolio publishes
publishes books for children. These books, filled with
books which cater to the needs of professionals from
imaginative, informative narratives and illustrations
different backgrounds.
engage the readers and helps them kick-start their
The imprints help PRH reach a wider audience by providing the intended reader exactly what they want.
literary journey from an early age.
PRH India had different imprints that cater to different readerships. The following list which includes some of the PRH imprints will give you a better idea about them.
Random Business
Penguin Books
Just like Portfolio, Random Business was once the only
Penguin Metro
business imprint for Random House. Since 2013, these two
This imprint is the proof that PRH is growing by
imprints are growing together, satisfying their respective
understanding the changing needs of the readers. This
dedicated readerships by delivering quality content.
imprint mainly publishes content for light reading at
This is the most popular imprint of PRH. Penguin
affordable prices. Staying true to their imprint's name,
books is the brand image which attracts readers by
these books make a perfect companion for short
assuring them a high quality publication. Ranging from
journeys.
non-fiction to fiction Penguin Books has covered all the different genres of literature. The penguin identity on the covers with its iconic orange has generated a gigantic dedicated readership. Ebury Press Ebury Press publishes books from both the fiction and non-fiction categories. Books published under this imprint are pocket-friendly yet they do not compromise on the quality. Viking This imprint is one of the oldest imprints in the PRH family that has published highly appreciated content. The books published under this imprint show due respect to the gravitas of the content.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
5
Teams at PRH India ‘Design does not work in isolation’. I got the first-hand proof of this statement during this project.
The process of publishing a book in PRH is aptly
7.Finance And accounts: These teams deal with the
stream-lined and it ensures that the quality and impact
commercial tasks that every organization has. Along
of the book is enhanced at each step. There are
with the internal finances, the teams take care of the
specific function for each of the teams at Penguin that
financial matters on the organizational level.
ultimately contribute to the process of converting the idea of a book into an actual printed copy. Let us take a
8.Legal: A book is an idea, and it is of utmost value that
closer look at these teams.
we protect it. In these times of piracy and data theft, the legal team works with the stakeholders to ensure
1.Commissioning Editing: Commissioning editing
that the product is safe.
team at Penguin has the responsibility to hunt the talented writers and work with them on their ideas to
9. Admin and IT: The backbone of every organization
bring them into reality. This team introduces the book
is the administration and IT team. The whole
to the PRH family and works on the structure of the
publication process, except for the printing part, now is
book.
digital. The IT team at PRH India works with the teams overseas to stay coherent with the global Penguin
2. Copy Editing: Once the manuscript is accepted, the
presence.
copy editing team works on the language of the book. This team has the responsibility to get rid of any errors
All these teams work closely with each other on every
and mistakes in the book.
single project, every single book. The inter-team communication and mutual respect and understanding
3. Design: The design team works closely with the
in these teams is strong enough to carry out the
editors to conceptualize and produce appropriate
project without any hassle.
covers for the books and also the insides of the books, depending on the content. 4. Production: Every book needs to be produced in time and with utmost care to the quality to match the legacy of the brand and the production team takes care of that. 5. Marketing: Being a trade publisher, marketing is an essential component of the process. The team comes up with different marketing strategies for the books and follows them through to reach the target audience in an effective way. 6. Sales: This team has a very important task, to make sure that the book reaches its reader. The team, aware of the trends in the market works with other teams to enhance the saleability of the book.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Context
Collaborations and Policies at PRH The teams at PRH work together to produce quality content as quality products. The collaborative efforts
Commissioning
have one single aim, to make sure that a good quality
Copy Editing
Editing
book with good content is released on time. The
Admin & IT
adjoining diagram explains the collaborations within the teams. The role of design team is a very important, they
Design
Production
work with all the teams involved in the process. The
Legal
commissioning editing and copy editing team works with design team on the cover design and design for the inside pages. The production team handles the execution of the design. The marketing team gets consultations from and works with the design team on their marketing campaigns.
Sales
Marketing
Finance & Accounts
Worklace policies at PRH As any commercial organization, PRH has some policies
I think it is very important for any creative person to be
in place to ensure a positive, ethical and healthy
aware of the resources that they are using. As the heart
workplace environment. The HR, Legal and IT teams
and soul of any publication is an idea, it is an immense
work very hard to maintain a growth orientated attitude
task to identify and control the unethical use of work
in the organization.
published by the organization. During my internship I witnessed the disheartening moment when we were
One of the best policies I've observed is using licensed
shown a pirated version of the book that one of my
products and services; and giving appropriate credit
colleagues had designed. It was an eye-opening moment
where it's due. PRH works with artists and designers
for me as a designer. As creative professionals, it is
and authors from all over the world. They never
our responsibility to decide not to support unethical
fail to acknowledge their input and every creative
reproduction and distribution of anyone's work and
contribution gets its due credit.
follow through it. It is not just unjust, it actually is criminal, both legally and morally.
For a publication house as big as PRH, having a library of typefaces is a given. PRH uses FontExplorer, an online library that lets you browse, download and use licensed fonts. The FEx has more than 15,000 licensed fonts which are accessible to PRH.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
7
Understanding Publication design Publication design is one of the oldest design practices.
Books are built on the foundation of a strong idea
Written words have always been an important part of
that needs to be shared with people. The core being
civilization. From the time when humans felt the need
the idea, everything else is there to strengthen the
to communicate over space and time 'compiled words'
message. Typography, colour, composition and every
have helped us. Publication design is one of the most
other design and production detail help turn the idea
effective mode of communication as it literally lives
into a book. Making a book takes a lot of time and
through generations. It gives ideas and thoughts a
efforts. The most interesting part about this industry
dignified platform to be out in the world. Publication
is the hundreds of invisible people working for a
design helps people connect.
book and I find it very surreal. All the involvement, the efforts, the struggle is only to make a good book. It is
Publication design has evolved and is still changing day
heartwarming to see so many people working together
by day. The technological advancement has greatly
to help people connect through this fantastic mode of
impacted the way books are made. The resources that
communication.
go into the process have changed over the years. This stream of design has seen itself expand from print
In this section, we'll try to understand all the different
media to digital media. Today every other book has
processes and nuances of Publication design. It is
its own digital counterpart that reaches another set
essential to know what you are doing before you
of readers. Through Letterpress, Serigraphy, Offset
start and hence as my project involved working
printing, Digital printing and Digital publishing, this part
in an organization that has contributed so much
of the design world has been through a journey of its
to publication design, it was important for me to
own. Reaching out to larger audience than ever before,
understand what exactly happens between the lines.
books have changed the world by changing with it.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Context
Domains of publication design Written words have touched every single aspect of
These main domain consist of numerous sub-categories.
These domains are actually based and derived from the
our lives. They provide a way to share your emotions,
The list of these domains is unending but just to get an
human needs we have. And as you must have guessed,
your struggles, your joys and discover the same from
idea, I'll try and put down a few I can think of:
these domain do not work as independent units. The
the other end of the world. The different domains
Activity Books
magic happens when they crossover from one genre to
of publication have different readership. They offer
Art
another. A lot of books fall into more than one domains
different sorts of contents for all the different types
Autobiography
as they create a unique connection between the two
of audience. Following are the major domains of
Biography
distinct aspects of human lives. This fluidity in the
Publication design. The list might miss a few as there
Business
domains produces interesting literary experiences.
are new emerging scenarios that are inspiring new
Cinema
domains of published content.
Classics
The book that I'd working on falls into Food & Drinks or
Cookery
Cookery section. These books revolve in and around
Business
Crafts
the kitchen. The spectrum of their content spans over
Business books are meant for professionals who are
Drama
cookbooks about different cuisines, regional recipes,
looking for educating themselves and improving their
Epic
drinks, desserts, appetizers, baking, cooking, microwave
professional status and career path. These books are
Erotica
recipes, vegan recipes, food and lifestyle, culinary
highly commercial and have a global readership. These
Fiction
travelogue, etc. Filled with superbly shot images, these
motivational, inspiring insightful books help improve
Film
books are a treat for eyes.
people their career.
Food and Drink Graphic novel
Fiction
Health
The most popular genre of books is Fiction, without any
Historical-Fiction
doubt. It is the art of story-telling through words at its
History
best. This domain has a widespread audience and for
Hobbies
every single reader there will be something that they
Memoir
can relate to.
Mythology Philosophy
Non-Fiction
Photography
This domain deals with real stories. The reality of
Pictorial
the situation put forward through an investigative,
Plays
narrative, well researched approach.
Poetry Politics
Young Adult
Reference
These books are specially developed and aimed at the
Religion
young adult readers. The content focuses on the issues
Science and Nature
in the lives of young adults and that drives the design
Screenplay
as well.
Self-help Spirituality
Young Readers
Sports
The cutest domain of publication design. These books
Travel
are nothing but pure joy. These illustrated books with
Young adults
captivating stories are a treat for every child.
Young readers
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
9
Stakeholders “No, I know that at least 5 more people are working on the book. Oh and also the author. The book does not happen just like that.” -A fellow intern with the editorial team
The school-going Parag had this belief that making a
editor. This person crafts the cover brief which stands as
book is easy. I knew that it was a too easy to be true
the point of departure for the cover design process. The
but somewhere in my mind it was making some sense.
commissioning editor has to make sure that the process
I thought that the author writes the book, sends it to
time-line is being followed and the book is ready to be
the editor, the editor reads it, checks for grammar
released on the proposed date.
mistakes and gives in for printing. It was easy. The very first day of the internship was full of revelations. All the
Copy editor
misconceptions were washed away when I entered the
To be very frank, copy editor is the one who finds
office space and saw hundreds of people working. It
mistakes. This person checks the language of the book.
was not as linear as I thought it was. Let's understand
Every single character printed in the book has to be
the people involved in this process, there are two types
checked and approved by the copy editor. The sole
of people, we can say, involved. Ones who take care of
responsibility of the proofreading and keeping the
what's in the pages, working to enhance the editorial
book error-free is on the designated copy editor. The
effect of the book and the others who take care of
copy editors catch the smallest little errors and as I was
what's on the pages, working to enhance the visual
typesetting the book, I got first-hand experience of it.
effect of the book.
The copy editors inform the writer/author about the suggested changes and after the author’s approval the
Author
changes are subsequently carried out in the final book.
The one who creates the magic is the author. They have
The copy editors also take care of the blurb and they
the last say about everything related to their book. It
check all the mandatory information on the cover and
is their book, they have the power to influence every
the copyright page like ISBN, rights, price, credits, etc.
decision. The author, however, does not have access to every other person working on the book. They
Typesetter
mostly communicate with and through the editors
Typesetting a book is not an easy job. Period. It takes
who are working on the book. The author works on
patience, persistence, precision and all the other P
the manuscript with the commissioning editor and
words that say 'it's important'. Typesetting a book might
they together develop the structure of the book. Some
seem like just a copy-paste job but as you start doing it,
authors do like to get involved in the design process to
it gets clear that you need to stay careful to not make
considerable extent when they have some specific vision
a single mistake. The typesetter puts every single black
for the book and some let the designers run wild. They
dot on that white blank paper. The typesetter has to
do, however, give inputs for the cover brief. The author is
be quick at their job and has to be efficient with the
responsible to finish the manuscript in time and approve
tool they are using. The typesetters work closely with
the cover design among a lot of other things.
the copy-editors and keep iterating the typeset file as the rounds of proofreading go on. The typesetting
10
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Commissioning editor
for novels is comparatively easy as there is just text
This person is the decision maker about a book in the
to be flown in the set margins for given size of book.
publication house. The commissioning editors hunt
For cookbooks and illustrated books typesetting is a
for talented writers with creative ideas and help them
task that has to be carried out with utmost care. There
turn them into books. The commissioning editors have
are too many changing elements on each page. In
control over the complete process of the book. All the
such cases, the designer might want to work on the
major decisions about a book—like its size, page extent,
typesetting to make sure that each spread follows the
price, cover design—are taken by the commissioning
design direction precisely.
Understanding the Context
Designer
Sales and Marketing team member
The readers’ first contact with the book is through
The reader is growing everyday. The sales and
its cover. The designer plays an important role that
marketing members closely follow the trends in the
can actually make or break a book. The designer
market, the changing horizons of the literary world
conceptualizes the cover, designs it and after approval
and keep themselves updated about all the new
of the editor and the author works on the final artwork
developments so that they can come up with the most
and hands it over for production. The designer not
effective sales and marketing strategy for a book that'll
just gives an identity to a book but also showcases
attract the intended target. The sales team member
the personality of the book. The designer sometimes
also takes care of the distribution of the book and
does typesetting for the books which need design
works with production and inventory departments.
Author
Copy Editor
Commissioning
Typesetter
Designer
Editor
intervention. The role of the designer is to identify the need of the target audience and deliver them the book
Distributor
in a way that would be appropriate for the content and
There is not just one distributor but of course a
suitable for the market.
number of distributors for a book that help deliver the books to the reader. The distributors and retailers are
Production team member
the contact points for the readers. The distributors
The production team is the bridge between the design
and retailers deliver the goods all over the world. As
team and the printing press. The person in-charge from
the publishers share an 'Advance Information' sheet
the production team for a specific book is responsible
each month and catalogs for the future books with
to get the artwork from the designer and provide it to
them, they get the opportunity to accept pre-orders by
the press. They also check the quality of the artwork
informing the readers beforehand.
before sending it ahead. The manager at the press would then revert with a digital print of the cover for
Reader
the approval which in turn will get printed and be used
The most important person in the whole chain.
for the final book. The production person also looks
The destination for the book. The reader decides
after the budget for the book as a major component
the course of a book. The readers fall into different
of the budget goes into printing and post-press
sections of the spectrum and expect all the different
processes.
things from a book and that exactly is the driving force for all the previous people involved in the process. The
Printer
readers for different genres of books have different
The person in-charge at the printing press works with
sensibilities, ways of perception and for that the author,
the production person on the schedule for each book.
editor, designer, marketing team member, everyone
A book does not go for printing unless all the relevant
has to keep in mind the intended reader before taking
files are ready and the budget has been sanctioned. The
any decision.
Production Team member
Printer
Sales and Marketing
Distributor
team member
printing press has to deliver on the given stock-in date, failing to which the book can not be released on time. Reader
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
11
Life-line of a book “The first week was good. I had meetings with all the different team-heads. There are a lot more things to be understood, not as easy as it seems from the outside.” -Entry in my journal, January 23rd, 2017
In my first few weeks, my major goal was to thoroughly
Designing the cover
Production
understand how a book is made. Till now, I had
Upon receiving the cover brief, the designer
The printing for the book does not start unless both
understood who all are involved in the process and
conceptualizes, designs and presents the cover options
the inside pages and the cover has been handed over.
how they affect the final outcome. PRH had arranged
to the rest of the stakeholders and then the most
This ensures the uninterrupted flow of the printing,
introductory meetings with different team-heads to
appropriate final cover is selected.
post-press and binding process.
constant conversation with the design team so I knew
Copy editing and Proof reading
Distribution and Marketing
the points in the process where designer is involved.
The content in a book is its soul. The copy editing team
Once the books are ready, they are to be distributed
After the conversations with the Editing, Production
works on the language of the book to make it perfect.
to retailers and distributors over the world. The sales
and Marketing teams I got a much better idea of each
After typesetting at least two rounds of proofreading
and marketing team strategises the marketing plan to
part of the process. Here, I am trying to put it down in a
ensure the correctness of the text.
optimize the sale of the book.
give me an idea about their area of work. I was in
few distinct steps. Typesetting
Reading
Ideation
This is the part of the process where the book actually
Through the chain of distributors, retailers and
A book is not written in one go. The author gets an idea
gets some mass. The words are poured into the text-
bookshops the idea that the author had, on which
which they want to pursue and convert into a book. Some
boxes and fit aptly in the margins. The typesetting has
a giant team worked, gets delivered through the
concepts are strong enough to stand on their own as a
to be free of human-errors and hence the importance
beautifully crafted compilation of words we call a book.
book while some need a lot of work and support.
is equal to any other step.
Acquisition
Working on the blurb
sesquentially as often they occur parallely in real time
Once the idea seems interesting and valid enough to
The back of the book has a few lines on it that intrigue
process. Also the above process is an ideal process for
be a book, the commissioning editor who is working
and attract the readers. This ‘blurb’ has to be written
a novel or a book that does not need a lot of design
with the author on the book presents it into the
and edited with precision to develop curiosity in the
intervention. For the cookbook, on the other hand, I
acquisition meeting where it’ll be either accepted or
reader prompting them to buy the book.
decided to typeset the book on my own as there were
The steps mentioned here are not indicated
rejected.
far too many elements on each page that needed to Cover set-up
be treated differently. So for the cookbook, I played the
Working on the manuscript
Once the blurb is ready and the cover is finalized, the
role of the designer and typesetter simultaneously. The
After acquiring the book and carrying out the contract
design team sets the print ready file for the complete
ultimate responsibility for the handover of the cover
and the legal formalities, the commissioning editor and
cover which will be handed over to the press.
and the inside pages was mine.
the author work on the manuscript to make it more effective for the target. Here, work on the plot and
Handover of the inside pages
structure of the book is done and not on the language.
The inside pages of every book have now gone through
This manuscript will ultimately go through a lot more
rounds of proofreading and they are checked and
changes in proof-reading rounds.
corrected to be error-free. The handover is actually sending the files to the press, after which no changes
Creating the brief for the cover
are able to be carried out, of course with some
It is true that the inner beauty is important but it’s
exceptions.
important to project your true identity. For any trade
12
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
publisher, one of the important parts of the saleability
Handover of the cover
of the book is its cover. The cover gives the book a face,
The print-ready artwork for the cover goes through
an identity. The commissioning editor crafts the cover
quality check before handover and the files are
brief which will guide the design team.
checked for all the post-press treatments as well.
Understanding the Context
Author
Commissioning editor
Ideation
Acquisition
Copy editor
DEsign team
copy edit & proof reading
working on Manuscript
cover brief
working on the BLURB
typesetter
Typesetting
production team
Printing press
Sales and marketing team
Reader
Handover for inside pages
cover Design
Handover for COVER
cover set-up
production
distribution and marketing
reading
PUBLICATION HOUSE
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
13
Acquisition and Scheduling meeting Acquisition meeting
book is acquired. After this, the book becomes a part
some reason, the author is not able to turn in the
I should start by focusing on the one of the most
of the official schedule and the process begins. The
manuscript on the given date, the copy editor would
important steps in bringing the book in reality — the
contract is to be signed, the manuscript is to be worked
not be able to finish their task in time. To make better
acquisition meeting. The word itself is self-explanatory
on, the cover is to be designed, every wheel starts
use of the available resources, the copy editor would
and that is exactly what happens in an acquisition
turning after acquisition.
then start working on the next title in the pipeline and
meeting–the book gets acquired. These meetings
keep a check on the progress of the previous one. Scheduling meeting
The scheduling meetings help find such solutions to
The next important part of managing a steady work
get optimum output from the teams while working in
The acquisition meeting is attended by all the team-
flow in the workplace is the scheduling meeting. The
collaboration.
heads and the commissioning editors. The editors
week starts off with the scheduling meeting where
present their proposed project which sometimes are
every single commissioning editor, all the copy editors
very raw ideas about the plot of the book or a work-
and the whole design team comes together to check
in-progress manuscript. The agenda of the meeting is
the progress of every single title (book).
happen once a week.
to decide whether PRH would be taking it up as one of its future books or not. The editors present the idea,
The scheduling sheet consists of all the books
support it with anecdotes and excerpts. The editor
queued for the whole year. The process starting from
makes sure that the present members understand the
acquisition ends when the stock-in copies (the copies
project and then decide.
for the publication house) come in. Every step of the process is tracked and it is of utmost importance to
I had the opportunity to attend one of the acquisition
make sure that everything is going as planned. Every
meetings. I was attending as an observer. The meeting
little change in the process-flow is reflected in the
taught me how crucial the selection of a right project is.
scheduling sheet and concerned people are notified
Being a trade publisher with a very strong global brand
of the same. The scheduling meeting starts with books
value and presence, every book that is published by
that are ready to be released and traces its way back
PRH makes an impact on a large audience. Selecting a
to the books that have just been acquired. This helps
right project is an essential step as it involves a lot of
everyone prioritize and manage their workload.
investment by the organization. Publication design is definitely a group effort. First step During the meeting the commissioning editor shares
is the foundation for the next one. If one of the stages
the synopsis of the proposed book and based on the
in the process is taking more time to complete then
content, idea, saleability, market trend, relevance of
all the rest of the process gets delayed. Scheduling
the topic, unique selling point of the book, the book is
meeting helps manage this exact situation by keeping
accepted. The members do present their doubts and
everyone involved informed about the work-in-
queries and the concerned editor reflects on those
progress titles. The scheduling meeting, I believe, is one
points. When everyone present is on board, a ‘Profit-
of the most successful practices at PRH. Through these
n-Loss’ (PnL) sheet is prepared through which the
meetings, transparency is maintained and there is no
organization can see how they can make this project
room for mis-understandings and mis-communication.
more profitable.
Publishing a book is a long process. As you must have noticed from the life-line described earlier, it takes
14
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
In acquisition meeting all the major decisions about the
collective efforts from a lot of people to make a book a
book are made. The size, page extent, type of binding,
reality. The resources used in this process are valuable
number of copies, release date, etc. are decided as the
and hence it is important not to waste them. If, for
Understanding the Context
Advance Information and Catalogs Advance Information
Catalogs
The distributors play a very important role in a
The AI is distributed on monthly basis but apart from
commercial publication process. Once the book is
that the publishers prepare two catalogs annually that
printed and ready to be sold, without distributors, it
showcase the new releases for the coming year. The
wouldn't reach the readers. The distributors have an
two catalogs, one for January to June and the second
intense network that helps them deliver books in all the
for July to December, serve as teasers to attract
different regions of the country. The other interesting
attention and let the people know what the publishing
fact about these distributors is that they help a
house is coming up with. These catalogs are distributed
publication house know how well a book might do in
to all the major distributors and the sometimes the
certain region for the intended audience. They inform
orders start pouring in with release of the catalogs! The
the publishing house about the preorders and the
catalogs have most of the details present in the AI. The
sales & marketing team can work on their strategies
catalogs have different sections for Fiction, Non-fiction
correspondingly.
and books for children. They share details such as the distribution rights, size and format of the book etc.
Every month, the distributors are provided with Advance Information (AI) which lets them know about
The main difference between the catalogs and AI is
the books coming in the month after that. For the
that the information given in the catalogs is subject to
books getting published in May 2017, the AI would be
change with the development of the book but whatever
sent in the beginning of April 2017. The distributors,
is given in the AI is the final information. Some books
after getting responses from the retailers and book
presented in the catalogs get delayed and move to
shops in their circle, inform the publication house
some other date, for some the format changes, the
about the number of copies of a certain title they'd be
size changes but as AI is prepared only after the book
needing. The inventory and sales department then can
is ready to be if not already printed the information in
manage the transportation and delivery for requested
the AI does not change.
Example of an AI sheet
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
titles from around the country. AI also helps the distributors plan and execute the marketing strategy developed by the team. The AI sheet contains following information about the books: 1. Title 2. Author 3. Price 4. Publication date 5. ISBN 6. Category 7. Format and size 8. Page Extent 9. Imprint 10. Author Bio 11. Synopsis of the book 12. Praises about the author/book (if any)
15
Different physical aspects of a book Production of any book is a celebration, I believe.
Binding
Post press effects
A lot people come together to do something good,
There are two types of binding. Hardback and
There are quite a few possibilities for post-press effects.
they work together and ultimately share the joy of
Paperback. Hardback books are, as the name suggests,
These effects are applied to the cover after they are
creating something wonderful. With fine details in the
hardbound. The hardback books have different
printed.
production, a carefully crafted book brings a smile on
possibilities for covers. Some books have jackets with
1. Foiling is a process where a metallic shine is
the readers face and the credit for that goes to a group
flaps, some have covers PLC (Printed laminated Cover)
of people. Production people are the bridge between
and some have covers printed directly on the Arlene.
a publication house and the press. To achieve the
The paperback books have the regular covers.
2. UV coating adds an invisible gloss layer to the
the production process so that we can plan and work
Paper
3. Embossing or debossing adds the tactile element
together with the production team.
The inside papers for hardback and paperback books
to the cover which enhances the overall impact of
are slightly different. The hardback books have papers
the cover. (3)
applied to the required area. Foiling can be done in a lot of different colors. (1)
best results possible, we as designers need to know
required area. (2)
The very basic physical aspects of a book that a
with a little higher gsm than those used in paperback
4. Die-cutting is very expensive and tricky to achieve
designer, or everyone actually, needs to know are
books. The paper for the cover can also have different
for mass-production but it does improve the
discussed in this section.
textures and qualities.
presence of the cover.
Lamination The book covers can have matte lamination, gloss lamination that reflects light, velvet lamination or no lamination at all. Lamination helps make the book longlasting and it adds an interesting tactile experience.
Types of binding
Types of lamination
(1)
(3)
16
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Context
(2)
Sizes The different international sizes of books have some defined dimensions. It is not necessary to follow the same measurements for all the books. Depending upon the need one can always decide the size of the book. The five sizes of the books shown in the image are the most popular/common sizes you'll find. The dimensions are as follows: A: 108mm x 178mm (Revolutionary Russia) B: 129mm x 198mm (Wet) Demy: 135mm x 216mm (Bollywood Boom) Royal: 153mm x 234mm (Everyday Enlightenment) Crown: 178mm x 229mm (The Big Book of Treats)
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
17
Gather the ingredients Cooking is mostly about the right choice of ingredients so before starting let’s make sure we have everything we need for our adventure. While reading the recipe you must have made a mental note of all the things you need. As we go along the steps given in the recipe, we'll add these elements to our concoction. We need to find these ingredients from our kitchen-cabinets and drawers, and examine them, check their quality before using. To prepare a flavorsome dish, we need to make sure we have the best ingredients.
Understand the content Without knowing what we have, we can not move ahead to the design stage, so let's first understand the content. Collecting the data, its analysis and synthesis would lead us to the next step. We need to be fully aware about the data we have as we'll need to use it effectively while exploring opportunities for design intervention. In this section we'll learn how cookbooks work and what constraints and data we have to be able to find an appropriate design direction for this project.
Case studies
What is a cookbook? How does it work? Cooking is an art, but it also is a skill that one can
Being very diverse in their content and treatments, the
Each chef coming from a different cultural background,
develop by practicing. For any skill development
cookbooks still have a unique and similar effect on their
gastronomical heritage and culinary skills pours their
process one needs some to have guidance. Cookbooks
readers. These books with their unique individual voice
heart into their work. Most of the food-enthusiasts
have proven themselves to be much more than an
and personality keep the reader engaged while reading
follow a certain chef because they find an emotional
instructional books. Over a period of time, they have
the book. The cookbook has a few inherent functions to
connection with their work and their personality. The
transcended the limits of them being a cooking manual
carry out. They need to, of course, guide the reader to
cookbooks should let us know their story in a way that
and transformed themselves into a literary experience.
follow a certain recipe. They should inspire beginners
it'll help the reader connect to it.
Cookbooks, in my opinion, form a very interesting and
to start cooking and encourage advanced cooks to try
unique intersection between an instructional book and
and add new skills in their repertoire. When they are
a book that lets you explore a culture. Every cookbook,
taking the reader on a food journey they should involve
may it be for beginners, experts, about a specific
the reader and make it enjoyable.
cuisine, about a specific course of a meal is founded on some experience that the author/chef wanted to share.
Earlier the cookbooks focused on the recipes and
Cookbooks are storybooks.
their textual description and instructions to carry them out. As the readers have grown over the time, the
The cookbooks available in market can broadly be
cookbooks have become more visual. The photographs
classified into the following types:
and the food styling also play an important part to
A compilation of different recipes
enhance the overall effect of the publication. The
These books contain a variety of recipes that may or
readers in the digital age are exposed to a tremendous
may not fall into a single type, cuisine, course, etc.
amount of imagery every single day and hence the
These books give the reader an opportunity to explore
publications need have a striking visual impact to
and try different types of recipes.
attract the readers.
Books focused on one cuisine These books have recipes that are fall under one
The information structure for a cookbook also decides
certain cuisine. You can find books that have only south
its destiny. Each recipe, may it be a simple recipe for
Indian cuisine, only Thai dishes, only Japanese food and
a cup of tea or an elaborate biriyani, there are plenty
so on and so forth.
of things the reader has to focus on and follow. The
Books focused on one course of a meal
reader must be able to know the clear information step
These type of books focus on one part of the meal.
by step and not get confused. The recipes need to feel
There are books that talk about only desserts, only
simple so that the reader would not get intimidated
appetizers, etc.
and would try them. The main inspiration behind any
Books focused on one ingredient
cookbook is to share the joy of cooking and hence the
Some books focus on one ingredient and explore
book itself should project the same emotion.
different possibilities. There are books on chicken dishes, recipes with certain meats, recipes with only
The other important aspect of a cookbook is that it is
potatoes, etc.
an opportunity to get to know the chef through their
Books focused on the experience
creation. Just like any other book, a cookbook is a
These books, setting themselves apart from the
reflection of the author. We respond to food not just
rest, add detailed encounters of the author with the
because of its taste, flavor, smell and other physical
food. They sometimes cross over with the routes of
aspects, we respond to it emotionally. We love the poha
travelogues and have more storified recipes.
made by our mother better than any other poha in the world because we have an emotional response for that.
20
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
The Incredible Spice Men
Rick Stein's India
The Big Book of Treats
- Cyrus Todiwala & Tony Singh
- Rick Stein
- Pooja Dhingra
BBC 2013
BBC 2013
Penguin Books 2014
Learning from these books as case studies helped me get an insight about the structure of the book, layout, typography, colour, productions details, etc. Cyrus and Tony's book is about Indian spices from a very unique point of view of global Indians. The Rick Stein's book looks at Indian cuisine from an experienced explorer's eyes. Pooja Dhingra's book focuses on one specific type of food and stays true to its vision. Pankaj's first book gave me an idea about how to treat books that have all the different recipes put together. Pankaj's book about chicken gave me insights about what the target expects from the book. Let us focus on each of these books and know them in detail.
The MasterChef Cookbook
Chicken from my Kitchen
- Pankaj Bhadouria
- Pankaj Bhadouria
Shine Group, BPI India, Star Plus 2013
Bloomsbury India 2014
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
21
1. The Incredible Spice Men - Cyrus Todiwala & Tony Singh Publication Details Written by Cyrus Todiwala & Tony Singh BBC books 2013 Hardback, 256 pages Design by This Side Photography by Haarala Hamilton Printed in UK by Butler Tanner and Dennis LTD. Priced at ₤20
255 mm
Size
198 mm
Front cover with jacket
Spine with jacket
Back cover with jacket
The jacket of the book
End-paper in the front
End-paper in the back
22
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Front cover without the jacket
Spine without the jacket
25 mm
Back cover without the jacket
Inside pages
Cover
Structure
Front Cover
- Sections based on veg and non-veg recipes
- Very colorful
- Section separators accompanied with spreads with
- Authors’ photograph on the cover
contextual images
- Spices and ingredients on the cover - Matte lamination
Layout - A seven column grid
Back Cover
- Very open and uncluttered placement of elements
- Images of the dishes placed in a grid
- The colors of the text reflect from the respective
- Small blurb
image of the recipe End-papers Typography
- Images of spices
- Strong sans serif type for the name of the recipe - Serif type used for the actual steps, list of ingredients
Type
and the story
- Very masculine, strong type
- The steps are numbered
- Slab serif and sans serif
Images - Images of the recipes bleed - Collages of filler images used in different spreads - Images add contextual details to the book - Very vibrant images of the dishes Notable elements - Spreads dedicated to add context to the book - The interesting combination of very bold and overtly masculine typography with potent vibrant colors - Spreads dedicated to inform the reader about Indian spices as ‘Spice Focus’
Inside page with a recipe
A very masculine yet joyfully vibrant book The book is written by the Scottish chef duo who have a strong influence of Indian culture on their cooking style and who very intelligently play with the theme of using Indian flavors in Scottish cuisine.
Spreads from the book
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
23
2. Rick Stein’s INDIA - Rick Stein Publication Details Written by Rick Stein BBC books 2013 Hardback, 320 pages Design by Smith & Gilmore Photography by James Murphy Printed at Fiemengruppe APPL, Wemding, Germany Priced at ₤25
255 mm
Size
200 mm
Front cover with jacket
Spine with jacket
Back cover with jacket
The jacket of the book
End-paper in the front
End-paper in the back
24
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Front cover without the jacket
Spine without the jacket
30 mm
Back cover without the jacket
Inside pages
Cover
Structure
Front Cover
- Sections based on veg and non-veg recipes
- Bright colors with strong typography
- Section separators use the pattern from the cover
- Author’s photograph on the cover - Spices and ingredients on the cover
Layout
- Matte lamination and UV for the word India
- A sixteen column grid
- Clever integration of the henna inspired patten in the
- Clean and left aligned placement of elements
cover that transcends through the book
- Paragraphs that extend till the margins - Black text against superbly shot colorful images
Back Cover - Images of the dishes placed in a grid
Typography
- The names of the recipes mentioned with the image
- All caps serif type used for the name of the recipe - Serif type used for the actual steps, list of ingredients
End-papers
and the story
- Images of colorful ‘Indian’ scenes
- The steps are divided in paragraphs Type Images
- Bold sans serif type used with modest serif
- Images of the recipes bleed
- Serif for the author’s name and sans serif for the title
- Images of people, spices, vegetables, etc add fresh details to the book - Very truthful, raw images of the dishes Notable elements - Spreads dedicated to add context to the book - The recipes have Indian names as well as the names that can be understood by readers worldwide
An honest, modest, fresh book The book is written by Rick Stein who has traveled the world looking for inspiration. This book shows how Inside page with a recipe
India has influenced his culinary journey. A wonderful book that gives an honest taste of the Indian cuisine to the world.
Spreads from the book
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
25
3. The Big Book of Treats - Pooja Dhingra Publication Details Written by Pooja Dhingra Penguin India 2014 Paperback, 236 pages Design by Heitenlo Semy Photography by Cyrus Dalal Printed at Gopson, India Priced at `699
229 mm
Size
176 mm
Front cover
26
Back cover
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Full title page
Understanding the Content
15 mm
Inside pages
Cover
Structure
Front Cover
- Sections based on the type of recipes
- A photograph of a red-velvet cupcake on the cover
- Section separators use the signature colour pink
- Gloss lamination
Layout
Back Cover
- A simple three column grid
- Image of the author with the dishes
- The elements are aligned to the left and right of
- A blurb that talks about the author
different columns - A dashed line used as a separator between the story
Type
and the steps.
- Hand-lettered type for the title of the book
- Black and pink text
- Serif typeface used for the author’s name
Typography - All caps serif type used in pink for the name of the recipe - Sans serif type used for the actual steps, list of ingredients and the story - Steps are separated a line space - Story in bold and ingredients in pink to manage the hierarchy of information Images - Images of the recipes extend to the margins - Images of the finished piece and in process action shots involve the reader Notable elements - The pink colour is evidently the central theme that binds the book together. - The images are compiled and put in-between chunks of recipes which makes it difficult for the reader to Inside page with a recipe
associate them with the recipes A delicious pink book This book is visually appetizing mainly because of the appropriate photography. The evident use of pink makes an impression and adds recall value.
Spreads from the book
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
27
4. Masterchef India Cookbook - Pankaj Bhadouria Publication Details Written by Pankaj Bhadouria Shine Group, BPI India, Star Plus 2013 Hardback PLC, 164 pages Design by Franc Roddam Photography by Saba Gaziyani No information about the printer Priced at `350
246 mm
Size
175 mm
Front cover
Spine
End-paper in the front
End-paper in the back
28
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Back cover
Understanding the Content
14 mm
Inside pages
Cover
Structure
Front Cover
- Section separators use images from the Masterchef
- Bright red cover
competition and images of the dishes from that section
- Author’s photograph on the cover - Gloss lamination
Layout
- Author’s name is placed in an unfortunate corner
- An eight column grid - Right aligned name of the recipe with left aligned
Back Cover
placement of other elements
- Images of the dishes placed in a grid
- Black text with red for the headings and sub-headings
- A blurb that talks about the author
against clean shots of the dishes End-papers Typography
- Plain white end-papers
- Sans serif type used for the name of the recipe and the other elements
Type
- The steps are separated with bullet points
- Sans serif type that is cohesive with the type used in the Masterchef identity
Images - Edges of the bleeding images of the recipes fade into the background - Food styling does look great and gives a very fine-dining feel to the food Notable elements - A very un-imaginative list of contents - The red blocks used to highlight the page number and some elements on each page become overpowering and distracting A book/advertisement with good photographs The book is clearly a product of a promotional campaign for the Masterchef competition. This book is interestingly the first cookbook released by the winner of Masterchef competition. The book serves its Inside page with a recipe
purpose but leaves the reader feeling a little distant.
Spreads from the book
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
29
5. Chicken from My Kitchen- Pankaj Bhadouria Publication Details Written by Pankaj Bhadouria Bloomsbury India 2014 Hardback, 148 pages No information about the designer Photography by Ajaish Jaiswal Printed at Replika Press, India Priced at `695
236 mm
Size
246 mm
Front cover with jacket
Spine with jacket
Back cover with jacket
The jacket of the book
End-paper in the front
End-paper in the back
30
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Front cover without the jacket
14 mm
Spine without the jacket
Back cover without the jacket
Inside pages
Cover
Structure
Front Cover
- Section separators use images from the Masterchef
- Earthy brown cover
competition and images of the dishes from that section
- Author’s photograph on the cover - Matte lamination
Layout - A nine column grid
Back Cover
- A column dedicated to special notes
- A blurb that talks about the theme of the book and
- A distinct separation between the steps and other
the author
elements through colour blocking
- An emphasized placement of the identity of Pankaj Bhadouria Culinary Academy
Typography - Serif type used for the name of the recipe and the
End-papers
other elements except for the special notes
- Turmeric yellow end-papers
- The treatment to the type for the title is inconsistent - The steps are separated with bullet points
Type - Serif type used for the title as well as the name of the
Images
author
- Edges of the images of the recipes fade into the background - Food styling does look a little hasty and gives an affordable feel to the food Notable elements Inside page with a recipe
- The special notes column that does not work everywhere - The in-your-face images of the process of cutting the chicken felt disturbing after a point - The red block used to highlight the page number looks out of place - A glossary for Hindi names of the ingredients works wonderfully A book with a great salable idea The book is based on the theme of sharing the chicken recipes of India with the reader. The readership of the author is founded on her brand-image and that definitely attracts the desired target. The visual design of the book, could have been better and more
Spreads from the book
appetizing so as to make justice to the content.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
31
COVER Peter Mendelsund During my research about covers for cookbooks and how they affect the reader, I came across this gem in the design room at PRH. I am glad that mentor very generously let me borrow it as this book has literally changed everything. Peter Mendelsund is a book designer who is a trained pianist. In this book he talks about his journey over the years as a designer and discusses his work in detail. The most interesting part about this book is the witty writing, very clean yet informal design and very thoughtfully drawn insights. Peter shares his experiences with different bookcovers he designed while working with Knopf books. I found his honest narrative compelling and me being an engineer-turned-graphic designer, it was quite inspiring. He discusses some of his projects in detail where he shares how he developed cover design, how he refined the idea, presented them through visuals, the complete process of creating a cover from scratch. As I was working on several book covers during my internship, this book felt like a big helping hand. On a sunny Friday afternoon I sat down in the sun-room in PRH where the floor is carpeted and you have comfy bean-bags, and I read the book cover-to-cover. I felt less lost after that.
32
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
What did the book cover? In the book, he walks us through the process he follows
4. Select
7. Iterate
and how he approaches a book cover. I think this process,
While you are deciding what all routes would help you get
I know you know that the first option you made is not
though clearly the design process we know, in the context
to the cover, you also need to select the subject matter
the only option you’ll be making. If you don’t know,
of book design simplifies a lot of hard decision. Let me try
for the cover. Some og the following routes will help.
you should. Iterating your own design even before
to put it down in few important steps.
• Character
pitching it to the client gives you an opportunity to edit
• Object
it, rework it and improve the impact. Sometimes, these
1. Read
• Event
iterations bring up more ideas that are good enough to
The one thing a lot of book designers and book cover
• Time-Place theme
be pursued.
designers forget to do. Read. Read every single word of
• Text sample
the book and know everything about it before you start.
• Parallels
8. Pitch The pitch is the part over which you want to but don’t
2. Think
5. Sketch
have a lot of control. You present you options to the
A book is an idea put in words. Before we start trying
The next natural step is to put your pencil down on the
client, may it be editor or the author, and they respond
to translate that through type and image for the cover
paper and sketch out your concept. This helps you to
based on their own thoughts and perceptions. Many
we need to think. We need to understand what the
visualize the potential in the concept and becomes a
a times the cover you think is the best you’ve got gets
idea is, what does the book say. It’s essential to clearly
guide for further developments. Sketching would also
rejected in the first go, and that’s OK. You can always
put down your thoughts about the book before you
help you to select the most appropriate options out of
suggest but not impose.
proceed ahead as this becomes the brief you’ll get to
all the different approaches. 9. Revise
fall back to. 6. Design
Based on the feedbacks, you need to revise your
3. Decide
Based on the sketched layouts, now we design the
designs and for this you go back to the design stage.
As a designer you have to take some early decision
cover in the medium we chose. This is the most fun
This cycle keeps turning round and round till we all get
about the cover to streamline your own work flow.
stage where you get to experiment with possibilities
what the book deserves.
• Commission
for post-press treatments as well. Using different
• Media - Photographs, Pencil, Illustrations, Collage,
combinations like drawing, collage or painting with
10. Deliver
the available software tools you can work towards
The last part of the process is to deliver, where
• Typography - Calligraphy, Serif, Sans serif type
achieving the expected results that would be fit for the
you create the print-ready file with all the needed
• Category - Minimalistic, Referential, Abstract, etc.
book.
information and instructions to the printer. If some
Vector drawing, etc.
• Audience - Mass, Trade, etc.
port-press treatment is to be done on the cover a
• Expected effect
separate file is to be created for that. Once you send the file to the printer, there is no turning back.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
33
The cookbook
The secret's in the Spice Mix Masalas are an integral part of our everyday cooking. Dry masalas, wet pastes, home-made masalas, off-theshelf packaged masalas—what a variety of spice blends we have in our country! The world knows India for the spices we produce. We are also known for the curry powder and garam masala—the most common spice mixes that can be found in any kitchen or off the shelves in super markets around the world. But what the world does not know is that across the length and breadth of the country, each community and each region has its own special blend that they use to add flavor to food. The same set of spices come together in various combinations—so different from each other and so unique—that they become a new entity in themselves. These masalas are no less than a genie in a bottle which, when opened, create magic!
34
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
The chef and her brand Who is Pankaj Bhadouria?
Tramp Tree Cafe and Tamaara
The MasterChef cookbook
Pankaj Bhadouria is the winner of MasterChef India
Her signature Coffee Shop -Tramp Tree Cafe, which
November 2011 saw the release of Pankaj's First
Season 1 (2010). She did her schooling from Kendriya
currently has two outlets in Lucknow is now attracting
Cookbook. The "MasterChef Cook Book was dedicated
Vidyalaya, New Delhi and finished her higher education
the young and the not-so-young alike with its cozy
to the housewives in small towns who wanted to
in Lucknow. She did her Bachelors in English, Masters
interiors, comforting food and of course - the coffee!
experiment with varied Indian and international
in English Literature from Lucknow University and then
Tamaara is Pankaj Bhadouria’s signature fine dine
recipes but were limited by the unavailability of exotic
she also did her Bachelors in Education from Lucknow
restaurant. The restaurant promises to introduce food
ingredients locally. Taking this up as a challenge, Pankaj
University to prepare herself for her chosen career. She
lovers to the delights from the royal kitchens of Awadh.
helped them discover what they could do with their
started her career in 1994 at City Montessori School,
culinary skills and surprise their friends and relatives. It
Lucknow, teaching English to High School students.
Pankaj Bhadouria Master Classes
became a bestseller having sold around 10,000 copies
From 1996, she was promoted to teach English to the
Pankaj does a lot of workshops and cookery
so far and is certainly a proof of her popularity across
Senior Secondary classes. She went on to teach till she
demonstrations. She has been invited to conduct
India.
quit her job in 2010 to participate in MasterChef India
workshops all over the world.
Season 1.
Barbie I can be Chef Motivational Speaker
The second cookbook for the little girls is a collection
Life always gives big opportunities in the form of small
Pankaj has a number of times been invited as a
of 16 recipes with pictures, that little girls can do
hints. The big move in Pankaj Bhadouria’s life came
speaker to many prestigious events like TEDx seminar
themselves. It comes as a part of a 'Barbie I Can be
with a small step when she decided enter India's 1st
IIT-BHU, Varanasi, TEDx Indus Business Academy ,
Chef’ kit that has in it, an apron, puzzles and bookmark.
televised cookery reality show - MasterChef India on
Bangalore, at IBA, Delhi. In June 2012, Pankaj was
the leading GEC - Star Plus. And as they say, fortune
invited to attend the International Youth Forum for
Chicken from my Kitchen
favors the brave, Pankaj went on to become a worthy
Policy, Change and Development at Sharda University,
The third book titled 'Chicken from my Kitchen' has
winner and with it India's first ever MasterChef.
New Delhi where she addressed students on 'Alternate
'Chicken' as its hero and offers 54 interesting ways of
Careers'. She was also one of the eminent speakers
cooking it in the Indian way and some from her own
Life as a MasterChef
who addressed the 3rd Women Entrepreneurship
kitchen. The Book was launched Pan India in March
She has hosted the TV shows Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka,
Conference that was held in New Delhi in February
2014
Kifayati Kitchen, 3 Course with Pankaj, Rasoi se-
2013. She is also invited as a motivational speaker to
Pankaj Bhadouria ke Saath and Sales Ka Baazigar. She
many schools and colleges. Her training as a teacher
helped out housewives cook lip-smacking, healthy
stands her in good stead as she easily connects with
and cost-effective delicacies with inexpensive, easy-
her audience and enthralls and enraptures them.
to-find ingredients on her show 'Kifayati Kitchen'. She was invited to address the South Asian Community
Brand ambassador
in Britain by Cambridge University in July 2011. She
MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria as a brand has been
demonstrated some Indian foods for health conscious
on the rise ever since she set out on her super
people and managed to break the general British myth
successful culinary journey. She is a household name
that Indian food is all about spicy curries and Chicken
in India and enjoys tremendous popularity especially
Tikka Masala.
amongst Indians staying in other countries around the world. Pankaj is a chosen brand ambassador for
Pankaj Bhadouria Culinary Academy
a lot of Indian brands. She is the face of the Brand
In August 2012, she launched The Pankaj Bhadouria
Knorr, Taaza Tea, HUL, MasterChef Travels Cox and
Culinary Academy- her dream project, where
KingsWorldwide and Eastern Masalas, a leading Spice
she shares her love for culinary arts with cooking
Brand in Southern India.
enthusiasts in what she does next best: teaching! Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
35
The synopsis presented for acquisition This the the synopsis of the book presented by the
Each masala recipe will be followed by recipe of a
15. Garam masala (Punjabi)
Commissioning Editor during the acquisition meeting.
dish that can be created with that masala. Pictorial
16. Gojju Podi
representation of each recipe, the spices, shall help not
17. Goda Masala
This is a book showcasing the diverse bouquet of
only make it clear but also add on to the eye appeal
18. Gunpowder
Indian Masalas, the Spices of India, and their various
of the book. A narrative and a beautiful picture of the
19. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
blends. While there are many Indian and foreign books
product will accompany each recipe.
20. Jal Jeera Powder
there is none that glorifies the simple blends we use
It will also state the Preparation time, Cooking time and
21. Korma masala
on a day-to-day basis in our Indian Kitchens. The world
number of Servings. The instruction will be clear and
22. Kebab masala
knows India for the spices we produce. The world also
simple; the ingredients stated clearly that even a novice
23. Kolahpuri Masala
knows us for the ‘curry powder’ and ‘garam masala’—
feels comfortable trying out the recipe.
24. Katchori masala
that introduce one to spices, their flavors, their uses,
the most common spice mixes that can be found in
25. KFC Seasoning Mix (copy)
any kitchen or off the shelves in Super Markets around
The recipes shall include some traditional blends
26. Lazzat -e -tam
the world. But what the world does not know is that
used over the ages like the ‘Veri’- the tikki masala from
27. Mango Pickle Masala
across the length and breadth of the country, each
Kashmir, ‘Bottle Masala’ – the Anglo Indian specialty
28. Malabar Masala
community, each region has a special blend of spices
from Mumbai, ‘Lazzat- e –taam’ from Lucknow, the
29. Meat Masala
that they use to add flavor to their food.
‘Chhole Masala’ from Amritsar to the more commercial
30. Moroccan seasoning
blends like the ‘Garam Masala’, ‘Achar Masala’, Sambar
31. Panch phoran
The same set of spices come together in various
Masala and some blends from around the world like
32. Pani Puri Masala
combinations so different from each other and so
the ‘Cajun Spice’ Zataar’, ‘Jamaican Jerk Seasoning’,
33. Pappula Podi (Peanut Chutney powder)
unique that they become a new entity in themselves.
‘Pizza Seasoning’ etc.
34. Pav bhaji Masala
These Masalas are no less than a Genie in a Bottle
35. Pizza seasoning
which when opened, create magic! I have identified
The book shall in no way be a serious catalogue of
36. Rasam Powder
around 45 such spice mixes across the country and
spices but a user friendly book to encourage the use
37. Saalan Masala
some from across the globe as well that I plan to add to
of fresh spices at home and some scrumptious dishes
38. Sambar powder
this book.
with them.
39. Shahi Gravy masala
I have also been fortunate to rope in help from the
List of spices mixes
41. Taco Seasoning
Spices Board of India in the preparation of this book.
1. Achari masala
42. Tandoori Chicken Masala
2. Allahabadi Dum Aloo Masala
43. Tawa Subji Masala
Contents Plan:
3. Barbeque Rub
44. Tea masala
The book shall begin with a detailed section on the
4. Biryani masala
45. Thandai Masala
spices grown in the Indian subcontinent and their
5. Cajun Spice Mix
46. Tondak masala
nutritional value. The next section shall include an
6. Chhole Masala (Punjabi)
47. Ver (Kashmiri tikki masala)
introduction to the various spice mixes beginning with
7. Cafreal masala (Goan)
48. Xacuti masala
the more popular ones to the unique ones. The next
8. Chicken Masala
49. Yakhni masala
section shall include various spices mixes from all over
9. Chinese Five Spice
50. Zataar
the world.
10. Chat Masala
40. Subji Masala
11. East Indian Bottle Masala 12. Endu Kobbari Podi 13. Kadhai Masala 14. Kesar Milk Masala
36
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Given parameters Before I began working on this project, there were
"You can't always get what you want . But if you try sometimes, well you might find, you get what you need" -The Rolling Stones
some decisions that were already made. The book was presented in the acquisition meeting by the commissioning editor Gurveen Chadha and as the book was accepted, some decisions that would direct the design of the book were made long before I started working on it. I, as an intern, did not have the opportunity to question and change the decisions but however I did try to understand the reasons behind all of them. Following are the given parameters for the proposed book under the title 'The secret's in the Spice Mix' written by Pankaj Bhadouria and the cover brief on the next two pages. Number of recipes There will be 50 recipes of spice mixes accompanied by 50 recipes using those spice mixes. In total, there will be 100 recipes. Number of photographs Each pair of recipes will have one photograph of the final dish. There will be hence 50 food photographs along with several filler images provided by the author. Page extent The ideal page extent for the book is around 160 with a possible tolerance of one form (8 pages). Size The closed size of the book will be 172mm x 229mm. Format The book will be released in paperback format. Release The book is to be released in the month of May 2017.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
37
Cover brief Title: The Secret’s in the Spice Mix: 50 unique spice mixes from around India (with recipes) Author: Pankaj Bhadouria Page extent:160 Format: - 172x229mm (P) Binding: Paperback Imprint: Ebury Press Pub month: May 2017 Category: Non-fiction/cookery E-book rights: Y Territory/ Rights: World Price: 399 Cover budget: Regular 10K Budget: for post press effect + paper: About the Book: Synopsis attached Target audience/ positioning: People who like to cook? Front Cover Suggestion Since the author is a celebrity chef, we need to have her on the cover. Some images you can try options with:
38
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
You could have the plain picture on the front, and grids
Front Cover
of food shots for the back cover, like these cookbooks
Title: The Secret’s in the Spice Mix
(front + back cover shown below)
Author: Pankaj Bhadouria Quote: Winner of Masterchef India Season 1 Logo: Ebury Press Any additional matter: yet to come Back Cover Blurb/Quote: yet to come Author photo: No Author photo credit: yet to come Translator credit: NA Cover credits: yet to come Rights: world
Here are some reference images of other celebrity book covers I like:
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
39
The Content
The recipes Here's a sample recipe with the photograph of the dish
Kadhai Paneer
that will help you understand the information structure.
Kadhai Masala
The Cooking: • Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté till
This ever-popular restaurant dish consists of cottage cheese chunks dunked in a spiced tomato gravy. Its
light golden in colour. • Add the chopped ginger, chopped green chillies,
rich, robust, tangy, and on everyone’s favorite list!
ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute till the
One of the most popular North Indian restaurant
The creaminess of the paneer and the crunch of the
chillies are fragrant.
dishes is the Kadhai Paneer or the Kadhai Chicken.
vegetables go well together. Non-vegetarians can easily
• Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, half
The secret in the success of the dish lies in the robust
replace the paneer with boneless chicken chunks. The
the kadhai masala, tomatoes and sauté on low
flavors that it packs which are further accentuated
dish pairs very well with a missi roti.
with the tangy tomatoes in the sauce. This masala mix
heat till the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. • Add 2tbsp water and cook covered for 4-5
has always come in very handy to me. I’ve tried it with
Preparation time: 30 minutes
jalfrezis, mix vegetables and even regular potatoes! I
Cooking time: 20 minutes
guarantee that it will make a believer out of you too!
Serves: 4
minutes or till the oil surfaces. • Add the tomato puree and ½ cup water and bring to a boil. • Reduce the heat to medium and add the paneer
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
pieces, capsicum chunks and simmer covered for
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
200g paneer
4-5 minutes.
Makes: Approx. 150g
1 small onion 2 medium tomatoes 1 capsicum
• Cook covered till the oil surfaces.
5 tsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp tomato puree
• Serve hot with naan or missi roti.
10 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp chopped ginger
5 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
20 dried whole kashmiri red chillies
½ tsp chopped green chillies
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp kadhai masala
5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder
Method: Dry roast the coriander seeds, black peppercorns and
The Preparation:
cumin seeds till lightly colored and fragrant. Add the
• Cut paneer into 1” cubes.
red chillies and fenugreek leaves and remove from
• Cut capsicum into 1”dices and diced.
heat. Allow the chillies to roast in the remaining heat of
• Cut one tomato into 1” dices and diced. Finely chop
the pan. Grind to a coarse powder. Mix in the turmeric
the second tomato.
powder, garam masala powder and salt. Store in an air
• Finely chop the onion.
tight container till required.
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
remaining kadhai masala and mix well.
Ingredients:
Salt to taste
40
• Add the tomato chunks and sprinkle the
Understanding the Content
The structure of the recipes A 160 page book with 100 recipes and 50 images! I
Following are the elements of the content which were
would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Simply looking at
very evidently consistent across all the recipes:
the content, the numbers weren't adding up. Instead
1. The name of the spice mix
of getting worked up, this time, I started small. The first
2. The story for the spice mix
task was reading the recipes in detail.
3. The preparation time for the spice mix 4. The cooking time for the spice mix
The recipes given by the author in Word format. The
5. How much spice mix does the recipe make
lengths of the recipes were subject to change after the
6. The list of ingredients for the spice mix
copy-editing. The recipes, though seemed too different
7. The method for the spice mix
from afar, had a similar structure, I realized. The recipe\
8. The name of the dish
es were cleverly selected to form pairs. There were 50
9. The story for the dish
pairs of recipes. One recipe for a spice mix paired with
10. The preparation time for the dish
a recipe that used that mix. This made things a little
11. The cooking time for the dish
simpler.
12. How many servings does the recipe make 13. The list of ingredients for the dish
I read all the recipes and found that they (fortunately)
14. The method for the preparation of the dish
followed a similar format. The few key elements were
15. The method for cooking the dish
present in each of the pair. Having these independent units was going to help me explore layout options.
The length for each of the sections mentioned above
A finite number of units always helps in managing
was more or less common throughout the book.
large data. Thinking as an engineer, I first decided
Little did I know having made this tiny list made a lot
to understand, classify and hence ultimately simplify
of things very easy. It helped me verify the data I had
the data I had. As you can see in the list I made in my
received, find discrepancies in the given data, figure out
notebook, there were just more than a handful of
possibilities for layout, think about introducing some
elements in each chunk of information. The elements
graphical element to reduce the amount of text on the
were regularly repeating and treating them consistently
page. Lists help. If not immediately, definitely later in
was going to give this book a cohesive and systemic
life. Make a note of it.
visual design direction.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
41
The photographs As the ultimate result of any cooking activity is first judged by its look, any cookbook is judged by its visual treatment and the photographs included in it. The older cookbooks did not have images in them and they focused more on the textual description of the recipe and the dish. As the expectations from a cookbook started changing, there came illustrations in the style of line-drawing which were not very difficult to be produced. Since colour printing and digital platforms have expanded the realms of publication, the books have become more visual. In this age of instant gratification, the first look matters and it has a lot of importance. For this cookbook, the author had provided PRH all the images that we might need. The food styling is done by the author herself and the photography is done by Charu Samarth and Akkil Suvarna. Photographs were a key aspect of this cookbook. I was provided with 50 photographs for the 50 recipes. Apart from that we had 24 photographs of spices and 7 images capturing the essence of a generic market space. These extra images were a blessing as we found a special space for them in the final book. The images provided by the author interestingly had a range of resolutions starting from 300 ppi and in some cases went beyond 1000 ppi. This range, as I tried to understand, was present because of the different sets of equipments used by the photographer. All the images were provided in .JPEG format in RGB colour mode. The images also had horizontal and vertical formats with varied proportions. This meant that there was a lot of processing to be done before they all would be ready to be inserted in the book. I find it necessary for you to get introduced to these images and the joyful celebration of global culinary traditions they represent. These images literally made up half of the book and they proved themselves to be as important as the recipes.
42
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
43
44
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Understanding the Content
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
45
Start cooking This is the part of the process where you get to taste your courage and passion. Cooking is an art of making right decisions at the right time. Now that we have everything we need there's just one thing left to do—cook. Heating the pan, adding the ingredients one by one, making sure that you do not burn them and smelling the wonderful aroma. Though very fulfilling, this process is a bit tricky to excel at, one extra second on the high flame and you lose the battle. This is the part where you get to taste your constrain and patience.
Ideation & Design intervention This is the part of the process where you get to test your thinking ability and creativity. Design is the art of taking informed decisions. Having clear information about the start and the destination, we can now start enjoying our journey. Ideating the different possibilities, analyzing them and exploring the different routes that might lead us to the optimum solution. Though quite satisfying, this part of the process is also not very easy, one wrong turn and you will lose your way. This is the part where you get to test your analytical ability and judgment.
Start thinking “There’s a lot more magic hidden in those pages, you just need to look harder, you’ll find it.”
Personality of the book A book tells a lot about the author. Though it's a cliché,
The personality of a book is driven by the language
it's true. A creator is always attached to their craft and
and how the author treats the reader. For a cookbook
they invest a lot in it. You can identify the dal cooked by
though there are a few more variables. Apart from the
your mother from hundred different samples. The craft
language it depends on the cuisine, the theme (if any)
borrows the characteristics of its creator. Authors have
and of course the perceived level of complexity of the
words that carry their world to the reader. Chefs have
recipes. If the recipes seem to be complicated then the
their food and their recipes. Pankaj Bhadouria was an
book itself become very instructional, if the cuisine is
English teacher for years before she turned her world
unfamiliar/unexplored the book itself turns a little exotic.
around and became a chef. She had both the words and the recipes.
This book is written in a very informal and conversational tone. Some stories for the spice mixes include anecdotes
This book is targeted at the people who believe in
by the author. The book offers a lot of information at one
traditional spices and Indian cuisine. Having said that
go but it is essential that the book should not feel heavy.
the level of sophistication the chef has cultivated in
The size of the book is not too large and thats one of the
her culinary explorations drives the book to a very
positive things about the book.
modern world. The unique idea of basing a book solely on spice mixes would definitely attract her devoted
A large percentage of Pankaj's readership is formed
audience and curious cooks all over the world as well.
through her presence on television and social media.
Every single possible reader should get the feeling that the book is written specially for them, in other words, everyone should feel like it's their own journey. Every book has its own persona. Be it a novel, a travelogue, a cookbook; they all have their own character that they project. Finding the character of a book before you start working on it lifts half of the load off your shoulders. For a cookbook, it is a kind of guidebook. We need to figure out if this book is going to hold your hand like a generic guide, lift you up like a father figure, talk you through the journey like a friend. Once we are able to define the persona this book is going to play, then we can plan the experience the reader (the user) should gain from the book.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Given classification of the recipes SUBZI, SNACKS
SOUTH INDIAN, CHAAT
The very first thing we decided to do is to check if the
Amritsari Chhole Masala (Oil-free Pindi Chhole)
Endu Kobbari Podi (Podi Dosa)
recipes would fit in the book or not. The most effective
Taco Seasoning (Beans Tacos)
Gunpowder (Podi Idlis)
and efficient way of doing this is work on the flat-plan
Biryani Masala (Mushroom Biryani)
Instant Rawa Upma Mix (Upma)
or pagination of the book. Pagination is a process in
Garam Masala (Gobhi Musallam)
Rasam Powder (Pepper Rasam)
which the designer plans and visualizes the complete
Greek Seasoning (Stuffed Peppers)
Sambhar Powder (Sambhar)
book. The most common way to do this is to prepare a
Lazzat-e-tam (Salan Subz Badam Khaas)
Goda Masala (Misal Pav)
flat-plan where you have numbered pages of the book
Hyderabadi Saalan Masala (Mirch ka Saalan)
Pani Puri Masala (Pani Puri)
displayed in the form of spreads. The designer would
Kadhai Masala (Kadhai Paneer)
Pav Bhaji Masala (Pav Bhaji)
then allocate appropriate pages to the given content
Gojju Podi (Pineapple Gojju)
Katchori Masala (Katchori)
keeping in mind the context and function of the book.
Subzi Masala (Vegetable Jalfrezi)
Pagination helps us to develop the structure of the
Tawa Subzi Masala (Tawa Subzi)
MEETHA, DRINKS
book and how it'd flow. Once finalized; the flat-plan
Panch Phoran (Chorchori)
Gulab Jamun Mix (Gulab Jamun)
becomes the foundation based on which we build the
Thai Green Curry Masala (Thai Green Curry)
Instant Rice Kheer Mix (Kheer)
book.
Pizza Seasoning (Tomato Mushroom Pizza)
Tea Masala (Tea Brulee)
Chat Masala (Grilled Pineapple on Skewers)
Thandai Masala (Thandai Cheesecake)
On the next two pages you can see the very first
Jal Jeera Powder (Jal Jeera)
version of the pagination we did for the cookbook.
SOUPS, SALADS, CONDIMENTS
This was done based on the given sequence of recipes
Curry Powder (Mulligatwany Soup)
without any concrete knowledge about the size of
Thai Red Curry Masala (Red Noodle and Curry Soup)
the recipes. This pagination was definitely going to be
Zataar (Chickpea Salad)
altered in future, but it did help us to get a good idea
Mango Pickle Masala (Mango Pickle)
about the book.
MURGH, MACHHI, GOSHT Achari Masala (Achari Jheenga) Barbeque Rub (Barbeque Chicken Legs) Kebab Masala (Seekh Kebabs) Cajun Spice Mix (Sausage and Prawns with Rice) The long list of recipes
Chicken Masala (Chicken Masala) Kolhapuri Masala (Tambda Rassa) Korma Masala (Boti Kebab Korma) Fried Chicken Seasoning Mix (Fried Chicken) Malvani Masala (Malvani Fish Curry) Chinese Five Spice Mix (Kung Pao Chicken) East Indian Bottle Masala (Chicken Khudi) Meat Masala (Baittauwa Mutton) Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (Jerk Chicken) Veri Masala (Gogji Shabdeg) Xacuti Masala (Chicken Xacuti) Tandoori Chicken Masala (Tandoori Chicken) Moroccan seasoning (Tagine)
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
49
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
This is the first version of pagination when I was given
The advantage of working on pagination in the
only the list of recipes and their sequence. I had not
earlier stages of any publication is that it gives you an
started working on typesetting and I had not started
overview of the complete book. You can see how the
exploring layouts as well. This rough pagination was
pages would be, how do the sections work, how much
done to give us an idea about how the overall structure
space is to be given for a certain type of content,etc.
of the book would be. Here, we assumed that each
Pagination also helps us predict if there's a need to
pair with the respective image would fit in one spread.
add or remove pages from the expected page extent.
The preliminary pages (Title, Copyright, Half-title, etc.)
After this rough pagination, we understood that there's
in this version follow the predefined sequence for
plenty of space in the book, in case some pairs of the
any Penguin book. As you can see, there are a lot of
recipes wouldn't fit in a single spread.
free pages (33 to be precise) at the end of the book. Knowing this gave us a chance to develop the editing strategy and gave a little more freedom to the copy editor to proceed ahead.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
51
Reflecting on the given classification "Question everything you know before you move ahead." -Everyone
Total 100 recipes, as 50 pairs of spice mix and a recipe
Apart from the sequence of the recipes in the sections
using that spice mix, are included in the book. To be
I was not sure about the sequence of the sections
precise, 33 pairs of veg recipes and 17 pairs of non-veg
altogether. In general, cookbooks tell a story from
recipes are present.
the chef's point of view. The story might start from one region and make its way to the destination while
As per the given classification, there are 5 sections in
exploring the cuisines on the way. The story might start
the book namely:
with the appetizers and show the chef's take on the
1. Subzi, Snacks
meal as we finish the dessert. The story might start
2. Soups, Salads, Condiments
with an experience and find its way to the next one
3. Murgh, Machhi, Gosht
very organically. For any book that is not a novel, it is
4. South Indian, Chaat
essential that they have a valid system for the way the
5. Meetha, Drinks
content is presented. For a cookbook like this, where the author is attempting to showcase all the different
Though the names given to the sections are very
spice traditions from all over the world, it is essential
attractive as I tried to understand the classification, it
that the reader should be able to find exactly what they
became less attractive and more confusing.
want, without much difficulty.
In the first section, Subzi, Snacks, very interestingly
For the given classification and the recipes, there was
some dishes were added only because they did not fit
an opportunity to make it better than it was. I voiced
into any other section. For example, a Biriyani or a Pizza
my concerns about the existing classification to the
is neither a snacks item nor a subzi but it's included.
editor and we decided to try and make it better. Once
Several Indian dishes are put in the same section as
we are OK with it, we'll share it with the author and get
the solely non-Indian recipes. The sequence of the
her approval. I started with a blank Excel sheet and
recipes takes you from one place to another without
worked my way through the recipes to figure out a
any systemic plan.
suitable system for the book.
Among these 5 sections, The non-veg recipes are put together in the Murg, Machhi, Gosht section while all the other sections have veg recipes only. This actually helps when there are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes and you want to separate them. Although, having this section in the middle of the book doesn't actually work well towards the intended separation. The fourth section, South Indian, Chaat was a little tricky to understand. As an avid fan of both south Indian cuisine and chaat dishes, I understand that there is not much similarity between the two to be put together.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Proposed classification A perfect point to start anything new is to look at the
SNACKS AND APPETIZERS
MAINS
things from afar. When you try to understand the
Curry Powder (Mulligatwany Soup)
Endu Kobbari Podi (Podi Dosa)
global picture, the destination becomes very clear, very
Instant Rawa Upma Mix (Upma)
Gunpowder (Podi Idlis)
easily. As I listed down the recipes, I realized that there
Goda Masala (Misal Pav)
Rasam Powder (Pepper Rasam)
are actually just three major categories:
Pani Puri Masala (Pani Puri)
Sambhar Powder (Sambhar)
Snacks & Appetizers: The things you eat all day, before
Pav Bhaji Masala (Pav Bhaji)
Gojju Podi (Pineapple Gojju)
and after a meal, but not necessarily as a proper meal.
Katchori Masala (Katchori)
Amritsari Chhole Masala (Oil-Free Pindi Chhole)
Mains: The dishes which you would eat when you are
Chat Masala (Grilled Pineapple on Skewers)
Biryani Masala (Mushroom Biryani)
agreeably hungry. This is the set of fulfilling dishes, to
Zataar (Chickpea Salad)
Hyderabadi Saalan Masala (Mirch ka Saalan)
be precise.
Taco Seasoning (Beans Taco)
Garam Masala (Gobhi Mussallam)
Desserts & Other things: The sweet happy end for
Greek Seasoning (Stuffed Peppers)
Lazzat-e-taam (Salan Subz Badam Khaas)
any meal or conversation. The name was to be figured
Pizza Seasoning (Tomato Mushroom Pizza)
Kadhai Masala (Kadhai Paneer)
out later.
Tandoori Chicken Masala (Tandoori Chicken)
Subzi Masala (Veg Jalfrezi)
Kebab Masala (Seekh Kebabs)
Tawa Subzi Masala (Tawa Subzi)
If this system is to be used the sequence of these
Barbeque Rub (BBQ Chicken Leg)
Panch Phoran (Chorchori)
sections would naturally be like a meal—starting with
Fried Chicken Seasoning Mix (Fried Chicken)
Thai Green Curry Masala (Thai Green Curry)
the appetizers and following the mains to the desserts.
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (Jerk Chicken)
Thai Red Curry Soup (Red Noodle and Curry Soup)
As I broadly categorised the recipes into these section,
Chicken Masala (Chicken Masala)
I realized that there are recipes from all over the world
Kolhapuri Masala (Tambda Rassa)
in all of the three sections. I decided to further classify
Korma Masala (Boti Kebab Korma)
them in terms of their original cuisine and see if that
Malvani Masala (Malvani Fish Curry)
leads us somewhere. As I have heard a lot of time
Achari Masala (Achari Jheenga)
before, 'The content will lead you to the design', the
East Indian Bottle Masala (Chicken Khudi)
content actually made the decision very easy.
Meat Masala (Baittauwa Mutton) Veri Masala (Gogji Shabdeg)
Now in each section, there will be vegetarian recipes
Xacuti Masala (Chicken Xacuti)
which start from south Indian cuisine, then north Indian
Chinese Five Spice Mix (Kung Pao Chicken)
and then non-Indian recipes. After the vegetarian
Cajun Spice Mix (Sausage and Prawns with Rice)
recipes, we enter the region of non-vegetarian recipes
Moroccan Seasoning (Tagine)
following the same system. Starting her career as an Indian chef, the author has now made her name in
DESERTS & OTHER THINGS
the culinary world as an international chef with her
Gulab Jamun Mix (Gulab Jamun)
innovative take on Indian cuisine. As a designer who
Instant Rice Kheer Mix (Kheer)
loves stories, being able to integrate the chef's story
Tea Masala (Tea Brulee)
in the book through her content was a wonderful
Thandai Masala (Thandai Cheesecake)
serendipitous moment. This classification was later
Jal Jeera Powder (Jal Jeera)
approved by both the author and the editor and it
Mango Pickle Masala (Mango Pickle)
helped them understand that a graphic designer doesn't just make things look good, they help them mean good as well.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
53
Verification of information Information on each page
Verifying the data
Continuity, consistency and coherency are the three
When you are dealing with a lot of data which is the
key elements which can ensure a pleasant storytelling
driving force for your design direction, the data must
experience when the concept is good.
be checked and verified before you start building on it. When I started working on the cookbook, I first made
In an instructional manual, it is essential to have
myself understand the structure of each chunk of data.
synergy between the various directions. The
Once the typical pattern for the recipes was found, the
instructions should not be contradictory to each other.
next step was to check if that in fact is the structure for
They should be precise and unambiguous and should
all of the recipes.
provoke action. There should be consistency in the tone of voice. The structure of the sentences should be
The adjoining table is the tally I made to find
consistence so that it gets easier to decipher and act
discrepancies (if any). The columns were the different
accordingly. For a cookbook, it's exactly the same.
elements identified that contributed to the recipe and the rows contained the recipes.
This cookbook was giving insights about a specific spice mix and giving you instructions about how to prepare
I read every single recipe and kept track of all the things
that spice mix. This book is meant for all sorts of cooks.
missing or out of place in each of them.
This book can give a beginner some guidance and can
1. The Red blocks show data that is missing. A lot of
inspire a decent cook to explore something new. The
Spice mixes did not in fact need cooking. Hence the
methods for the recipes must be clear enough for
concern about the missing data from that column
everyone to follow. The most important part of any instruction is the verb, the word that prompts an action.
was rectified. 2. The Yellow blocks show data using different units.
As I read the manuscript, I realized that most of the
The major concern about the recipes was the fact
instructions were starting with the principle verb.
that the units used to measure the ingredients were not consistent. Some of the units were in
The recipes were accompanied by stories about the
tablespoons, teaspoons and some were in grams.
spice mix and the recipes. These tiny stories gave
Uniformity in the data is very important to keep a
interesting information about the content. Some of
publication cohesive.
them were anecdotal, some gave insights about the origin of the spices mix or the recipe. These stories made the recipes less rigid. They added the pinch of salt to bring out the true flavors.
3. The Cyan blocks show data that doesn't match. Some of the units did not match the category. For example, the Rassam masala indicated that it serves 4. 4. The Green block shows extra information. Some of the recipes included extra recipes/ methods that
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
It is important to know the content thoroughly and
need to be carried out in order to create the final
verify it before you start working on it.
dish.
Ideation & Design intervention
The Excell sheet with the data about the recipes Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
55
Inside Pages
Sketching the info units of layout The most enjoyable task in this project was working
The following few pages show the process that I
with the content of the recipes and finding ways to fit
followed to reach the final layout. For the rough
them in the given space. The catch was that two recipes
sketches, I have used rectangular blocks that represent
were to fit in a single page. This was going to be quite
different information chunks on each page. The sizes of
a bit of work as the size of the book is not too big and
these blocks were decided based on the relative sizes
the page extent is just 160! Layout is not just how the
of the different elements. Following list will help you
information is put together on a page, it's how the
understand the exploration in a better way.
reader is directed to read the information. For a book that is supposed to have a lot of information on a single
The name of the recipe
page, it was important to design it to make it simple and direct.
The story
The process to find the most appropriate layout
The timings, weights and servings
followed following steps: Figuring out the layout possibilities
The ingredients
This step involved exploring different possibilities of layouts by trying different grids and margins. These digital sketches did not involve the actual data but the relative size of each information chunk.
The method
Trying the layouts with dummy text After shortlisting a few feasible options of the layouts
Running heads, Page numbers
from the previous step, I tried them out with a generic recipe with a dummy type. Here the aim was to see how the layouts behave with actual text. The finer refinements were not to be done at this stage. Typeface exploration The last and most important step is to find the suitable typeface for the book. This typeface has to express the personality of the book while delivering the information effectively. It would be used in the layout that is most suitable for the book. Refining the type decision Information works the best when delivered in a proper hierarchy. Bombarding information never gives the expected result. The type decisions about the weight, style, etc will be taken at this stage.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
The image
Exploring layout options
Six-one
Six-two
Six column grid with full bleed image
Six column grid without full bleed image
This version uses a six column grid with gutter space of
This version also uses a six column grid with gutter
4 mm. This grid gives enough freedom to use multiple
space of 4 mm. This layout gives enough space to fit
column widths for different elements on the page. The
multiples column widths for different elements on
symmetric layout for both the recipes makes it visually
the page. The symmetry is broken at the begining of
balanced. The image is full bleed and is the centre of
the second recipe. The image does not bleed out and
attraction on the spread. The ample amount of white
hence helps to keep the spread look less crowded. The
space in the verso gives a little bit of breathing space to
inside margins are larger than outside to make it feel
the complete spread.
less cluttered. To be explored further with type.
Margins Inside: 15 mm
Margins
Outside: 15 mm
Inside: 20 mm
Top: 15 mm
Outside: 15 mm
Bottom: 15 mm
Top: 15 mm Bottom: 15 mm Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
57
Seven-one
Seven-two
Seven column grid without full bleed image
Seven column grid with full bleed image
This seven column grid with gutter space of 4 mm gives
This exploration entertains the idea of having
enough inter-elemental space which is required in this
alternating layout for the consecutive spreads. Though
situation. The symmetric layout for both the recipes
interesting in theory we realized this system with
makes it visually balanced. The image does not bleed
bleeding images becomes a little too distracting as the
and the symmetric margins maintain the balance. The
readers might not be able to entrain themselves to find
image situated in the recto helps the reader get an
what they need. Another drawback of this layout is that
idea about the book even when they are just browsing
the most important information i.e. the names of the
through the book.
recipes stay closer to the spine and might get lost.
To be explored further with type. Margins Margins
Inside: 15 mm
Inside: 15 mm
Outside: 15 mm
Outside: 15 mm
Top: 15 mm
Top: 15 mm
Bottom: 15 mm
Bottom: 15 mm
58
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Eight-one
Eight-two
Eight column grid with full bleed image
Eight column grid without full bleed images
The advantage of using an eight column grid is that
This eight column grid let me explore one more
it gives us an opportunity to keep enough breathing
direction in which the two recipes stay on the different
space around the recipes. The running heads are
extremes of the page and mirror each other in a way.
centrally aligned on the page. The bleeding images stay
This layout needs to be explored to see if the dish
on the recto and showcase the dishes as the readers
recipe gets enough attention and the visual balance is
browse through the book.
not getting lost and the reader can focus on one thing at a time.
Margins
To be explored further with type.
Inside: 15 mm Outside: 15 mm
Margins
Top: 15 mm
Inside: 15 mm
Bottom: 15 mm
Outside: 15 mm Top: 15 mm Bottom: 15 mm
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
59
Introducing Icons One of the most interesting parts of the process was introduction of icons that would replace a consistently appearing textual information. The book, as we know by now, had a lot of information that was supposed to be conveyed to the reader and the challenge was not to overwhelm the reader. A lot of instructions given at a time can be a little too much and that is not what's expected from a cookbook. When there are two recipes on each page, the amount of information doubles. To help make the book look more breathable, one of the way is to introduce graphical elements to replace some of the information. There was the obvious opportunity of using icons for cooking time and preparation time. Icons work the best for the information that needs to be treated differently from all the other text. Being a graphical element in a space filled with textual information, icons grab attention. This could be helpful to treat some information differently. There were six entities which could use icons: 1. Preparation time for the spice mix 2. Cooking time for the spice mix 3. How much does the spice mix make 4. Preparation time for the dish 5. Cooking time for the dish 6. How many people does the dish serve As I talked to people who could be the readers, I began to understand their associations with each of these terms. Having a strong conceptual foundation is necessary so that the icons can have an appropriate visual form. I understood what all processes fall under preparation and cooking for the spice mix and the dish and I focused on physical entities that can be the base for the form and began working on it. During the process I realized that the cooking process for both the spice mix and the dish use similar actions and objects. Ultimately five icons were conceptualized and designed that added the extra something to the book.
60
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
The final icon set was derived from the following key objects that are related to the specific process: Preparation for the spice mix This involved a lot of grinding so having a traditional Preparation time for the spice mix
mortar and pestle served the purpose. Cooking for the spice mix and the dish A traditional kadhai with a flame below it depicted cooking in the most simplest way. Weight for the spice mix A household weighing scale that everyone is familiar with indicated that this information is about weight of
Cooking time for both the recipes
the prepared product. Preparation for the dish The major portion of preparation for a dish is cleaning, cutting and/or soaking the ingedients. Showing a knife with a generic cut vegetable served the purpose. Servings of the dish How many servings are possible with the given recipe
Weight for the spice mix
was shown with a steaming hot bowl. The icons were going to replace a chunk of textual information which always went something like this: • Preparation time: 5 min • Cooking time: 10 min • Makes: 25 g The actual size of the icon had to be around 8x8mm.
Preparation time for the dish
As I started simplifying the form I realized that at such a small size, having an opaque/filled form would make it visually very heavy. I decided to simplify it further to make the icons linear. These icons would be accompanied by text below it. I decided to try both types of icons and figure out which would work better in the layout. They'll be used like following:
Servings of the dish
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
61
Recto-Verso One of the decision was where and how to place the images. These images were very a important tool to engage the reader and keep them interested. These nicely shot photographs had to be used wisely to enhance the impact of the book. As this book is meant for mass readers, it had to be clean, to the point and visually stimulating. I chose a recipe—Kadhai Masala and Kadhai Paneer—the one which had an average word count to explore the layout options so that we can focus on the more important issue at hand, the layout for the book. The first route explores the idea of having alternating placement of images on the spreads. The full bleed image would be on the recto and verso alternatively. This treatment is very stimulating as each spread is different not only because of the image but also because of the layout itself. The second route has its merit in terms of consistency. All the images will stay within the margins on the recto and this way the reader entrains themselves to find the visual information from the recto and textual information from the verso. This route has one drawback that it might feel repetitive after a while but for a 160 page book where there are just 50 images, it might not get monotonous. Between the two routes, the second was further pursued as it showed possibilities of a better visual experience. The advantage of this layout is that it gives the readers an easy opportunity to browse through the book. All the important information is on the outer side of the pages and hence is very easy to locate. All the images would stay inside the margins and this creates a visual balance which was a huge necessity for this book. With a lot of information on the verso, the other part of the spread had to have some breathing space so that the reader would not get overwhelmed.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Icons in the layout The next set of decisions was regarding the information chunk about the preparation time, cooking time, weight of the spice mix and the preparation time, cooking time and servings for the dish. Now that the direction of the layout was found, I needed to figure out a way to minimize the textual information on the page to make it interesting. I was exploring the option of using icons to replace the text. I have already explained you the process in the last few pages. There was always the possibility that the icons would steal way too much attention. As I was 'learning by doing' I decided to use the icons in the different type options I was doing and see how they behave with text. As you can see from the image on your right, the icons do add an element of interest in the spread. The negative space around the icons helps the name of the recipe above it to grab attention. After a feedback session with the design head and the editor, the idea of using the icons was approved and I moved ahead to validate the layout options by actually putting text and analyzing them critically.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
63
Analyzing the layout options After the shortlisting through the rough sketches of the layouts, I started putting information where the different elements would go. This gave me a better idea about the space management I was supposed to excel at. When I started putting data in their designated spaces, the results were very interesting. These explorations also included the icons for the timings, weights and servings. These explorations use Optima as a dummy typeface. I was in the process of setting up my system with FontExplorer—an online library on typefaces through which PRH has access to numerous licensed typefaces. I chose 'Optima' as it is a humanist sans serif type with enough weights to explore the possibilities of visual hierarchy and also it was already installed on the system. Once the layouts that were not working were eliminated, and I had access to the library, I explored and finalized the type for the inside pages.
The very first impression of this layout is that it looks
This layout was unfortunately unsuccessful to give
very rigid. Using the thick colour block was working in
enough space to the names of the recipes and they
the opposite direction and was distracting rather than
were getting lost below the weight of the stories.
grabbing attention. The name of the spice mix needed
The name was the most important part of the whole
to be the star of the spread, but the block was not
spread, it was the anchor holding the page together.
helping. The vertical lines accompanying the methods
losing them in the loud information around them was
helped catch the reader's eyes and bring them to read
not working in the direction we wanted.
what's written.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Some ideas sound better in paper and do not work
This was by far the most successful layout. The names
Modifying the first layout option, by removing the
on the paper. This layout was not able to deliver
of both the recipes were standing out in the page. The
colour block this option was devised. In the two
the information in the correct way. The unfortunate
story, method was forming a proper section about
versions of this layout, one used the icons which were
diagonal white space between the two recipes was
instruction and another included ingredients and
filled and the other one used linear icons. As you can
taking most of the attention away and the recipes were
the icons. With no additional graphical elements, the
see the completely filled icons were taking away a little
getting lost. Two conflicting alignments of text on a
hierarchy of the information was set and this neat-n-
bit attention away from the important elements on
single page was very disturbing. This was definitely not
clean layout was what we were looking for.
the page while on the other hand, the thin-lined icons
a route to be followed.
added a delicate touch to the page while delivering clear information.
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
65
The layout The adjoining images show the final layout that was approved by the design head, the editor and the author herself. This approval process was always a reminder that this is not a personal project but a live, commercial project. In the 172mm x 229mm page, the margins were as follows: Inside: 15mm Outside: 15mm Top: 15mm Bottom: 15mm The layout is built on a 7 column grid with a gutter space of 4mm. Having an odd numbered grid sometimes helps you to make the layout a little dynamic. The ingredients and icons would occupy two columns and the story and the methods would take the remaining 5 columns. As the names of the recipes had their own space, the length of their names was not an issue. The baseline grid has an increment of 11 pts starting from the top of the page. This layout was selected because it had the potential to accommodate both lengthy and short recipes. It could be easily tweaked without disturbing the whole spread to fit the recipes. The clear distinction between the instructions and information made it easier for the reader to find the data easily. The information hierarchy on the elements in the whole spread was not conflicting with each other. As the layout was finalized and the FontExplorer library was installed in the system, I began experimenting with typefaces that were able to project the personality of the book honestly.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
The grid structure for the cookbook Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
67
Typeface exploration Finding a suitable typeface for a book is the crucial
The examples of these explorations are scanned copies
design decision for any publication project. The more
of only the prints I had. Penguin Random House has a
choices you have, harder it gets. As I started exploring all
strict policy against unethical use of resources, and as
the available typefaces on FontExplorer, I started getting
I was working there as an intern, the open files in the
more and more nervous. The library provides you with
packages I brought with me did not contain the licensed
more than 15,000 fonts! The number was way too large
typefaces. Actually I feel that this is such a tremendous
for me to digest. I started with finding the fonts that
step towards bringing down illegal use of resources. At
can personify the book, the fonts that can show the
this very moment this strict policy is making things a little
personality through their character. One approach was
difficult for me, but I appreciate it nevertheless. So the
to find type combinations that shows the intermingled
images might look a little hazy but they've gone through
modern yet traditional feel of the book. These types
several rounds of feedbacks, approvals and scans.
cane be from different families but they project the accurate image together. The second approach was to take shelter of a giant type family that resonates with the tone of the book.
Sabon and Avenir These two types are as different as they can be. Sabon being a serif type radiates elegant strength and Avenir being a sans serif demonstrates structured beauty. These two types are very strong on their own but using them together brought something interesting out. The story set in Sabon connected itself with the name of the recipe while the instructions announced their connection with the ingredients set in Avenir. Avenir works very well at smaller sizes and hence using it for the ingredients and the instructions was perfect.
Sabon type specimen
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Avenir type specimen
Archer and Sabon and Avenir The definitive clarity of Archer for the heading brings out the modern feel of the book. The slab serifs of Archer make a strong statement and the serifs of Sabon in the story follow the thread. The ingredients and the instructions are set in Avenir. The major learning was knowing that not all typefaces go together well. There is a lot of conflict between all the three types and it fails to deliver the information in the intended way.
Archer type specimen
Sabon type specimen
Avenir type specimen
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
69
Neue Swift and Harmonia Sans The italic variant of Neue Swift has a very unique calligraphic quality to it. The contrast between the thick and thin and the tiny swashes at the end of each character makes it different. Pairing it with Harmonia which has a very geometric structure made a one of a kind combination. The drawback is that at such a small size the sans serif type fails to stay readable. The large counter-forms do not help with the readability, specially with the lighter weights of the type.
Neue Swift type specimen
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Harmonia type specimen
Stone Informal and Frutiger Stone family has a lot of variants. One of the most appetizing variant is Stone informal. The single storied lowercase 'a' has such a wholesome counter-form that I could not stop myself from trying it out for this cookbook. The healthy thick and thins of the type make it look delicious and that's a really nice quality for a type to be used for a cookbook. Frutiger being a legendary type delivers what's expected from it. The light weight works well for the ingredients and the story gets the needed attention with the medium weight. This combination was one of the most successful explorations.
Stone Informal type specimen
Frutiger type specimen
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
71
Archer and Avenir Yet again technlogy cheats you. If you do not check how the type would behave in print, and you believe what you see on the screen, this sort of disastrous result is what you deserve. Trying to tap into stark contrast of thin variant of Avenir and bold Archer, I forgot that at smaller sizes thin and extra-thin type would not be legible. The only thing readable in the page are the names, icons and the methods. Lessons to learn at every step.
Avenir type specimen
Archer type specimen
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Gill sans This type has a lot of weights that can be used wisely to define a proper hierarchy of information. The generous counters of the type makes it very young and friendly. The different weights for the different elements on the page add the contrast it needs. The only drawback is that it does not have a strong voice that the heading needs.
Gill Sans type specimen
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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Refining the type selection Design decisions about typorgraphy of a book depends
As I began fine-tuning the typography, I decided to push
on a lot of parameters. The purpose, the intent, the
myself a little more. I carefully observed the complete
target, the content, the word strength, the availability
Stone font family and I realized that working with one
of space, the page count are just a few of them. For
single family would be even better than using two
this specific cookbook, the major driving force behind
typefaces that go together well. The only obstacle (?)
typographic decisions was the word count per recipe
would be the sans serif variant of Stone. If it were
and the final page extent. These two parameters played
comparable to Frutiger in terms of its readability and
a vital role in selection of typeface and also selecting
personality then it would work!
appropriate size and style for the different elements on the page.
As you can see from the images in your right, the forms of the characters are definitely different but they don't
The page extent was fixed while the word count of
fall into two completely different boxes altogether.
the recipes were varying in a wide range. Selecting a
The advantage of using a single type family is that it
typeface that would help fit the recipes within the given
is already cohesive in its core. The consistency of the
pages while keeping them legible and visually inviting
personality and form is retained by the designer while
was one of the biggest tasks. The typeface that was to
designing each variant. The Stone family is one of the
be chosen should offer enough weights and sizes that
strongest families with variants of different types. The
would help create a definite hierarchy of information
most interesting fonts from the cookbook's point of
within each page as well.
view were Stone Sans, Stone Serif and Stone Informal.
Frutiger type specimen
Stone Sans type specimen
You can see the family resemblance in the three fonts After the reviews and feedbacks from the design
even when they are quite different.
team that focused on the typography and visual design aspect of the layout and the copy editing team
I explored this idea a little further and presented this
that concentrated on the legibility, readability of the
idea which was appreciated and approved by the
content; the type combination of Stone with Frutiger
people at PRH and hence the new and final layout of
was shortlisted.
the book contained just one superfamily—ITC stone designed by Sumner Stone in 1987.
Stone super family
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Stone type-family Stone Sans Stone Informal Stone Serif
Stone Sans
Stone Sans
Stone Informal type specimen
Stone Informal Stone Serif
Stone Sans
Stone Sans Stone Serif type specimen
Stone Sans type specimen
Stone Sans
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
75
Colour story explorations Food is not just about taste. Food and hence cooking
Before I started exploring the colour directions we
is about using all of your senses to create, share
finalized the sequence of the recipes. Having the
and enjoy something wonderful. When it comes to
finalized sequence helped us visualize the whole book
cookbooks, the overall impact it leaves on its readers
in a better way. The new classification had the fifty
is not just because of the content but also because of
pairs spread across the three sections based on which
its visual appeal. We enjoy food when it tastes good,
course of the meal they fell into.
smells good, feels good, looks good and feels god. The same is about a book. It should have good content,
Along with 50 spice mixes that use only vegetarian
good look and good feel to it to make it enjoyable.
ingredients, there are 33 vegetarian recipes and 17
Colors help you achieve that.
non-vegetarian recipes in the book. It was one of the tasks to help the reader identify which recipe falls into
As I observed in the cookbooks that I referred, the
what category. The colour was only to add emphasis
colors set the tone and mood of the book. In the
on the most important information on the page. The
Pooja Dhingra's cookbook, the pink never lets you
colour would be added to the names of the recipes,
doubt the sweetness of the recipes. The overall feel
The preparation, cooking time and servings. The story
of the Rick Stein's book stays modest because the
for each spice mix will also have the colour. The rest of
contrast between the very colorful images and black
the information including the methods and the list of
text. The very strong type in the colors that reflect
ingredients will be in black. You can see an example of
the corresponding image makes the book by Tony
the recipe page where the colour is used as explained
and Cyrus very enjoyable. Before moving ahead it
earlier. The different possible colour stories are
was important to define the direction for the usage of
explained on the next few pages.
colors. The advantage of getting to work on a full-color book is the opportunity to work with colors. If needed literally every single character could be in a different colour. The point is, having the opportunity of fourcolor printing opened up a lot of doors. Penguin being popular for novels, which are essentially single colour text only books, does publish full colour illustrated books for children and cookbooks which are full-color books. The most important change in the visual design process is the use of colors.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
The very first approach was to pick colors from the
The second approach was to be very direct. To show the
images and keep the spreads cohesive. This did make
obvious difference between the vegetarian and non-
the spreads look visually cohesive but the complete
vegetarian recipes, just two colors would be used. The
book became clearly warm. All the recipes which had
green colour would be used for vegetarian recipes and
red gravy, fell into a similar pallete. Some handful of
red, of course, for the non-vegetarian ones. Being quite
gravies had dark green and brown curries that looked
simple and appropriate in the theory, the main concern
very similar to each other.
that was raised was that it would make the book feel monotonous. Playing with just the two colors was not
One of the main concern was about showing a distinct
exciting enough but nonetheless the ides was apt.
separation between the vegetarian recipes and non vegetarian recipes. This approach was not able to provide that information with just the colors, some extra element was needed to be added to show that which was not preferred.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
77
Building on the idea of using green and red for the
The drawback of the previous direction was the lack
With this approach you can clearly see the distinction
two types of recipes, this version of colour palette
of contrast of the colors. To improve this, I decided
between the two types of recipes and at the same time,
was devised. The idea was to have the separation
to take inspiration from the spices themselves. For
it's not monotonous. This direction actually makes the
with green and red but not the same green and red
the veg recipes, I needed to find a range of greens
book look more fresh, bright and interesting as well.
everywhere. The greens and red will change over the
that would range from a brighter green than the one
recipes. To keep the book anchored, another colour
from the previous one to the darkest green that is
On the facing page, you can see the sample pages of
was introduced. This orange would be the central
not brown. I found very precise colors from the spices
the recipes and the content pages.
constant colour and the greens and reds will change.
used in the book. I found inspiration from them and in
This direction was appreciated and approved but when
this version hence, the green travels from a fresh chilli
we actually tried it out in the book, a few of the colors
green to the darkest green of cardamom seeds. For
showed very little contrast with black and hence we
the non vegetarian recipes, a red close to the saffron
decided to work on it a little more.
red follows its way to the dark brown of star anise. The anchor yellow from the previous version was not a good fit for this brighter palette. The yellow in this version is inspired by the colour of raw turmeric.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
79
The cover
The cover - the face of the book Title: The Secret’s in the Spice Mix: 50 unique
Front Cover Suggestion
spice mixes from around India (with recipes)
Since the author is a celebrity chef, we need to have her on the cover.
Author: Pankaj Bhadouria Page extent:160
Some images you can try options with:
Format: - 172x229mm (P) Binding: Paperback Imprint: Ebury Press Pub month: May 2017 Category: Non-fiction/cookery e-book rights: Y Territory/ Rights: World Price: 399 Cover budget: Regular 10K Budget: for post press effect + paper: About the Book: Synopsis attached Target audience/ positioning: People who like to cook?
Front Cover Title: The Secret’s in the Spice Mix Author: Pankaj Bhadouria Quote: Winner of Masterchef India Season 1 Logo: Ebury Press Any additional matter: yet to come
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
you could have the plain picture on the front, and grids
Cover briefs are very important. They are the what
of food shots for the back cover, like these cookbooks
you have to fall back on. Just like any other project
(front + back cover shown below)
brief, a cover brief includes the context—the physical information about the book, the competitors, target, and the content—the information about the theme of the book, the look and feel, etc. It is essential to know the book and its content before starting with the cover design. The editors work on the book for a longer time than a designer and hence the cover briefs are crafted by the commissioning editors. The editors know where the book is to be placed in the market and what is the reference point for the book. Reading and understanding the cover brief is an important step. I started with analyzing the brief and
Here are some reference images of other celebrity
understanding why the references given for this cover
book covers I like:
worked for their respective books. It is always a good idea to get global information about the area you are jumping into so that you don't slip and fall. In the next few pages I have tried to analyze the good and bad points about the references given by the editor to get an idea about cookbook covers before I start conceptualizing.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
81
Around the Table by Martina McBride
Flavors First by Vikas Khanna
Talking about food for family gatherings, the chef on
This cookbook authored by Vikas Khanna adorns
the cover seems to be looking out of the frame as
striking type on a dark background. Shot in an evidently
if from the kitchen into the dining room. The warm
modern kitchen, the chef is holding a very traditional
freshness of the vegetables and the vibrant pop of
Indian set of masalas contextualizing the book through
green with the clean white/Grey background makes
the cover itself. The author seems to be in conversation
the cover look very inviting. The type combination gives
with someone and that makes the cover feel quite
the book a contemporary appeal. A modern housewife
informal in spite of the strong use of black. The very
would be attracted to this book because of its relatable
familiar face of the chef helps attract the intended
portrayal of the chef.
target.
Around the Table by Martina McBride
Flavors First by Vikas Khanna
Fast & Fit by Teresa Giudice
Eating in the Middle by Andie Mitchel
Focused on the recipes that give you option to have
A very apt cover for an informal cookbook written by
healthy yet tasty Italian food, the celebrity chef on
Andie Mitchel. The outdoor, open environment adds
the cover is the selling point. A clever word play on
to the charm of the chef on the cover. The quite casual
'fabulous and delicious' makes it interesting. The setting
outfit of the chef, the thoughtful placement of that
of a homely kitchen, the clean sans serifs mixed with
small bouquet that harmonizes with that. The strength
hand-lettered type gives it a modern look which goes
of this cover lies in the simplicity of its design.
quite nicely with the overall theme of the book.
Fast & Fit by Teresa Giudice
Eating in the middle by Andie Mitchel
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
The Happy Cookbook by Lola Berry
How to be a better cook by Lorraine Pascale
This vibrant cover for this book is exactly what the book
The cover is an example where the chef is such a big
is about. The fresh, generous cover filled with happy
personality that the whole cover is brought together by
vibrant liveliness is a nice example of how covers are
her name and the chef herself. In the culinary world,
the face of the book and not a separate entity. The
Lorraine has gained her reputation by being a true
photograph of the chef holding a bowl filled with fresh
person while being a cook. The author's name has
food and fresh produce around her gives the cover a
a higher position in the information hierarchy. For a
wholesome feel. The busy background is balanced with
famous celebrity, it is a strong selling point to have the
the strong yet clean typography that blends well and
chef on the cover.
stands out.
How to be a better cook by Lorraine Pascale
Falling in love with food by Zoe Bingley-Pullin
The Happy Cookbook by Lola Berry
Some covers do not need extravagant busy arrangement of ingredients and produce but just a Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet by Padma Lakshmi
simple hint of whats inside and the chef. This cover
Once again, a cover that showcases not just the food,
works because of the photograph that captures a
the chef but the chef working in the kitchen. The
casual warm moment with the chef mid-conversation.
natural charm of the chef adds the value to the cover.
As this book is not just about food but about the
The cover uses strong type with White and Orange to
relationship we have with food the title having the
balance the Blue in the image used. A fresh cover with
highest position works well. Here again, the warm
a very informal, open feel that would catch the eye of a
colors in the type harmonize with the colors of the
reader.
simple fruit basket.
Falling in love with food by Zoe Bingley-Pullin
Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet by Padma Lakshmi
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
83
Information hierarchy for the cover Covers can make or break a book. Based on the
The theme of the book is quite unique. The book
references given by the editor and after numerous
showcases the different spice mixes. The name itself is
discussion about the expected market placement of
very intriguing. Spice mixes are not uncommon in India
the book, we took some key decision.
but knowing the recipes and being able to make fresh spice mixes is what the advantage of this book is.
There needs to be a well-defined information hierarchy for any type of communication so that the intended
One of the most important aspect of this book is the
message gets through to the receiver. For a book cover,
wide readership and fan-following of the author. The
it is essential that the reader should be able to know all
author has gained a large number of dedicated followers
the important details through the cover to attract them
from all over the world. As the author has been around
and make them buy and read the book. For cookbooks,
the world since winning the title of MasterChef, she has
as their readership needs visual stimulation, it is very
made her presence felt worldwide. This cookbook would
important that the cover is inviting, attractive and gives
strengthen her image in the global market and for that
all the needed information.
it was essential to stay true to her popular image while making her more relatable to the modern reader.
The cover has to attract the reader, retain their attention and inform them about the book. The first
Covers need to be memorable. Everyone judges a book
level must have the most interesting part about the
by its cover and there's no denying that.
book may it be the chef or the theme or the cuisine, etc. The USP (Unique Selling Point) must be the first thing that the readers would see. For this cookbook, the very first thing that'd attract the readers was the chef herself. Being a popular TV personality and an acclaimed chef, Pankaj Bhadouria is a well known name in Indian household. The biggest attraction for this book is the fact that it's written by Pankaj Bhadouria.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Illustrations Looking back, this particular part of the process changed the whole direction of the book. While exploring different approaches to work on the cover, I decided to try some illustrations of the spices to add the context on the cover. The advantage of having illustrations on the cover gives you a chance to extend that language for the inside pages as well. I made a list of all the spices mentioned in the book. The list was, as you can see, quite long. There were some ingredients I was quite unaware about. Before I started doing anything, I went through a lot of references. I went through all the available cookbooks in PRH, I went through a lot of images online. Specially to know the spices that were new to me, I watched cooking videos where these ingredients were used, just to get to know how they behave. How the sizes of these spices vary depending on the region they come from but the form remains more or less the same. This helped me know the structure of the spices in a much better way. These spices were the core of the whole publication. The spices were the story. Having realized the potential in the idea of using illustration of the spices, I focused on trying different ways in which these spices can be represented.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
85
Exploring illustrations
Poster Colors
Water Colors
The few mediums I explored for the illustrations were
Poster colors are opaque colors that can be turned
Colour pencils give you freedom to layer the colors to
poster colors, water colors, colour pencils and micro-tip
semi-opaque by adding enough water. Adding layers of
get the effect you want, just like the most familiar tool
pens. Each of the mediums had their pros and cons.
one colour over the other gives very interesting results.
known to a designer, a pencil. I tried a few illustrations
The process of working on these illustrations took me
The rich colors that can be achieved by using poster
with colour pencils but the final result was not exactly
back to the first semester and how we ran around the
colors can be seen in the first two sample illustrations.
what we expected. The dry pencils could not match the
campus sketching and drawing leaves.
Both the rich green of basil and the toned down brown
freshness of the water based colors.
of cinnamon looked appealing with poster colors. I began with understanding the structure of each of
86
these spices. I did not illustrate all the spices for all
Water colors have their own charm. The simplicity you
the media. This was just to get an idea as to which
can achieve with them gives the work a bright, fresh
medium will work better. The comparative analysis
feel. The subtle changes in the colors can be very
of the different styles would then help me decide the
effectively achieved through water colors as you can
direction to be explored further.
see in the second set of illustrations.
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Pencil Colors
The breakthrough was line drawing using a micro-
I illustrated more than 30 spices individually by pen.
tip pen! The minute I finished the first set of try outs
After drawing them I scanned the illustrations, cleaned
with this medium and shared all the options with the
the files and prepared them for future use. The neat,
design team for their feedback, there was a unanimous
detailed, structurally sound illustrations gave a very
approval for the line drawings. The line drawings
delicate vibe. These illustrations were now ready to be
gave me the freedom to use them across different
used in compositions, as an independent unit or used
sets of backgrounds and media without any difficulty.
in a pattern. The possibilities of incorporating this style
The detailed simplicity of the line drawings was very
of illustration in the visual design of the book were
appealing and being monochromatic, this was one
opening up new doors.
of the most versatile approach considering the fact that these illustrations were most probably to be incorporated in the cover and the inside pages..
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
87
Author photograph For a celebrity, apart from their work, their image is
The design team at PRH does arrange our own
equally important for them. Even though their work has
photoshoots when needed. For the cover of this
paved their way to their celebrity status, their image is
cookbook, the author had sent us a lot of photographs
what the people associate the work with.
from a shoot she had done with her husband Charu Samarth who is a professional photographer. The
Pankaj Bhadouria became an inspiration, a housewife/
photographs were specially taken for the cookbook.
teacher turned a professional chef on the foundation of
In this studio shoot we can see her in the kitchen with
her skills. Pankaj, hence is a well-known name in Indian
different spices. There are different ways in which she's
houses. Her journey is quite interesting and she uses
been shot. When I started critically examining each of
her platform to share her story with the people around
the photographs, I realized the importance of capturing
the world and inspire them to follow their dreams.
an appropriate photograph for a specific purpose.
I am re-iterating this only because every celebrity has such a story with which people identify. Having the face
The adjoining two images being very lively, fresh and
of the celebrity on the cover of a book sells well not
inviting were a little too busy for a cover. The title would
because of their beauty but in fact their story. You can
get lost in the crowded background in front of which
see all the successful celebrity books have the author
the author's been captures in a candid moment. On the
on either the cover or the back and that is there for a
page to your right, the first set of photographs (images
reason, now you know why.
1 to 4) is shot in the kitchen where she's looking directly in the eyes of the viewer. This helps connect and attract
For a cookbook, when the author has a celebrity
the reader. The author in the image 1 is posing for the
status, they are shown working in the kitchen, handling
camera but still gives a positive vibe while image 2 looks
some ingredients that are showcased in the book,
a little awkward as the author is caught in movement
in conversation with someone outside the frame,
which is not very appealing. Images 3 and 4 are quite
etc. Their presence on the cover is lively and fresh.
effective but in image 3 when the author's hands are
Exploring cooking is not meant to be approached
off the table, it looks quite unbalanced. In the next set
with any formal strict set of rules, it's supposed to
(images 5 to 8), the author has a vibrant blue top in
be a guided journey with a friend holding your hand.
front of the same Grey-blue kitchen. Though definitely
The friendly reassuring smiling chef is what makes a
posed, in images 6 and 8 the author showcases the
cookbook not an intimidating test series.
spices. There is something very 'filmy' yet attractive about the image 8 in which she is being 'secretive'. One of these images would be on the cover of her cookbook in which she is telling you how to make home-made spice mixes from Indian and around the world! Selection of the right image was going to change the look and feel of the cover and hence the book.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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Type exploration The type used for the cover sets the tone of the book. For the cover, I planned to use the same type from the inside pages to keep a definite synergy between the cover and the rest of the book. Stone font family has a lot of styles and weights so fortunately it had a lot of opportunities to be explored. Another route that was to be explored was to use hand-lettering. I explored a few typographic compositions for the title using Sone family mixed with hand-lettering. The charm of raw, unedited lettering mixed with structured type gave some very interesting results as you can see from the examples. I explored the hand-lettering route quite extensively. The scanned copies of some of those lettering are shared on the facing page.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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Title and Post-press possibilities Hand-lettered type has a special personal quality to it
UV illustrations
which I think is quite close to cooking. Everyone writes
Pairing the lettering with the spice illustrations would
differently and everyone's subzi has a unique flavor.
bring out the interesting character of the book. To play
This book was one of its kind and hence having a
on the theme of the title, 'The secret's in the Spice Mix'
suitable hand-lettered type for the title would give it the
the spice illustrations would be printed with UV ink and
lifestyle appeal it needed to have.
just like the spices in a gravy, the illustrations will not be apparent in the first go. The closer you get to the book,
Biggest care that needs to be taken when hand-
they'll become more and more visible. Publications that
lettering something is the readability of the text. If the
have a unique tactile quality to them make the reader
title is not clear enough to be easily read, it doesn't
more interested. Just like cooking, my aim was to make
solve its purpose.
the experience pleasurable for multiple senses. A touch of surprise tadka always makes the dal better.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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• A stark white border to catch attention.
• A broader white border to catch attention.
• Very bold typography used for the author's name
• Author's name going beyond the white margin giving
• Spice illustrations in white colour with low opacity which brightens the whole cover • Bright orange for the title that harmonizes with her outfit. • Gloss lamination with emboss for the author's name and the title
it the highest emphasis • Spice illustrations in brown with low opacity that adds contrast to the author photograph • The title exceeding the margins just like the author's name • Gloss lamination with emboss for the author's name and the title
• Spice illustrations peeping through a frame
• A clean image with a bold type.
• Low opacity white illustrations
• The title is partially die-cut with the words Secret's
• A bold font for the title from the same type family from the inside pages • The title has the highest visual hierarchy • Matte lamination with UV coating for the spices, the author's name and the title
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Ideation & Design intervention
Spice and Mix revealing the spice-illustration from within • Matte lamination with UV coating for the author's name
• Hand-lettered type mixed with the type used n the inside pages • A clean layout with the image of the author • White type for the author's name • Bright orange for the title that fits the colour combination • Gloss lamination with emboss for the author's name and the title
• Hand-lettered type mixed with the type used n the inside pages • Integrating the spice illustrations in the photograph of the author • Warm tones for the title that compliment the blue in the background • Matte lamination with UV coating for the spice illustrations, the author's name and the title
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• A stark white border to attract attention
• Spice illustrations arranged around the author
• Spice illustrations peeping through a frame
• Completely hand-lettered type for the title
• Low opacity white illustrations
• The title has the highest visual hierarchy
• A bold font mixed with hand-lettered type
• Matte lamination with UV coating for the author's
• The title has the highest visual hierarchy • Matte lamination with UV coating for the spices, the
name and the title • Blind UV for the spice illustrations
author's name and the title
• Spice illustrations peeping through a frame
• A bold font mixed with hand-lettered type
• Low opacity white illustrations
• The author's name has the highest visual hierarchy
• A bold font mixed with hand-lettered type
• Gloss lamination with emboss for the author's name
• A touch of bright yellow to attract attention • The author's name has the highest visual hierarchy • Matte lamination with UV coating for the spices, the author's name and the title
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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and title
• These 4 exploration follow a similar layout with variation in the type treatment • The sub-title is treated differently to ensure that it gets enough amount of attention while not distracting the title. • The spice illustrations will be done in blind UV • The title is completely hand-lettered • Author's name is at the topmost level in stark white • The important takeaway from these explorations was the semi-opaque band for the sub-title works well with the image and the title
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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• Following the exact same layout as we have seen before, these explorations used varied type combinations. • A very important learning was understanding how to work with two different styles of hand-lettering and see if they work together or not • Types with different personalities sometimes work together nicely but sometimes they absolutely do not • This cover was approved by the design team and the editor and was further sent to the author for her approval
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Back cover Front cover attracts the reader to come closer, gives
Back cover of a book is as important as the front cover.
For this cookbook, as it was focused on the spices, I
them basic information about the book and on the
Both of them have different functions but they have
decided to explore options with spice images and spice
back you have the blurb which explains the idea a little
to feel cohesive and part of the same book. There are
illustrations used on the cover to maintain the synergy.
more elaborately. The blurb is very creatively crafted to
some mandatory elements on the back cover like the
The cover has to project same personality through the
invoke interest in the readers' minds and make them
ISBN Price box, territory rights and ebooks rights, etc.
front cover and back cover. The first exploration used
buy the book and read it. Following is the blurb for the
The spine contains the title, name of the author and
an eye catching image of star anise with super-imposed
cookbook in its early stages. This blurb will be edited
the identity of the imprint. The spine is calculated with
blurb on it. Though separately very interesting the front
and refined to fit the target more effectively.
the following formula:
and back cover did not seem to go together.
Spine width (mm) = (number of pages * GSM * bulk)
The second approach was to mirror the spice illustrations from the front cover to deliver a cohesive
Do you buy overpriced spice mixes off the shelves?
Do you wish to make your own but don’t know how?
After consulting the production team, I was informed
visual experience. In the two explorations in this route,
Does the alchemy of spices interest you?
that for a 160 page book with 130 gsm matte paper
one used the illustrations all around the blurb and
the bulk constant is 1.4. This bulk constant is the
the other used them in a modest composition. This
The right blend of spices is crucial to Indian cooking
multiplication factor that needs to be used as different
exploration explored possibility of having a pattern on
and is the reason why some dishes are so hard to
papers bulk up differently. So the calculation comes out
the back that gives the cover a feel of a fine marble
to be like following:
kitchen-top. The books tries to re-introduce the legacy
resist. But why buy spice mixes when you can make
2000
them yourself!
of Indian spice mixes to the modern cook and hence Spine width (mm) = (160 * 130 * 1.4)
People across the length and breadth of the country
2000
= 14.56 mm
≈ 15 mm
have their own special blend of spices that they use to add flavor to food. From traditional blends
Mumbai—to more commercial mixes like garam masala, kadhai masala and sambhar powder, India’s first MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria identifies fifty spice mixes, including some from around the world, in this one-of-a-kind book, putting the secret to great flavors within any cook’s reach.
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appeal to the cover. The colors on the back resonated with the author's outfit to balance the cover. You can
like veri—the tikki masala from Kashmir—and East Indian bottle masala—the East Indian specialty from
the classic marble pattern added the needed life-style
Hence the spine width will be 15mm for this cookbook. Apart from this formula, which has been used and verified and validated by PRH, the most crude method is to get a dummy copy of the exact same paper and exact number of pages and masure the width manually.
see the cover options in the next few pages.
Back cover with spice image
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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First back cover with spice illustrations
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Second back cover with spice illustrations
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Keep tasting while cooking There's one thing all cooks say—keep tasting while cooking. As the recipe is taking up flavors from its spices and ingredients, we need to keep tasting how it's progressing. Tasting is important as it gives you a chance to modify the recipe if needed. The dish will not be ready in a second, it takes time to cook, it takes time to rest and it needs to breathe before it's ready. Keep a check on your recipe with your powerful taste-buds and make sure that it's the heading towards perfection.
Testing, Refinement & Modification One thing any designer can never complain about—testing, refinement and modification. As the project starts building up, the designer needs to keep testing whether the proposed solution is working or not. This is very important as this gives us a chance to enhance and improve our design. It takes a lot of iterations, modifications and refinements before the design turns into the deliverable. Keep a check on your design process with a critical eye and make sure that it's solving its purpose efficiently and effectively.
Final direction
Style-sheet and Typesetting Words matter. What they mean matter. They way are
The book follows a baseline grid of 11pt with
treated matters. Their presentation matters. For a book
7 columns of 4 mm gutter space.
is but a collection of words, they are what the book is. When the layout is for a book ready and approved,
The margins are symmetric and are as follows:
the next logical step is to put the words in their well-
Inside: 15mm
deserved space.
Outside: 15mm Top: 15mm
This cookbook was my first live-project. I was feeling
Bottom: 15mm
the responsibility to make it a success and at the same time I was finding opportunities to learn all the different
1. Running heads
aspects of publication design. When the layout was
finalized, design head suggested to handover the
2. Spice Mix name
template to the in-house typesetter for typesetting
the complete book. As I was quite curious to know
3. Attention seeker
how typesetting happens, I requested to do it myself.
Fortunately my other projects were quite sorted so
4. Timings, weights and servings
I did have enough time to personally typeset the
complete book. Looking back, it was a brave yet clever
5. Spice and Dish story
decision. Typesetting has taught me one more lesson—
be patient.
6. Ingredients
7.75mm x 0.25mm (Colored) Stone Sans Book 8 pt (Colored) Stone Serif Medium 8.5 pt (Colored) Stone Sans Light 8.5 pt (Black)
7. Method text
little details and elements to be picked up from the
manuscript (word file for each recipe) and put in their
8. Dish name
place with precision. The lengths of the recipes were
not constant, the names had different lengths. The
9. Method verbs
text supporting the icons had information in different
formats. I felt the need to take the responsible task of
10. Page numbers
typesetting the book by myself as I can make sure that
the changes are carried out by the designer, even if the book is typeset by the in-house typesetters. Now that I was typesetting the book, I would not be lost when the corrections come.
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Stone Informal Semi-Bold 23 pt (Colored)
The final layout on the facing page consists of all
everything is perfect. After first round of proofreading,
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Stone Sans Light Italics 7 pt (Black)
Testing, Refinement & Modification
Stone Sans Book 8.5 pt (Black) Stone Informal Semi-Bold 17 pt (Colored) Stone Sans Book 8.5 pt (Colored) Stone Sans Light 7 pt (Black)
1
2 3 4 5 6
7
8
4 5 6
7 9
10
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C: 51 M: 1 Y: 97 K: 0
C: 84 M: 23 Y: 100 K: 21
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C: 66 M: 51 Y: 98 K: 56
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C: 56 M: 55 Y: 97 K: 59
C: 69 M: 5 Y: 99 K: 1
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C: 72 M: 6 Y: 99 K: 1
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C: 74 M: 6 Y: 99 K: 1
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C: 78 M: 7 Y: 100 K: 1
C: 87 M: 43 Y: 100 K: 48
C: 80 M: 8 Y: 100 K: 1
C: 13 M: 99 Y: 100 K: 7
C: 1 M: 73 Y: 95 K: 0
C: 16 M: 98 Y: 99 K: 12
C: 4 M: 79 Y: 96 K: 1
C: 18 M: 98 Y: 98 K: 17
C: 0 M: 47 Y: 93 K: 0
The colors that are to be used in the book had to be C: 6 M: 85 Y: 97 K: 2
C: 21 M: 97 Y: 97 K: 22
vibrant and appetizing. The colors shown here were finalized as they told their own story. The vibrant leaf
C: 8 M: 98 Y: 98 K: 3
C: 23 M: 96 Y: 96 K: 28
green transitioning into a more mature green. These greens will used for the vegetarian recipes. The saffron
C: 11 M: 96 Y: 99 K: 3
C: 25 M: 96 Y: 96 K: 33
red transforms into a grounded deep red. These reds will be used for non-vegetarian recipes.
C: 28 M: 95 Y: 95 K: 38 Having a distinct separation between the two types C: 82 M: 9 Y: 100 K: 2
C: 30 M: 94 Y: 94 K: 34
of recipes through colors helped us keep the three sections intact. The first section of 'Soups, Snacks &
C: 82 M: 12 Y: 100 K: 6
C: 33 M: 94 Y: 93 K: 39
Appetizers' showed the range of vibrant colors. The next section 'Mains' indulged into more deeper colors
C: 83 M: 14 Y: 100 K: 8
C: 36 M: 93 Y: 92 K: 55
while the last section 'Desserts' helped end the meal at a calmer note.
C: 83 M: 16 Y: 100 K: 11
C: 39 M: 92 Y: 92 K: 63 Apart from the greens and reds, the vibrant yellow
C: 83 M: 20 Y: 100 K: 17 C: 83 M: 18 Y: 100 K: 14
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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C: 38 M: 92 Y: 92 K: 60
would feature as the key colour for the book.
Visual design for inside pages As the book progresses page by page, the colors develop their own story through the changing greens and reds. What I've observed is that when a book has an evident use of certain colour it becomes more memorable and the recall value increases because of the colour association. For the 'The Big book of Treats' by Pooja Dhingra the prominent pink works quite interestingly. While it adds the sweetness to the spreads it makes you associate that colour with that specific book by repetitive use. Brands use colors very strategically to increase their recall value. As I was using a vibrant yellow as a central colour; extending the use of spice illustrations beyond the cover I decided to explore a different approach for the section separators and inside pages. The section separators feature the illustrations composed as a pattern. As all the photographs are on the recto, to have a visual break, to break the possible monotony, the section separators have type on a light patterned background on the recto. The type
Section separators with spice illustrations
uses the same font as the recipe headings and keeps consistency. The verso adorns the illustration pattern in White on Yellow. The pattern repeats itself by mirroring over the edges. The delicate lines relieve the reader and give them a visual pause which works very well for a section separators. You can see the use of the central colour on the recipeless pages of the book.
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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Content pages
Glossary pages
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Testing, Refinement & Modification
There were two distinct types of spreads in this book. First, the spreads with recipes and the second, without. The majority of the book was filled with the recipe spreads. There are the preliminary pages of Introduction, Acknowledgments, etc. and the ending pages with glossary and notes, etc. which did not feature any recipe. The recipe spreads had images on the recto and text on the verso. To break the monotony and have a visual pause, the preliminary pages had text on the recto and a wonderful filler spice image on the verso. In addition to the placement, the images were treated differently in terms of their size. The images on these spreads would bleed. As there was a lot of negative space on the preliminary and ending pages, so the bleeding images did not make the spread visually overwhelming but on the other hand they served as a pleasant surprise as you can see from the following images.
Recipe image on recto with margins
Full bleed spice image on the verso
Full bleed spice image on the verso Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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This second version of pagination was more accurate
In this version, we introduced Glossary and Index at
This pagination also showed that there were some
In this flat plan the colored frames indicate following
than the first one. This version shows the recipes with
the end of the book for the readers who are not quite
pages still empty and can be utilized in some way. The
things:
their exact length. Now the pairs of the recipes which
familiar with the English names of the spices and other
11 empty pages were an opportunity to resolve the
were not fitting in one page were quite easily found.
ingredients. This important take away from the case-
problem of recipes that were a tad bit longer than
There were two types of recipes which were not fitting
studies helped me to make this book usable to a wide
expected.
in the given space. We'll talk about them in detail in the
range of readers from India and other parts of the
next few pages.
world, who are interested in Indian spice mixes.
Vegetarian dish image Non-vegetarian dish image Spice image
Another important aspect of this pagination was
Spice illustrations
the use of filler images. Through the last version of pagination, we learned that there is enough space to make an effective use of filler images. These images would be used to fill the empty pages next to some of the preliminary pages and some recipes. These images helped retain the attention. Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Problematic recipes As I started flowing the recipes in the layout, I realized
The problem was with the word count. The inconsistent
that some recipes are not fitting in their prescribed
lengths of the recipes were making it difficult to keep
space. It was crucial that the recipes are just long
a consistent visual treatment to the images and the
enough that a pair would fit in a page, the verso, and
text. Some recipes were just occupying 5–10 lines of
the image would occupy the recto. Some pairs were
the second page while some were extending beyond
taking more that one page and because of that the
half of the next page. The placement of the images
visual consistence was getting lost.
for the recipes were finalized in a way that the reader can have an uninterrupted experience while turning
Following were the recipes which were a little
the pages. Having inconsistent text length was making
problematic. The list shows how much 'damage' these
it impossible. As you can see in the adjoining image,
recipes were causing:
the image can not occupy the complete page and it's
1. Goda Masala: 2 complete pages
visually disturbing to find such situations occurring at
2. Pani Puri: 1 line crossing the margin
irregular intervals.
3. Pav Bhaji: 1.5 pages 4. Pizza seasoning: almost 1.5 pages
22 pairs out of 50 were exceeding the expected word
5. Kebab masala: 1.5 pages
length! Almost 50% of the book was behaving the way it
6. Barbeque seasoning: 2 complete pages (3 recipes)
shouldn't be. There was something that had to be done
7. Fried chicken: 1.5 pages
to fix this. From design point of view, there are some
8. Sambar masala: almost 1.5 pages
ways which can help solve this issue. The margins can
9. Biriyani masala: 2 complete pages
be changed to facilitate more for the content on each
10. Hyderabadi saalan: 2 lines crossing the margin
page. The type size can be reduced to accommodate
11. Garam masala: almost 2 pages
more text on a single page. If possible, the size of the
12. Lazzat-e-taam: 2 complete pages
book can be increased to make some space available.
13. Chicken masala: 1.5 pages
All these solutions are of course quite extreme as they
14. Kolhapui masala: 2 complete pages
affect every single design decision taken till now. There
15. Korma masala: 2 lines crossing the margin
had to be some solution which would be less invasive
16. Malvani masala: almost 1.5 pages
and more effective.
17. East Indian bottle masala: 1.5 pages 18. Meat masala: almost 2 pages 19. Veri masala: almost 1.5 pages 20. Xacuti masala: almost 2 pages 21. Chinese 5 spice mix: 1 line crossing the margin 22. Cajun seasoning: almost 1.5 pages
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The recipe that extended beyond one page
Resolving the problem
The answer was very simple actually—editing. I shared
We had a few free pages, 11 to be precise, at the end of
These images were to be treated exactly like the
this problem with the editor and the design head and
the book. As the recipes were getting edited, I started
images for the final dishes. They'll add the contextual
asked for their opinion about how to tackle this. The
exploring different possibilities to accommodate the
detail to the book and add an element of interest
easy answer was to edit the recipes to fit the given
recipes. The extra spice images provided by the author
while solving the issue of lengthy recipes. In the above
space. The pairs which are hardly exceeding the 1 page
were a big help in this process. They perfectly matched
example, you can see the Pav Bhaji Masala recipe is on
limit would be edited to fit in 1 page. The pairs that
the ingredients of the lengthy recipes and I started
spread with the corresponding spice image and the
extend beyond 1.5 pages can be split over 2 pages and
pairing them with the spice recipe while keeping the
dish recipe follows in the next spread alongside the
the pairs that already 2 pages will stay the same.
dish image with the dish recipe works good.
main dish image.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
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As we distributed the lengthy recipes over two spreads, the number of pages increased. To manage the exceeding page-extent to just one form (8 pages) some key decision had to be made. One of them was to not include the index and just keep the glossary. We'll discuss this in detail further in the process. In this flat plan the colored frames indicate following things: Vegetarian dish image Non-vegetarian dish image Spice image Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Workshop at DK We need to talk about what I really appreciated about working at PRH. It was the positive attitude of the organization towards growth of their employees. PRH does organize workshops and seminars to inform and educate their employees about different technical and soft skills. Lets take a tiny detour and then come back to our design process. During my internship, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop attended by Dorling Kindersley (DK) publication house which is a sibling organization of PRH about effective use of Adobe softwares. DK makes extensive use of Photoshop and InDesign as majority of their projects are picture books and illustrated books. The designers at DK are therefore much more efficient at using the Adobe Suit. The workshop had two sessions focusing on Photoshop and InDesign. The workshop was planned to expose the design of PRH to the different features of these softwares. The team at PRH does work with the Adobe Suit but as the number of books that involve extensive use of Photoshop is less, this workshop helped the team gain new skills. I was working on the cookbook that involved a lot of images and hence for me this workshop was very helpful. Colour correcting images for publication, using layers and filters effectively to enhance the images, making sure that the images do not lose their quality while being embedded in a file, everything was quite relevant for me at that time. This one day workshop reassured my belief that there's always room for learning. After this workshop, I could see myself using the tools more effectively and efficiently.
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The workshop at DK
Copyright page Coming back to the process, the copyright page has 1
the most important information about a book. Different publication houses have different formats for providing the basic information about a book. Some publication houses may not have all the following details but they do have most of it. The placement of this page also depends on the imprint and publication house. This section contains following details:
2
1. Information about the imprint There is a distinct declaration of the imprint under which that certain book is published and information about that imprint. 2. Information about the edition This section includes the information about the number
3
of editions published and information about the first edition of the title. 3. Copyright The copyright for the content (text and images) is asserted explicitly. This informs the reader that without
4
prior permission of the copyright holder, replication and distribution of the publication is prohibited. 4. Reprints The numeric sequence in the descending order indicates the number of reprints done before and to
5
which reprint this copy belongs. 5. ISBN
6
ISBN is the International Standard Book Number. It a 13 digit unique number given to each book. This is a universal identification number through which we can access information about the book anywhere in the
7
world. 6. Credits In this section credits for the type, typesetting, book design, photographs, illustrations, printing, etc is given. 7. Disclaimer This section asserts the publisher's rights on the book and states the facts about avoiding misuse of the publication.
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Color correcting the photographs When images play an important role in a publication, equal attention is to be given to enhance their quality and their appeal. Food photography is an interesting venture I must admit. The amount of attention to detail for the set up of the photograph is as equal to a celebrity portrait. Food photography is tricky as the food needs to look the way it tastes. The warmth of the flavorsome concoction must transcend through the image to affect the viewer and invoke the intended emotion. The images provided by the author were shot very aptly. In most of the images, the star was the dish and the spices used in the dish featured to add appropriate context. Some images needed to be processed a little as some images had a color-cast, some were framed a little differently. In the adjoining images you can see the excess warmth is edited out to make the dish look less sweet. In any publication, the final file that needs to get printed has to have a CMYK profile to get the exact same result as we intend. If the file provided to the press has RGB values they'll get converted to CMYK on their own and that might harm the image. Changing an image from RGB to CMYK sometimes affects the quality of colors as the colour gamut of CMYK is much smaller than that of RGB. While converting files to CMYK, we specially need to keep a check on the bright greens, blues and pinks. These colors unfortunately get dulled down to fit the CMYK values. Color correction is a helpful step because without it you wouldn't have control over the colour conversion done at the press.
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Testing, Refinement & Modification
The before image with Red color-cast
The color-corrected image
Enhancing the usability and experience Typesetting is not an easy job. As I've discussed earlier,
One of the most less-comforting thing was the list of
The glossary was suggested by PRH to the author
I was typesetting this book myself. As adventurous it
ingredients! All the ingredients used in the recipe were
on my recommendation. As the target readership
sounded, it was equally stressful. The stress was not
there but the sequence of these ingredients did not
includes a lot of Indian people, it is not enough to use
because of the amount of work (That's a lie) but it was
have a proper system. I noticed that the ingredients
English names for all the ingredients and not have a
because there were some things I thought could be
were neither arranged alphabetically nor by the
glossary. Glossary helps a new learner to get familiar
improved but I did not know if the typesetter makes
chronological sequence as per the recipe, I voiced my
with different spices. The author very promptly sent
such changes.
disappointment to the copy editor. When I showed
us a detailed list with four different sections of 'Spices
my inclination to figure out a way to form a system to
and Herbs', 'Dried fruits and Nuts', 'Grains, Lentils and
We were using the strategy to emphasize the verb in
manage the list so that it's better for the reader to find
Flours' and 'Vegetables'.
the method instructions. To maximize the effect the
the required thing from the list, the editor seconded
methods were edited to start the principle verb. Some
my notion. I began to devise a system which will make
I worked with the copy editor to verify whether every
of the instructions started with setting the context like
the list more reader friendly.
ingredient mentioned in the book is included in the list.
'In a pan, Take 3 tsp refined oil.' These lines stand out
A few duplicates were identified and removed to have a
in the system instructions starting with verbs. The copy
After a lot of to and fro and sharing of ideas, the copy
editor worked tirelessly to convert these lines into the
editor and I came up with a plan to tackle the list. The
lines which would fit the system. After the rephrasing
list will have the ingredients arranged alphabetically,
these changes had to be approved by the author
but globally there will be a distinct priority list.
precise, accurate and reliable glossary list.
before I carry them out in the final copy. For the spice mix the list will go as follows: • Spices • Powders • Juices/ Ittr • Oils • Asafoetida • Salt For the dish the list will go as follows: • Special Spice Mix • Vegetable/Meat • Fresh spices • Dried spices • Juices/ Ittr • Garnishing • Oils • Asafoetida • Salt
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Reduce the pages As the book was almost getting ready, I was informed that this version with 168 was not possible. The pages had to be reduced to 160 pages. The budget did not permit to increase the number of pages. I had to figure out a way to remove 8 pages wihtout diluting the structure of the book.
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Removing the pages
As there was no other opportunity to remove pages,
In this flat plan the colored frames indicate following
After discussing with the editor, we decided to get rid of
the sequence of these preliminary pages was modified
things:
the spread left blank after each section for the readers.
by getting rid of the half-title and the blank page
This freed 6 pages and now only two more pages were
after that. Now as you can see the final book has the
to be removed.
following sequence:
Vegetarian dish image Non-vegetarian dish image
1. Full-title Every Penguin book has a defined sequence of the
2. Copyright
preliminary pages. The sequence goes as follows:
3. Dedication
1. Half-title
Spice image Spice illustrations
2. Blank 3. Full-title 4. Copyright 5. Dedication
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This is it. This is what this whole project is about. This is the final book. Everything you see here is in the book. This is it.
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Proof reading and corrections Proof reading is an important step in any publication.
Proof reading is the process of confirming that
When you are going to press that ink on the clean
everything that is to be printed is correct. The
white paper, you must be sure that every single word,
proofreaders check the language, the grammar,
every single character is accurate. When a book is in
readability, consistency, uniformity and everything
the process of getting published, proof reading is done
around it to make sure that the book is flawless. There
once the layout is finalized and the typesetting is done.
has to be no chance of finding an error after all the
It is essential that the final copy from the typesetter is
proof reading rounds. There is no easy turning back
sent to the proofreader.
once the book goes for the final print and hence before we do that, we need to make sure that it's perfect.
"Communication is the key to success." Someone must have said this for a reason. In a considerably
Language and grammar is the backbone of any written
lengthy process which involves a lot of people working
text. The proofreaders make sure that the language is
together, communication has to be strong. For me,
appropriate for the content, the tone of the language
as a typesetter for the book and also as a designer,
is consistent and the construction of sentences is
the most interesting form of communication was the
right. The most common mistakes that can be found
scribbled pages I received after the first round of
very easily are the spelling mistakes and punctuation
proofreading. Someone had crossed out a lot of words
mistakes, definitely not easy for me. I remember when
and had drawn some unfamiliar symbols all around the
Tarun introduced us to 'Em dash' and 'En dash' and
page. Even though I knew proofreading was going to
'Hyphen' and how my life changed after that. The same
happen, I did not know that there's a secret language
feeling came back when I got to know that 'poppyseed'
for that.
is one word and not 'poppy seed'. What I learned through this process is that every single tiny dot
A little baffled to know that there were so many
matters. Someone reads everything that you put on a
mistakes in the first proof I went to have a talk with
paper and so it has to be done right.
my copy editor Aditi. After a very fruitful conversation I understood the whole situation. There are at least two rounds of proofreading and the changes that were marked in the first proof were checked by just one person. A lot more changes would be coming my way, very soon. Interesting.
A page recieved from the copy editor after proofreading
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Testing, Refinement & Modification
2 : MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION, MANUSCRIPT EDITING,
AND
PROOFREADING
Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables
FIGURE 2.6 Proofreaders' marks.
PDF Version >>
I enjoy languages. I enjoy the fact that they help us
Index
process what we are feeling and project our thoughts. One new sort of a language (if at all) I learnt during this project was the set of proofreading signs. As you know proofreading is a very tedious and lengthy process. The proofreader has to read the whole book and find errors and mark them efficiently so that the typesetter can rectify them. The signs used for marking corrections during the proofreading are almost identical universally. This universal way of communication helps maintain consistency in the process and avoid misunderstanding and confusion. The same copy is used to cross-check if all the changes are handled effectively or not. The signs are quite minimal and they precisely indicate what action is supposed to be. These actions are directed by the proofreader towards the typesetter, in this case, me. When I got my first set of changes, unaware about the signs, I went to my copy editor, Aditi and asked her if she can teach me how to read these instructions and graciously she agreed. I think, typesetting the book by myself taught me a lot things and one of those important things was learning these signs. After understanding all the signs and their meanings I began correcting the actual copy. Going one by one, I must have changed hundreds of tiny things in the whole book. After the second round of proofreading, which had changes from the author as well, a pdf version was given to me where the changes were marked as comments in the pdf of the book. Tallying the changes and getting closer to perfection with every step was a proof that something good was happening.
Learning proofreading signs Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Handover of the cover In a professional environment, multi-tasking is the key.
Before the print-ready files are forwarded to the press,
If you can manage to work on different tasks at the
they go through a quality check from the production
same time, it'll help you a lot. There are always more
team at PRH. This ensures that the files are of required
than one tasks to do and it helps if you can manage
resolution and the colour format is compatible so as
your time, your resources and your efforts accordingly.
to produce optimum results. The handover has this
I am mentioning this explicitly because this is one of
significance importance because after the handover
the learnings.
the responsibility to meet the release date shifts from the editing and design team to the production team.
Handover is one of the most important day in the life of a book. This is the day when the book starts
This is a typical handover sheet that needs to be filled
its journey from being a concept to a reality, literally.
and attached to the final copy of the set-up cover. This
After a successful handover the print-ready files are
cover file will have the edited blurb with all the required
transferred to the press and the printing process
details including the ISBN/price box and appropriate
actually starts.
category, rights, credits, etc. The adjoining page is used for the documentation. For each book cover
For a generic book, it takes around three weeks to
there has to be an approval of the design head, the
get the actual copies from the press from the day of
commissioning editor and the copy editor for the book.
the handover. The process does not start unless and
This sheet includes all the details that one would need
until both the inside pages and the cover is ready for
to print the cover.
printing. The process, most of the times, proceeds simultaneously for the inside pages and the cover.
The following few pages show the final copy of the
The cover might have a few post-press effects like UV,
cover that was attached with the handover sheet and
Emboss or Foil, etc. For each of these processes we
consecutively sent to the press. There were a number
need to keep some extra time in the printing schedule.
of rounds of proofreading and refinement for the blurb
The press sends a digital print which is to be verified
on the back of the cover. After each modification, the
and validated by the designer. Only after this approval,
revised file was to be approved by the copy editor. The
the actual printing starts. This is done to keep a tight
whole process ensures an error-less, attractive and
check on the quality of the product. Any sort of final
appropriate cover for a book.
refinement or change that is to be done must be done at this stage. Once the 'epson' print is approved, no further changes are possible. Based on the file of the latest approved 'epson' print the plates for offset are to made.
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The final cover - the reference file that shows super-imposed UV effect Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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The final cover - the CMYK file that is to be used for printing (notice that it does not have the illustrations around the author)
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The final cover - the file that is to be used for UV printing Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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The cover sent by the press with modified spine and distorted type on the spine
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The file for UV sent by the press with modified spine width Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Adjust the seasoning & Serve hot The whole process of cooking reaches its ultimate goal when it is served with love and care. After a lot of efforts the dish is now ready to be served. It is essential that you select the right bowl and right plate for serving because that matters as well. As a cook, it is important to be present in the moment and make sure that the table is full of smiles. I believe these smiles will make you more happy than anything else.
Final Execution For any design project the execution part of the process is very important. This is the part where all your efforts are realized as the project gets out of the realm of idea and becomes a reality. For a publication design project, a lot of technical processes are to be followed to get the book printed. As a designer one must experience these process by being a part of them. I believe we learn more as we hold the book in our hands.
Revised file for production As I have said before, communication is the key to a
We called the press and informed about the changed
successful venture, whatever it may be. Transparent
spine, the answer was that 'you had the wrong spine
communication helps you avoid misunderstandings
width. It comes out to be 9 mm.' We decided to verify
and delays in the process caused by that. To get
all the variables in the equation with the values that the
expected results, we need to project our thoughts
press was using. And there we found the mistake. The
precisely.
bulk constant I was given was 1.4 for 130 gsm paper. The press was using 0.9 as the bulk constant. Upon
As we received the epson print for the cover the result
further inquiry, we realized that 1.4 is the bulk constant
was baffling. The spine width was changed and the
for 130 'gloss' finish paper but for 'matte' finish it is 0.9.
type on the spine was stretched out of proportion.
The paper behaves differently with different finishes
The image was a little darker than we had expected,
even if the grammage is the same and there was the
which was manageable but the spine! I was thoroughly
discrepancy.
confused. I opened the file that was sent to the press and with irregular heart-beats I checked if it was my
It was an important lesson, we must not accept
mistake and I had exported the file with some error but
information, we definitely should verify it before
thankfully that was not the case. With a sigh of relief,
applying it. With the corrected bulk constant the
my confusion got bigger. How and why was the spine
calculation goes like following:
width reduced from 15 mm to 9 mm? Why? Spine width (mm) = (number of pages * GSM * bulk) I contacted my production manager Balraj-ji and asked
2000
him if it was a mistake from PRH or the change was done by the press. He checked the files and we had
sent the file with the correct spine, 15 mm! Not able
= (160 * 130 * 0.9) 2000
to find the stage where the spine was changed, we calculated the spine width again, just to be sure. Deep
= 9.36 mm
≈ 9 mm
inside my heart, the engineer in me was hurt to know that someone is not able to trust his calculations. With 160 pages of 130 gsm paper with the bulk factor 1.4 the width was coming 14.56 which was rounded off to
I retouched the image, rescaled the type for the new
15mm. My calculation was error-free. Now what?
spine width and with another thorough quality check the file was sent to the press again. This time with confidence that everything is perfect.
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PANKAJ BHADOURIA
Do you buy overpriced spice mixes off the shelf?
India’s first MasterChef
Do you wish to make your own but don’t know how? Does the alchemy of spices interest you? People across the length and breadth of the country have their own special blends that they use to add flavour to food. The right combination of spices is crucial to Indian cooking and is the reason why some dishes are so hard to resist. But why buy spice mixes when you can make them yourself! From traditional blends like veri—the tikki masala from Kashmir—and East Indian bottle masala—the specialty from Mumbai—to more commercial mixes like garam masala, kadhai masala and sambar powder, India’s first MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria identifies fifty spice mixes from India and around the world in this one-of-a-kind book, putting the secret to great flavours within any cook’s reach.
Cookery
PANKAJ BHADOURIA
Author photograph by Charu Samarth Cover design by Parag Chitale
Fifty unique home-made spice mixes with recipes The revised cover
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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Epson for inside pages
Just like the cover, as this is a full colour book, the
Going through each of these pages was an experience.
After getting clearance from the design team,
Epson prints for the inside pages were also sent by the
I was scrutinizing every single thing on every single
the Epsons went to the copy editing team for the
press to be verified. Learning from the cover incidence,
page but at the same time I was so happy that the
final check. This round of checking focuses on the
I thoroughly checked every single page in the book and
book was almost there now. The most important thing
mandatory information that needs to be present in a
every single image. I had to be sure about all the things
that was to be checked was the image quality. If there
book like the ISBN, copyright statements, credits, etc.
in this version as this was it. This exact print was going
were any changes to be made, this was the last chance
Approval of the copy editing team suggests that this
to get reproduced 5000 times. If there's a mistake, it'll
for that. This was it. After that it's done.
set of prints is ready for printing and the press can go
be repeated 5000 times from where there's no coming back.
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Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Final Execution
ahead with scheduling the printing process.
Visiting the press In the last week of April, the printing of 'The Secret's in the Spice Mix' was scheduled in Replika Press, Delhi. This press is one of the leading printing presses in India and PRH has been collaborating with them for quite a long time now. Visiting the press to witness the printing of the book that I designed was a surreal experience. The smell, the rush, the struggle to achieve perfection reminded me of our visit to Art-O-Print, Ahmedabad during our production process module. The press is on the other end of Delhi and we were going to spend a complete day observing/supervising the process. A team of three people—Me, Balraj-ji our production head at PRH and Akangksha a fellow intern—left in the morning to be a part of the process. The cover and two forms (one form is an imposition of 8 pages printed on one side of the sheet) were scheduled to be printed on that day. The covers would be printed early in the schedule as there were to be post-press processes executed on it once they are dry and ready. Replika Press is known for its high production quality and state-of-the-art technical systems. The cover and the pages were to be printed on Heidelberg SM 745+L sheet fed offset printing press. This high speed press prints at the rate of 15,000 sheets per hour. The maximum size of the sheet is 720 mm x 520 mm. With that size one form of 8 pages was possible to be printed at a go. This press is a five colour press that gives you opportunity to speed up the process even when you are using spot colors. In case of this book, we were not using any spot color hence the last printing unit would be left unused. The machine comes with a coater which helps with the post-press processes like lamination and UV, foil, emboss, etc. Going to the press with prior knowledge of printing technology and production process was a gigantic advantage for me as I could actually participate in the process and not be a mere onlooker. The Heidleberg speedmaster Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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Printing the inside pages The first set of plates were already in place and a few sample prints were already taken. The pages for Pav Bhaji, Mullingatowny Soup, Garam Masala and Pani Puri were getting printed and I could smell the fresh ink. There is something beautifully haunting about a printing press. It's the place where technology literally brings ideas in existence. It's the place where the once intangible become tangible. As we were visiting as a team from PRH, we were formally introduced to all the different machines and their functions. The system at Replika was more advance than the once I was familiar with. I have seen offsets where you have to manually tighten the lever to get the registration right and here, it was done with a touch on the console. This highly sophisticated system would let you control the intensity with a single touch. It was heartwarming to be present to see all the efforts we put in get converted into reality through this enchanting system. As the head of production team from PRH, Balraj-ji supervised the process and validated the quality of the prints. The 130 gsm sheets getting printed at a very high speed gave me chills. They kept falling on top of each other with precision. That rhythm of the printing cycle is not easy to forget. In a few minutes the first form was done with printing. Now it was time for the cover.
Prints of the inside pages
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Checking and signing off on the prints
Changing the plates One of the advantages of these technologically advanced machines is that they reduce the possibility of human errors. Changing plates after one set of printing is always a big task that needs to be done with utmost care. Here, the process was semi-automated and the plates would come off with a push of a button! As you can see in the adjoining image the plates came of in a matter of minutes. The next set of plates was ready to be installed and the 230 gsm art paper sheets were getting loaded into the feeder of the press. The older plates rolled over the roller and popped out of the slot in the machine and the helper just had to lift and take it off the machine. The new plates had to be inserted into the same slot left accessible in the machine and the clamps would automatically grab them and it'd fit around the roller. All the minute alterations to achieve perfect registration were done through the console. This process of least human interference ensures a human-error-free printing. I was observing the whole process and documenting it through my notes and photographs. This time, being unapologetically curious helped me. I talked to the people working there and asked them the queries I had about the process. When they learned that I am the one who has designed the book, they expressed their satisfaction by saying,"Toh aap poora process follow kar rahe ho! Bilkul end tak!" I felt proud to just nod and smile because yes, that's exactly what I was doing.
Observing the printing process
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Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
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Printing the cover A completely inexplicable moment was when the first print of the cover came out of the printer right in front of my eyes. I am not exaggerating but the joy of watching something get printed that you have created is out of the world. I stood there with my cellphone camera clicking one picture after another. The first few prints were just sample prints though, to check if the pressure is right and if the colors are getting pressed correctly or not. After the first few test prints, the first proper print came out of the printer and I got to observe how much these professional organizations care about quality. Spectrophotometer is a device that recognizes colour values as you scan a paper through it. These colour values when fed to a software tell you how good the print is. There are ISO standards for various sets of variables. For each combination of paper, coating, ink and printer there are set standards which define the topmost quality printing. The Spectrophotometer reads values from the print and the software gives you the percentile of that print quality. Replika believes in and thrives for the best and hence their threshold for a print-job is 85-90%. If the quality of the print is below this range, it is to be improved by changing the amount of ink in a specific region on the print. This information is also provided by the software after processing the input from the sensor. I was thrilled to see this technology and the use of it for improving the results. Fortunately, the readings for the cover prints came out around 92% which was great!
Checking the printing process for the cover
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Final Execution
Cover getting printed
Spectrophotometer at work
It's here! After coming back from the visit, I started working on the rest of the projects I had lined up. The cookbook was planned to be released in the last week of May 2017. The book was already available for preorder on Amazon and Flipkart. And on the second day of May 2017 my design head asked me to come to the common area and there it was! The first stock-in copies had arrived! The stock-in copies are the first few copies of a book that are kept aside for the organization and for the author. The copies go to the design team, the designer, copy editing team, commissioning editor, marketing in-charge, production head, sales in-charge and the author get some copies. Receiving the stock-in copies is the starting point for the distribution to start. The sales and inventory departments start implementing their strategies and the marketing team works towards making this book a success. Receiving my own copy was the moment I can never forget. The design head unveiled the books from the plastic package and handed me over one copy. The very first thing I checked was how the blind UV had turned out! It looked exactly how I had imagined it'd be. The hidden spice illustrations would shine at a certain angle and that was very effective. The insides were not heavy, they were flavorful and clean. It was exactly what and how it was supposed to be.
The stock-in copies of the book
The design head uncovering the stock-in copies of the book
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Marketing strategies It is essential to distance yourself from your work, people say. I am slowly starting to understand it now. My responsibility was to design the book, my scope did not cover the marketing collaterals. This book, being authored by a celebrity had already started getting a lot of attention in the media. A series of vibrant posts were designed to stir up the social media and attract the readership. These visually appealing posts gave a glimpse of what the book is about. The cover for the cookbook featured in all of these posts alongside gorgeous spice images.
Social media posts for The Secret's in the Spice Mix
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Promotion of the book Pankaj Bhadouria has a very strong media presence and the marketing teams of both Pankaj Bhadouria and PRH made a smart decision of using her powerful brand to make this book visible in the social media. There were a lot of interesting events planned and executed to promote the book like Facebook live events, live streaming of the book release. I was overwhelmed to see the cover I made reach 37k people through Facebook and Instagram. It made me realize how powerful the media is and how effectively it can be used.
Screencaptures of Facebook live events and posts Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
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On the side No meal is complete without something on the side. This 'something' changes the complete direction of the meal and adds a lot of unexpected surprises. Always do something more than needed, it changes you for better.
Other Projects You just can not work on a single project without having some other project with it. These extra projects affect your process and teach you more than you expected. Always do something more than needed, it changes you for better.
Cover stories Kal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab Pal mein pralaya hoyegi, bahuri karoge kab? -Kabir
During my 4 month internship, I worked on a lot
The projects that I worked on spanned across the
Following is the list of projects I worked on apart from
of different projects apart from the cookbook.
different genre of literature. I worked on fiction, non-
the cookbook. The expected deliverable and the status
The cookbook was the one project in which I was
fiction books, children's book, a memoir, business
of the design process as I write this document is also
investing my time heavily but along with that I had the
books, etc. The advantage of getting to work on these
mentioned with the title.
opportunity to work on 10 different titles.
books was to understand how different the approach
1. Bollywood Boom
towards the visual design has to be. For each of these
(Cover, Non-fiction/cinema, Published in April 2017)
Looking back, it was a lot of work, it was. Very
genres, the illustration, photographs, type, colour, post-
2. Encounters of a Fat Bride
interestingly though, when I was working on all these
press effects decide if that'd work for that title or not.
(Cover, Fiction, Published in June 2017)
projects, it helped me. The constant reminder that
Over the period of time, a specific stereotypical way of
3. The Dramatic Decade
there is always more to do made me push myself way
designing covers for a specific genre has evolved. The
(Cover, Non-fiction, Design approved)
beyond my usual limit. Being completely new to this
process of understanding the advantages of that way,
4. Millionaire Housewives
industry, having close to zero experience in book cover
deciphering the design decisions that worked well and
(Cover, Non-fiction/business, Design approved)
design and book design, I was intimidated to know that
building my own direction for the given brief was very
5. What I did not learn at IIT
I'll be working on almost three book covers per month.
enriching. Getting exposed to tremendous amount of
(Cover, Non-fiction/business, Design approved)
If you just try to make sense of the numbers, it means
inspiring work and being able to discuss it with and get
6. What I did not learn in B-School
that I'd be working on one cover per week. Of course,
guidance from people who understand design helped
(Cover, Non-fiction/business, Design approved)
the design process is a time bound process and it has
me gain confidence.
7. Looking for the Rainbow
to start somewhere and end somewhere, working on
(Cover, Fiction/puffin, Published in June 2017)
these book covers was going to be a major learning
Another positive part about these 'extra' project was
8. Breach
moment for me.
that I could explore a lot more possibilities in terms of
(Cover, Business/crime, Design approved)
design and production. No two books are the same,
9. Hack into your creativity
The time-lines for these book covers were independent
even when they are in a series, they are different. If
(Book Design, Non-fiction, Published in July 2017)
from each other but they did overlap. Working on
I were to work on just the cookbook, I wouldn't have
10. Aur phir ek din
several different projects at the same time and not
worked on a hardback book, I wouldn't have been
(Lettering for the cover, Non-fiction, Design approved)
letting one affect the other taught me a great deal
able to design covers for a series, I wouldn't have
about resource management. There were times
designed another book completely from scratch. I feel
when I had two-three deadlines lined up in a single
humbled by the confidence the design team at PRH
week. There were times when I'd go and present my
had in me to give me responsibility of all these projects.
options for one book cover to the editor and come
Without these projects on my side, my process for the
back and immediately start working on the other.
cookbook would have felt incomplete.
The important learning through these projects was the necessity of being able to multi-task efficiently.
On the facing page you can see how all these projects
In a real-life workplace scenario, you have to do that
worked together in the span of four months and in the
and sometimes, unfortunately, through the academic
next few pages I have tried to give you a glimpse of the
projects we miss to learn that. We need to set our
process staring for the brief till the finalized design.
priorities right and start working.
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Time-line for the other projects
The secret’s in the spice mix
Handover (Published)
Bollywood booM
Handover (Published)
Encounters of a fat bride
Handover (Published)
The dramatic decade
Design approved
Millionaire housewives
Design approved
What I did not learn at IIT
Design approved
What I did not learn in B school
Design approved
Looking for the rainbow
Handover (Published)
Breach
Design approved
Hack into your creativity
Handover (Published)
Aur phir ek din
Design approved
January
February
March
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Bollywood Boom Title: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani Target audience/ positioning: Readers of books on
Any photo insert (if yes, how many pages): No
Bollywood, cinema, pride in Indian culture, diplomacy
Any text design:
Format: B
Front Cover Suggestions
Front Cover
Binding: Paperback
Two important aspects: (a) Cover should be bright and
Title: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani: Bollywood as India’s
Imprint: Penguin
colorful like Bollywood; (b) title should be very clear and
Soft Power
Pub month: April 2017
legible, even from a distance.
Author: Roopa Swaminathan
Bollywood as India’s Soft Power*
Author: Roopa Swaminathan Page extent: 272
Category: Literary
Quote: YTC
E-book rights: Y
Iconic images to use are: SRK & Kajol in DDLJ, Aamir
Logo: Penguin
Territory/ Rights: World
in Lagaan, Priyanka Chopra in Quantico, Irrfan in
Any additional matter: No
Price: Rs 399
Inferno, Raj Kapoor in Awara (Charlie Chaplin look) and
Budget for post press effect + paper: Foil
Aishwarya in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Try to get all these in.
* The title was changed during the process.
Blurb/Quote: YTC 1.Photographic/Illustrative: A fun, colorful, collage-like
Author photo: No
About the Book
cover as for the book on Nasir Husain—Music, Masti,
Author photo credit: No
The star of one of the biggest releases of 2016—
Modernity, which uses iconic images of Bollywood films
Translator credit: N/A
Inferno—is Irrfan Khan, not John Cusack, and at the
that have had international appeal.
Cover credits:
centre of the hit American TV series Quantico is
Rights: World
Priyanka Chopra. Since the beginning, Bollywood has
2.Photographic/Illustrative: A big cut-out of the main
worked its magic on and won the hearts of people
title, with these iconic images behind it. Must be bright
across the world, who love Raj Kapoor, Mithunda,
and colorful. (The cut-out title should be better than
Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan as much
HarperCollins’ book, Mother Maiden Mistress—in this,
as Indians do. Besides international goodwill, Indian
the title is not at all legible.)
cinema brings to the country real income through trade and tourism, and also enhances the country’s
3.Illustrative: A collage/creative use of some of the
global standing.
poster-art illustrations from the Bhawana Somaaya book, Once Upon a Time in India. These were created
With the rising influence of Bollywood in the twenty-first
by the illustrator Sumantra Mukherjee.
century, the US, the UK and other European countries are recognizing the potential of India as an important
Author’s inputs (if any):
‘soft power’. Where ‘hard’, militaristic power cannot
Sales’s inputs (if any):
reach, ‘soft power’ boosts a country’s position, putting
Comparable books:
it at an advantage in terms of foreign policy, trade
The Magic of Bollywood: At Home and Abroad by Anjali
and cultural following. National Award–winner Roopa
Gera Roy;
Swaminathan develops a fascinating argument in this
Travels of Bollywood Cinema by Anjali Gera Roy and
book, demonstrating how, as the country’s best cultural
Chua Beng Haut;
ambassador, Bollywood can give India its pride of place
Bollywood and Globalization: The Global Power of
in a fast-changing world.
Popular Hindi Cinema by David J. Schaefer and Kavita Karan (editors).
Roopa Swaminathan is the author of Star Dust, which won the National Award for the Best Writing on Cinema.
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Based on the brief, the cover had to have a typical 'bollywood poster' feel and yet not look very loud. This was a bit tricky for me to decipher, to be honest. I referred a lot of movie posters and I realized that the use of bright colors in a controlled manner can be one of the approaches. The specific celebrity figures were selected as they represent what Bollywood is. The topmost row shows the first iterations for the cover (1 to 6). I admit that it was difficult. This was the very first cover on which I was working, in life, and without losing a second, I found myself doubting every decision 1
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of mine. The feedback for the first iteration was that they looked 'academic'. The positive part of the feedback was that the colors were quite appropriate. One of the suggestions was to try and put literal context on the cover. The second row (7 to 11) shows explorations which incorporated the map of the world and the popular faces from Bollywood. The drawback of this direction was that it looked way too busy and even though in theory it did, the map was not helping. During one of the trial and error attempts to figure out the composition of the celebrities, a negative space
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resembling the Indian subcontinent emerged. As I was learning by doing, I tried a few options following and refining the same route but they ultimately did not show the bollywood side of it (12,13). Looking back, it was the colors and their placement that added to the not so positive effect. The sans serif type made it look less happy and turned it into a full stop instead of an exclamation point. Here, I was using images of the celebrity personalities treated in Photoshop.
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I was in conversation with the talented artist Sumantra Mukherjee from Kolkata about the illustrations. He had worked with PRH on one of the projects some years back. The photographs used in the earlier explorations did not have the 'bollywood poster' feel we needed as they were too different in terms of their treatment. Sumantra had done such poster art illustrations before. After going through his work we realized that he was the one who'd be able to do the job. This was the first time I was collaborating with a professional artist. It was my responsibility to make sure he understands the concept, what the book is about, what we are looking for and ultimately delivers in time. Being very professional, Sumantra sent us the illustrations on the exact day we had planned. The illustrations, as you can see, are incredible. The resemblance is uncanny and yet they have the poster illustration feel to them. The next job for me was to clean the images he had sent and use them appropriately in the design. As I was still figuring out the possible design directions, I was getting nervous about the deadline and then something even more interesting happened—the name of the book changed.
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One of the important aspect of any book for any trade publisher is to make sure that it would sell. The name of this book 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' is actually inspired from the old bollywood song 'Mera joota hai Japani'. The author quotes the song in the book to state the fact that whatever the situation, we as Indians would thrive. The other side of the coin is that there was a Bollywood movie released by the same name a few years back. There was a possibility that the name of this book would remind the reader about the film which was not intended. To add to this, the film starred 14
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Shahrukh Khan who incidentally was also on the cover of this book. To avoid all the potntial misunderstandings the editor decided to work on a new name for the book with the author. This meant that I get more time to work on the design as the title was changing and hence the layout. The first exploration was 'Balle Balle Mumbai to L A' with two possible subtitles 'And India's rise as a soft power' or 'How bollywood is winning over the world'. You can see the explorations for this title in the first row (14 to 18).
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The second possible title was 'Bollywood Boom' with the same two options for the subtitle. This title seemed more effective than the other option and hence the editor decided to go ahead with it. Getting inspired by the new title, I explored a few more options that reflected the 'boom' in the title paired with the very 'Holi' feel to the cover along with a type that used the bollywood light bulbs (19 to 27).
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Now working with the final title and three possible directions for the cover, I started refining each of the directions. The first one (28 to 31) showcased the colorful bollywood with the light-bulb type. Two possibilities of the composition proved how the hierarchy of information and focus point of the cover changes. For the one with the two groups of celebrities, the title was not standing out as it was in the other composition. The celebrities, as a group were attracting attention and then the title would make them pick it up. 28
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The second route used the contrast of a darker background and the bright composition. The catch with this version was that the name was going to have the gold foil over it. The title would shine in front of the dark background (32, 33). The third route (34,35) used the composition from the first route and amped it up to give the title the weight it needed. The boom in the title was going to be gold foiled and hence the star of the cover. Even though the idea was appreciated, it was quite clear for all of us that we did not anything ti outshine the incredible illustrations. Compared to the other two options, this
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looked a little too filmy. The charm of the light-bulbs shining in the Holi colors won the match (36). The next step is to set up the complete cover for production. For this you need to get the blurb from the copy editor and compose the back cover in a way that it looks cohesive. The page on the right shows the final cover for Bollywood Boom.
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For Reference
Bollywood is bold, beautiful and happening. And it’s happening now. Central to the plot of one of the biggest releases of 2016—Inferno—was Irrfan, and the star of the hit American TV series Quantico is our very own Priyanka Chopra. From Raj Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan to Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood has been India’s best cultural ambassador, be it in Russia, Africa or East Europe, and now in the UK and the US. In Bollywood Boom, National Award–winner Roopa Swaminathan explores the spectacular success of Bollywood in the twenty-first century and its rapidly rising power to influence the world. She argues that besides international goodwill, Indian cinema brings to the country real income through trade and tourism, and also enhances its global standing. Extensively researched and peppered with fun anecdotes, this remarkable book shows how Bollywood has the power to mould India’s fortunes by winning the hearts of people across continents.
Cinema/Politics
Cover illustrations by Sumantra Mukherjee Cover design by Parag Chitale
India’s Rising Soft Power R O O PA SWA MI N AT H A N
The final cover
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The mock-up of the final cover
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Something important We need to take a tiny diversion. For this book specially,
Bollywood Boom was an important project as it taught
I have a few thoughts I need to share before we move
me how to bridge the gap between an idea and reality.
ahead. Bollywood Boom was my very first book cover.
It taught me to be present in the process and to learn
When I started working at PRH, I saw all the inspiring
and grow. It taught me the importance of collaboration
work around me, I got a whole lot inspired and a tiny
and most importantly it gave me courage and
little intimidated. I got goosebumps looking at all the
confidence to try.
amazing work around me. It reminded me of the day I saw the 'logo wall' in NID and how I stood there staring
Finding the book I designed in one of the leading
at it. I was in the presence of something that made a
bookshops was a huge reminder, a very happy
difference. I wanted to do just that, do something good.
reminder. This was the moment that showed me how much is to be done, how long the road actually is, how
In the last week of my internship, when I was wandering
many milestones are to be crossed and how hard I
in crosswords with Tripti, I thought I saw something
have to work to make it there, and I am on my way.
familiar on one of the shelves. With a second look my
I realized how things are changing and this unplanned
eyes confirmed that it was true. It actually was one of
smile shined through my eyes. This image will always
my books on the shelf. 'Bollywood Boom' was proudly
remind me to know where I am and where I want to go.
sitting there, looking at me. I felt an unusual mixture of happiness and responsibility. This was new to me.
Now that the moment is out of the way, lets go back to the next cover. Thanks.
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Encounters of a Fat Bride Title: Encounters of a Fat Bride
Found this great image online that we could do option
Author’s inputs (if any):
Author: Samah
with (is there any way to make the woman fatter,
Sales’s inputs (if any):
Page extent: 256
though?) We could try one with a handwritten font.
Comparable books (if any):
Format: - B
Any photo insert (if yes, how many pages):
Binding: Paperback
Any text design:
Imprint: Ebury Press Pub month: June 2017
Front Cover
Category: Fiction
Title: Encounters of a Fat Bride
E-book rights: Y
Author: Samah
Territory/ Rights: World
Quote:
Price: 175
Logo: Ebury Press
Budget for post press effect + paper:
Any additional matter: Or this:
About the Book: See the manuscript attached
Some more images for the above concept:
Back Cover Blurb/Quote:
Target audience/ positioning:
Author photo: No
Fans of chick-lit romance
Author photo credit: Translator credit:
Front Cover Suggestion
Cover credits:
The book is essentially a fictional rom-com based on
Rights:
the experiences of a fat girl before marriage. It’s funny and easily relatable. The protagonist Madhurima Pandey’s struggles and experiences in the run up to her big day provide for an interesting take on the big fat Indian wedding from a fat girl’s point of view. Think
The second route could be the title type (again, please
of it as Socha Na Tha meets Dum Laga Ke Haisha. I don’t
use the handwriting font above and see how it looks)
want to make the marriage element too obvious (Indian
against a stock image of a real girl.
wedding elements look bad on the cover anyway). But I
Something like this:
do want to highlight the fact that the girl/bride to be is fat. The cover should look fun, bright, and colorful. I have two ideas for the cover: First is a doodle/illustration like the Sophie Kinsella covers/Bridget Jones’s Diary
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"This is such a positive fun book!" I told my editor. As
The story unfolds through different events that lead
I finished reading the manuscript, I had a smile on my
to the wedding. All these events, sometimes related to
face. This book, talking about very intense subjects in
each other or otherwise entirely independent build up
a lightest possible feel left me inspired. For this cover, I
the complex story. The tiny doodles were part of my
decided to try all the possible directions: photographic,
process to understand and try to visualize the different
illustrative, abstract and literal.
aspects of the story and eventually they found their way on the cover.
After going through the manuscript for the second time, I made a list of interesting events and characters that would help me ideate. Lists have been a common thread throughout my internship, I guess.
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The first set of ideas were using a stock image of a healthy girl. The one disadvantage of using an actual person on the cover limits the imagination of the reader. The charm of unlimited possibilities to identify with the character gets restricted when you put one version of the character on the cover (1 to 3). For non-fiction books, based on real-life characters, it is advised that the person should be recognizable. On the other hand, when working on a fiction book, it is essential that we let the readers be a part of the 1
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experience by letting them imagine their own versions of characters based on the descriptions in the book. There is a middle ground where you do not show enough details of the person. I tried a few options (4, 5) where the image was used in a way that you can not see the complete face but it was not as effective as we thought it'd be. We decided to not follow the photographic route and focus on the illustrative and abstract route. (6, 7) This fresh book with a very joyful take on serious issues like depression, anxiety, body image, marriage had to have an equally fresh cover. Simplicity is the key when
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you have to make something interesting and effective without making it heavy (no pun intended). One of the illustrations featured a glimpse of a couple in embrace where the girl in overweight. Another exploration showed a girl on the go tapping her shoes on her own rhythm. The illustrations left a lot for imagination and that plays very well with fiction stories as it expects involvement from the readers. (8 to 11)
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From all the options presented to the editor, the one that worked the best was the illustration indicating a couple in embrace. (10) The catch in this composition was the fact that the couple felt relatable even though there were not too many details. The story showcases the transition of an insecure, questioning girl into a strong, confident woman and the illustration reflected that attitude. Through very subtle details in the posture of the figure, her new found love and her progress towards body positivity is depicted. The refinement of the illustration involved making it look more universal. Even though the story is set in an Indian household, the character has traits that a global person would identify with. The first modification was to change the way she is dressed. The title character, being a modern Indian girl, experiments with her attires and has a unique fashion sense. Picking up on that thread, the Salwar-Kameej was replaced with a casual dress. The yellow dress reflected the positive and jovial personality of the central character and the blue pants of the groom gave voice to his troubles. This contrasting yellow and blue composition made the girl feel lighter even though she actually is on the healthier side of the scales. The vertical stiff pants alongside the flowy dress added the intended effect. The next possible version was making it all look very clichĂŠ and romantic. The love-story of the titular characters doesn't follow the same pink road and in fact takes a few dark tones but ultimately, it ends on a happy, romantic, positive note. The pink dress with one leg up shows the hopeless romantic in the girl and her decision to take control of her own happiness. This version was selected to be used on the cover as it embodies the personalities of the character aptly.
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In the adjoining compilation of cover options, you can see the different stages in the development of the final cover. The striking horizontal lines show the refreshing attitude of the central character about her weight. She is owning her body as is and hence is not afraid to sport broad horizontals. The handwritten typography adds the informal and young feel to the cover. During refinement of these options, very subtle changes were made in the same composition to enhance the overall effect of the cover. The blue 12
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stripes provided a lot of opportunities to play with the hierarchy. The posture of the leading lady was also one of the important factor. Small things like 'which leg should be up in the air' changed the impact. Graphic design is not just about the concept of it but also about the aesthetic execution. For cover design, it is something that affects the saleability of a book. It is essential that the cover is appealing to the target readership. Uncorrected Bound Proof Copies There are a few sample copies printed before the actual release of the book. These Uncorrected bound
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proofs are sent for reviews and marketing purposes. Penguin has a typical format in which the covers for these bound proofs are designed. The clean white cover you see on the page on your right is the cover I designed for Encounters of a Fat Bride. Typically there is no illustration or graphical element on the cover but considering the tone of the book I figured that having a tiny little doodle will be a solid context for the reader. The very fact that any Indian marriage is not just between two people but two families was put forward through the illustration.
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The mock-up of the final cover of boundproof copy
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The final cover
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The mock-up of the final cover
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The Dramatic Decade Title: The Dramatic Decade
Landmark Cases of Modern India
Author: Indu Bhan
Author’s inputs : --
Target Audience/positioning: lawyers, judges, people fighting court cases, law students, readers of Legal Confidential, Legal Eagles and Zia Mody’s book
About the Book/Synopsis: This book will explore some of the most important
Front Cover (DEMY HBK)
cases in India in the last decade. Most of these cases
Title: Y
are now closed and have set an important precedent.
Subtitle: Y
These cases have led to landmark judgments which
Author: Y
have determined the very social and cultural fabric of
Quote: Y (we can explore this if we have some good
our country. Some of these cases are – the parliament
quotes)
attack and the hanging of Afzal Guru, Naz Foundation’s
Logo: Viking
case against criminalization of homosexuality, the Novartis case where the global pharma major claimed
Any Additional Matter: --
patent over Glivec a life-saving cancer drug , the Lily Thomas case against allowing criminals to contest
Back Cover
elections, the 26/11 and Md Kasab hanging, among
Blurb: Y
others.
Author Photo: Y (In Flap) Cover Credits: Y
Front Cover Suggestion:
Rights: World Category: Portfolio
It has to be typographical mainly, playing symbols and
Price: Y
motifs from legal system.
ISBN: Y Logo: Y
Some examples are below -
Additional Matter: -- Quotes Spine; Title: Y Subtitle (if required): Y Author: N
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Dramatic Decade focuses on different mile-stone legal cases in India in the last 10 years. The book is founded on thorough research and is quite insightful. The cover for this book had to be 'to the point' and visually dramatic. After my primary research about non-fiction books about legal issues, I realized that they all have very clean and minimal layout. The discussion with the editor helped me understand the complexity of some of the cases that feature in the book. The challenge for me was to show the resolution of the complex cases in a dignified clean layout. 1
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The typography for this sort of books matters a lot. The type-heavy serious covers are built around the selection of type. The book talks about a very important chapter in the legal justice system in India. The cases that are included in the book have changed the course of life for a lot of people in India. This hardback cover jacket had to be a statement. In the first exploration in the topmost row (1 to 3), I tried to depict the dramatic complexity of the cases by treating the type as image and place it within the image to increase the impact. Having an appropriate image makes a really good impact. The first two in
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the middle row (4, 5), use an image which has a gavel resting next to a closed hardbound book. This very silent yet dramatic image encapsulates the idea behind the book precisely and presents it to the readers in an elegant yet strong manner. On the next pages you can take a closer look to the two alternatives for the cover and the mock-up of the finalized cover for the book.
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The final cover option 1
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The mock-up of the final cover
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Millionaire Housewives Millionaire Housewives From homemakers to wealth creators Authors: Rinku Paul & Puja Singhal Format: B-pbk Price: Rs 299 ISBN: Imprint: Ebury Press About the book Non-fiction. A book profiling 12 housewives who are now running million-dollar companies. Target audience: Soft business readers/entrepreneurship What I have in mind for it: It needs to be a type-based cover since the title is quite strong. Something like the cover for JUGAAD INNOVATION:
An element of money can be put in the word MILLIONAIRE Or the letter O can be a coin And a home element can be put in the word HOUSEWIFE, something like a rolling pin, a pickle jar, a broom
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This was by far the most difficult cover. There are always some projects where however hard you try, nothing works, until it does. This cover was one of those projects for me. The second book by the author duo Rinku Paul and Puja Singhal 'Millionaire Housewives' tells stories of 12 housewives turned entrepreneurs. Considering that this book was on the lines as their previous one 'dare to be' (1), I first tried to design cover that can be part of the series. The USP of this book is that it shows both sides of the stories for all the entrepreneurs. The covers that I explored tried 1
to actualize the same idea with the visual language of the first book (2 to 5). After discussing with the editor these options, I was informed that the series approach was not preferred by the authors' as they expected a fresh new view for this book. The next step was taking inspiration from the brief and following a direction that'd suit the content. The next round of iteration was founded on the idea of growth and progress of these housewives. The arrow shape that resembles a generic silhouette of a house was used as a primary unit using which the covers were developed. As suggested in the brief, I tried to integrate
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different household items and money related elements in the type to make it visually interesting. A rolling pin was introduced in the uppercase 'H' and 'S' was replaced by a '$' sign. (6 to 10) The shortcomings of these explorations had one common concern, there was no commercial appeal to them. They all looked very analytical and academic when the narrative is very interesting and inspiring. Start again, I did.
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Going back to the drawing board, I started conceptualizing and making rough explorations. This time, I had one thing in mind, it must look good. The cover must make the reader pick it up. The explorations in the first row were based on the idea of staring small. (11, 12) These 12 successful businesswomen started with an inspiration and with their honest and persistent efforts became who they are now. The twelve coins show how they've grown over the years. One more thing that was missing from the previous iterations was the 'money' aspect of it. To 11
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see how we can show the journey, I decided to show the coexistence of their old self with the new one. The small one rupee coin with the largest denomination, a two thousand rupee note. (13 to 18) These explorations looked good but in the process of enhancing their visual appeal the concept could not get as developed as it should have been. They all felt a little too shallow and that made me rethink my approach towards this cover. Designing a cover is giving face to once personality and they should be in synchronization with each other. If they are not projecting the same authentic self, it's a failure. Designing a cover is much
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more that putting something beautiful that's related to the content of the book. In a very poetic sense, it's opening a window to the book's soul. Unfortunately, the covers you see on this page were not the windows to this book.
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Now thinking that I knew what exactly was needed I started again. In between I had been working on other projects so having a little break from this one let me have a fresh beginning. This time, I made it sure that the cover voices both sides of the story. The first set (20 to 22) was built on the idea of 'making money'. Playing with the visual of making chapati on a pan and replacing it with money made it quite interesting. The second set (23, 24) was developed on the fact that unlike the pre-entrepreneurship part of their 20
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lives, these women are now actively contributing in the economy and building something of their own. Even though the concept is appropriate and it's translated aptly, the new pink note on the cover made it look like it's about the recent events regarding demonetization. It's important to consider contextual details that are beyond the manuscript and the book. The third set (25, 26) was inspired by the fact that these women are still housewives. They have not given up on their life as a house-maker while taking on responsibility of their entrepreneurship. The simple sticky notes on the refrigerator show the simple life
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they have but the contents of those notes give a glimpse of their professional lives. This concept was highly appreciated but the execution failed to give it a business book look.
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Covers for business books are minimal in terms of their visual design. They are to the point, clean and they are witty. The cover for Jugaad works well because it personifies the idea presented in the book with wit. I explored some options in this direction where there'll be just a single graphical element that tells a story and a strong type that goes with it. The top row (27 to 30) explores the idea of house-maker creating money. A usual household item gets connected to money-making through the visual. I tried to incorporate different objects in the type to see how they behave and how 27
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does it affect the readability of the title. These visionary businesswomen have turned their worlds upside down and have found confidence and economical independence through their work. Building upon this idea, I formulated the second set of covers (31, 32) that shows an inverted stack of coins that form an illusion of a cityscape. This one did not get much enthusiastic replies either. You know what they say 'The third time's the charm.' In this case I'd change it a little bit. 'The thirty third time's the charm.' I mean it. This single cover has taught me
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the importance of patience and persistence. After a lot of back and forth and a lot of discussion with the editor we finally came up with an idea that fit really well. (33) This type heavy cover featured a custom-made image showing a checklist. The list included some items from a regular grocery items followed by reminders about meetings and conference calls. The incomplete list shows the growth in their responsibilities and authority. Letting the list stay incomplete, I wanted to emphasize on the fact that there is still a long way for them to go and they are on their way. This cover was a success.
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Once we were sure about the direction, I started refining the cover to make it more appealing and appropriate for the market. The strong type in Blue and Red made it very attractive. Integrating dollar sign, rupee sign and Rolling pin in the type retained the level of interest. One feedback I got was that the colors it made it feel a little too young for the target. I had to rework the typography to make it more content appropriate. I decided to use the serif type from one of the previous 34
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iterations. The contrast of the serif type made the cover look a bit more cleaner and it gave him a mature outlook it needed. The Red pin stuck in the note resonates with the use of Red pen in the note. By using plain back type for the title and the same Red for the subtitle, the cover was kept visually cohesive. (41) All's well that end's well. This cover has now become one of my favorite covers that I got to design and that only because of the journey it took me on. You can see the final set-up cover with a dummy blurb on the next page.
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Savita Chhabra Nita Mehta Veena Kumaravel Patricia Narayan Sarada Ramani Anasuya Gupta Jyothi Reddy Anuradha Pegu Rakhee Vaswani Sundeep Bhundal Pabiben Rabari
Non-fiction
Cover photograph © Getty Images Cover design by Parag Chitale
The final cover
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
MILLIONAI₹E
HOUSEW VES From Homemakers to Wealth Creators
Rinku Paul | Puja Singhal
`TBC
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Rinku Paul | Puja Singhal
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Ambika Pillai
MILLIONAI₹E HOUSEW VES
Sunt, volupta cum voluptior aut acias volore as maximolupta debis hekiunksh hloikinsh gtwerf etum sed eat.
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What I did not learn at IIT and B-School Title: What I Did Not Learn at IIT
Redmond for seven years in various product marketing
be serious and bold.
Author: Rajeev Agarwal
groups. He has been widely quoted on software
Reference:
Format: B pb
industry topics in the media including the Seattle Times,
Price: Rs 250
Puget Sound Business Journal, and BBC. He also serves
ISBN:
on the board of the Indian Institute of Technology, USA
Imprint: Random Business
Alumni Association.
Blurb A sudden transition from the mirthfulness of college
Suggestions: Strong, type-led cover. The focus should
life to the workplace often appears daunting and hard
be on the title. Target market is young engineers,
to acclimatise to. Time spent with friends, college
managers and IIT aspirants, so can play with colors but
festivities, overlooking the trials of life, and dreams of
type should be serious and bold.
achieving big things abruptly transform into long office hours, stringent working conditions, and a monotonous life devoid of fun and frolic. Rajiv Aggarwal, in his book
Title: What I Did Not Learn in MBA*
What I Did Not Learn At IIT, underscores the inevitability
Author: Rajeev Agarwal
of this transition and explains how one should leverage
Format: B pb
one’s college education to choose the best career,
Price: Rs 250
giving oneself ample scope to learn and grow.
ISBN:
The author draws from his own experiences and
Imprint: Portfolio
describes what it takes to be successful. The book
* The title was changed during the process.
highlights the habits, behaviors, and thought processes
Synopsis
that lead to success. It underlines the importance
Rajeev Agarwal is the author of the bestselling What I
of setting long term goals and not settling for short
Did Not Learn at IIT. In his new book, he shares lessons
term monetary lures. It encourages graduates to look
and experiences from the establishment of MAQ
at their career over a 40 year span and explains that
Software. Packed with personal stories, case studies,
successful people strike a common chord with each
and valuable insights, What I Did Not Learn in MBA is a
other in terms of being passionate about their jobs. It
perfect guide to becoming a great manager.
says that small amounts of learning here and there all add up , which is reflected in successful people showing
Author note
up to work on time, getting proper rest and nutrition,
Rajeev Agarwal is a US-based Indian businessman who
and being willing to learn.
is the CEO of MAQ Software. Prior to founding MAQ Software in 2000, he worked at Microsoft Corporation,
The book emphasizes the fact that graduates need to
Redmond for seven years in various product marketing
control their own lives and make important decisions
groups. He has been widely quoted on software
before the age of 30. What I Did Not Learn At IIT was
industry topics in the media including the Seattle Times,
published by Random House India in 2013 and is
Puget Sound Business Journal, and BBC. He also serves
available in paperback.
on the board of the Indian Institute of Technology, USA Alumni Association.
Author note
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Rajeev Agarwal is a US-based Indian businessman who
Suggestions: Strong, type-led cover. The focus should
is the CEO of MAQ Software. Prior to founding MAQ
be on the title. Target market is young managers and
Software in 2000, he worked at Microsoft Corporation,
MBA students, so can play with colors but type should
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There is a difference between business books about academia and academic books. The academic books are targeted and marketed in a different way and the business books have a completely different readership. Understanding this difference and moving in a right direction was the key in this series. The book 'What I did not learn at IIT' is already published in 2013. As the author is coming up with a new book 'What I did not learn in B School' PRH decided to package them as a series and market them as such.
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This gave us an opportunity to completely revamp the earlier book and make it more attractive and appealing and design the second book in line with the first one. This would be my first time working on a series. I observed a lot of series of books to understand how to make them look cohesive but individually interesting. What I devised for this series is that the cohesion will be achieved by the visual treatment while the concept for each book cover will be independent of the other. The covers will look like a part of the family but not twins. There colors would coordinate with each other, the typography will be consistent. For the IIT book, I chose warmer colour pallet and
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for the MBA book, a cooler one. The direction was type heavy with some visual supporting the type. I designed a few graphical elements integrating different aspects of engineering and management for both the cover respectively. A clichĂŠ light-bulb put together with a diode made an illusion of being the head of a professional thinker. A document, integrated with a tie and a gear symbolized the union of information, team work and professionalism; encapsulating a management professional.
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The final cover
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Looking for the rainbow Looking for the Rainbow is a memoir by Ruskin Bond about his childhood and his father. At age eight, Ruskin escapes his jail-like boarding school in the hills and goes to live with his father in Delhi. His time in the capital is filled with books, visits to the cinema, music and walks and conversations with his father—a dream life for a curious and wildly imaginative boy, which turns tragic all too soon. For years, Ruskin Bond has regaled and mesmerized readers with his tales. In Looking for the Rainbow, Bond travels to his own past, recalling his favorite adventures (and misadventures) with extraordinary charm, splotches of wit, a pinch of poignance and not a trace of bitterness. This superbly illustrated book features illustrations by the talented Mihir Joglekar. The cover illustrations was ready and my task was to work on the typgraphy and design of the cover. This highly visual book needed an informal, spontenous hand-lettered title. This PLC hardback cover was my first hardback cover with PRH during my inetrnship, also RUSKIN BOND!
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for Reference
‘When we are small we need someone to hold our hand in the dark.’ At age eight, Ruskin escapes his jail-like boarding school in the hills and goes to live with his father in Delhi. His time in the capital is filled with books, visits to the cinema, music, and walks and conversations with his father—a dream life for a curious and wildly imaginative boy, which turns tragic all too soon. For years, Ruskin Bond has regaled and mesmerized readers with his tales. In Looking for the Rainbow, Bond travels to his past, recalling his favourite adventures (and misadventures) with extraordinary charm, sprinklings of wit, a pinch of poignance and not a trace of bitterness. What you’re holding, dear reader, is a classic in the making.
Memoir
Cover illustration by Mihir Joglekar Cover design by Parag Chitale
Illustrations by Mihir Joglekar
`TBC
Looking For the Rainbow_Final_190417.indd 1
19/04/17 2:55 pm
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Hack into your Creativity Title: Hack Into Your Creativity:
Story Prompts For EVERY Type of Writer
Author: Michael Burns Pub date: May 2017 * Format: B Binding: Paperback Imprint: Penguin About the book: A carefully curated selection of story prompts to stimulate the imagination of writers of any level and expertise. If you’re new to writing prompts, indulge in all the different ways you can kick-start the creator inside of you. If you’re a veteran of writing prompts from the Internet or newspapers, you will find comfort in familiar formats, but also challenge yourself with ones you’ve never seen before and discover interests and abilities that you didn’t even know you had. From casual flash fiction authors and scriptwriters to non-fiction authors and branding executives, this book will set your creativity on fire. Be a story alchemist. Transform your writing. And above all else, have fun doing it!- a story of corruption, resilience, and the hope that only love and the human spirit can offer. Front Cover Suggestion: We want a cutesy, hand drawn type of cover. The author already had one made which we don’t particularly like (it’s at the bottom of the note). It should definitely show writing in some way, or anything related to writing. A few examples:
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This one of a kind book contains story prompts for writers. This book hopes to make the reader turn into a writer. I had the responsibility/opportunity to design the complete book, cover to cover. The very first thought was to treat the book as a journal where the readers can spontaneously write. Journals have a very open, informal feel to them The first iterations were very clean, simple and completely hand-drawn (1 to 4). These covers were appreciated a lot and building on the same idea of unfinished, sponteneous, I created the next set of covers. These were a little more 1
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complex than the first set of covers. (5 to 7) The third set of iterations were developed after the suggestion by the author to make the cover a lot more colorful than it was (8 to 11). These options were founded on the idea of 'letting imagination go wild' as suggested by the author. After heavy debate between PRH and the author a fortunate decision was taken to take a step back to the clean, simple, quirky and happy covers. The catch with the old covers was that they were actually completely hand-drawn. The notebook that I
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was using during my internship is now fileld with these covers!
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As we went back to the original idea of having simple notebook drawings as the cover, I decided to push it a little further. Instead of having only the drawings I added a generic pencil and some pencil shavings on the book to add some visual excitement on the cover (12 to 14). The pencil is woven through the lines and that gimicky, unreal treatment adds to the quirky quality of the cover. The final cover uses the same idea paired with handwritten and hand-drawn title. (15) The cover works because of the simplicity in the 12
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thought and how its translated through the visual. The conscious use of Blue and Red pens one of them being a fountain pen, emphases the fact that it is about writing and creating something good through words. The book would be PLC hardback book giving the reader an authentic feeling of using a journal. Having worked on the Ruskin Bond book before, setting up the cover for this book as a PLC hardback was easier.
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The inside pages were very interesting to work on. As we were treating the book as a journal, the inside pages were actually designed as ruled pages, again taking direct reference from my notebook. It's very interesting how the everyday objects around you inspire you to do something new. Typeset by yours truely in American Typewriter, the pages would have enough lines left blank for the readers to fill with their strories. After reading the imaginative story promts I added delibarate bad doodles around the margins. This special touch of spontaneous doodling added the charm of the last page of a school notebook. The journal then came alive and did not remain distant and cold. The adjoining sample pages do not do justice to the actual book, but c'est la vie.
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A carefully curated selection of story prompts to stimulate the imagination of writers of any level and expertise If you’re new to writing prompts, indulge in all the different ways you can kick-start the creator inside of you. If you’re a veteran of writing prompts from the Internet or newspapers, you will find comfort in familiar formats right next to brand new ones. So challenge yourself with types of prompts that you’ve never seen before and discover writing interests and abilities that you didn’t even know you had!
Whether you are a casual flash-fiction author, scriptwriter, non-fictioneer or branding executive, this book will set your creativity on fire. Be a story alchemist. Transform your writing.
Non-fiction
Cover design by Parag Chitale
`TBC For sale in the Indian Subcontinent only
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Michael Burns
And above all, have fun doing it!
Michael Burns
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Breach Title: Corporate Espionage *
Here are some images which come to mind –
Author: Nirmal John
Target Audience/positioning: Readers interested in espionage, corporate scandal, business etc
* The title was changed during the process. About the Book/Synopsis: Front Cover (PBK) Corporate Espionage is a shocking account of how
Title: Y
vulnerable businesses are today. It shows how CEOs
Subtitle: Y
spy on CEOs, companies held hostage by data theft,
Author: Y
important information leaked for money. Its full of
Quote: Y (we can explore this if we have some good
gripping stories about different companies and how
quotes)
they faced the onslaughts of espionage on them and
Logo: Portfolio
their employees. Any Additional Matter: -Front Cover Suggestion: Back Cover The cover should have an image which indicates
Blurb: Y
scandal, foul play, theft etc in corporate setup. Even
Author Photo: N
better, if it could indicate big money.
Cover Credits: Y Rights: World Category: Portfolio Price: Y ISBN: Y Logo: Y Additional Matter: -- Quotes Spine; Title: Y
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Author’s inputs : --
Subtitle (if required): Y
In the same direction as above but subtle.
Author: N
To breach is to forcefully intrude. This very interesting book about corporate espionage and data theft talks about the very fact that professional privacy is being disrupted by people with alternative motives. The book revolves around different cases and incidents where data theft at a corporate level has taken place. This shady activity starts slow and step by step starts stealing information and data. This theft is not a physical robbery but a planned intellectual criminal activity. The process starts with sneaking 1
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around and being in the places where you are not supposed be. Taking this core concept behind the book as an inspiration, I designed a few options that were reflecting the dark concept through their visual treatment. The peeping eyes through vanishing blinds was a very apt metaphor for the book. Collecting information without consent is what data theft boils down to (1 to 7). The exploration with a suited man leaning against a glass wall shows how hazy and sneaky this activity is (8, 9). Using appropriate colors and type also helped to bring the cold and dark feel to the cover.
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On the next page you can see the final cover and mock up of the book cover.
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The final cover option 1
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The final cover option 2
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Aur Phir Ek Din “If you want something you've never had You must be willing to do something you've never done.” -Thomas Jefferson
There are some projects which will surprise you by showing you something new in you. Very interestingly, it was Naseeruddin Shah that showed me that I need to be believe in my abilities! Naseeruddin Shah has written a memoir by the name 'And then one day' published by Penguin a few years back. Being a bestseller, the book and ultimately Naseeruddin had gained a large readership. A Hindi translation was in process during my internship. I was asked by the design head if I were interested in working on a cover for a Hindi book. With a slight hesitation I agreed. The task was to write the title in calligraphy/ handlettering style. I was a tiny bit confident about my handlettering in latin sript but for Devnagri, it's completely different coordinates. I nervously asked for the details and then everything changed. The original cover has a very dramatic cover with a strong typography. I had seen this book before. I was thrilled to know that I'd be part of something so interesting. The Hindi cover would be an illustrated cover. I'd be working on just the title design and not the complete cover. Having almost no experience of Devanagari lettering or calligraphy I decided to start with a smile.
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Taking reference from the original English cover, I started exploring options for the author's name. Keeping the same hierarchy between the first name and last name, and the composition, I came up with an option which looked 'not bad at all'. After approval of the design head, the title was sent to the author in two colour options. I was excuted to see if they get approved or not. Not because it was a big personality but because it was my first try at lettering devanagari. The author replied by saying that 'it's impressive' but it was a little too formal for the direction of the cover. He needed something with a cheerful character and more light in terms of the personality. After discussion, all the doubts were cleared. The Hindi cover was going to be a minimalistic illustration of the author himself and the cover will showcase the warm, open nature of the contents. I was ready to work on this cover till it gets something more that 'it's impressive'.
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I had taken this project as a personal challenge. This was almost personal for me now. I would keep practicing Devanagari letter-forms in my free time in the office. I'd watch tutorials and instagram posts of people who excel at a skill which I was starting to develop. As you can see on the page on your left, I tried a lot of different ways to bring out the unique character through the letters. After refining the options I was confident about the three options featured on your right. These option have their individual personality that speaks through the form. Once sent to the author, he replied saying he preferred the first option with the exaggerated round forms. This happy title was then sent to the designer working on the cover and in a few weeks I saw the final cover that I have shared on the next page. Option 1
Option 2
This project taught me that with will, focus and commitment you can extend your skill-set. I still can not say I am good at lettering but now I can certainly say that I am not bad at it, and that''s something.
Option 3
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*x+Sjekewyh izfrHkk ds dkj.k iSnk gksusokyh ck/kkvksa dks pwj djus vkSj ,d vfHkusrk ds :Ik esa viuh iwjh {kerk rd igq¡pus ds fy, ulh:n~nhu “kkg dh tn~nkstgn dk eeZLi”khZ c;kuA bZekunkj] eLrh Hkjk] f>yfeykrk gqvkA* fxjh”k dukZM iqjkus fnuksa ds ckjs esa ulh:n~nhu “kkg ds txex laLej.k v©j fQj ,d fnu ,d x+Sjekewyh lQ+j dh nkLrku gS&vesjB ds ikl ds ikl ,d NksVh lh cLrh ls ysdj uSuhrky vkSj vtesj ds dSFkhfcd Ldwyksa rd] fQj eap vkSj fQ+Yeksa esa feyh dke;kch rdA chp jkg esa vyhx<+ eqfLye ;qfuoflZVh (AMU) jk’Vªh; ukV~; fo|ky; (NSD) vkSj Hkkjrh; fQ+Ye o Vsyhfot+u laLFkku (FTII) dh nkLrkusa Hkh lqukrs pyrs gSaA
vkSj fQj ,d fnu nqyZHk bZekunkjh] csiukg e”d+ vkSj gkL;&O;aX; dh pk”kuh ds lkFk dgh xbZ ,d eueksgd nkLrku gSA ifjokj ds lnL;ksa ds fny Nwusokys js[kkfp=] Ldwy ds eugwl ij et+snkj fnu] vkSj funsZ”kdksa vkSj vfHkusrkvksa dh jaxkjax “kCn-rLohjsa Hkh ekStwn gSaA vius vfHku; ds t+fj;s jkst+h dekus dh tn~nkstgn] vius Q+u ds lkFk fd, x, iz;ksxksa] mYQ+rksa] demezh esa “kknh] dke;kfc;ksa vkSj ukdkfe;ksa ds ckjs esa mudk c;ku] d+kfcys–ft+Ø lkQ+xksbZ vkSj t+krh rtft+;k dk uewuk gSA et+snkj fd+Llksa vkSj ekfeZd ?kVukvksa ls Hkjh ;g fdrkc ,d ,slk dkjukek gS tks viuh Js.kh esa ,d Dykfld cu ldrh gSA
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And Then One Day: A Memoir
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Smile with satisfaction
Reflections
Graduation Project For a graphic designer who grew up reading books,
Be like Bob:
Be ready:
this project with Penguin Random House India was
'Bob the builder, karke dikhayenge!
We make plans, we expect them to be followed, most of
once in a life time opportunity. During this four month
Bob the builder, haan bhai haan!
the times they will be followed but be ready. Be ready
internship, I could refresh, test and apply what all I had
Bob aur saathi masti mein magan,
for unexpected adventures, be ready for unforeseen
learned in the last two and half years. Design thinking
mil-jul ke karte hai kaam khatam!
opportunities, be ready for new found directions, be
extends beyond the realm of design. Every single
In a workplace environment, nothing makes more sense
ready for change as it's bound to happen.
step of design process is mandatory for reaching the
than this song, plus it makes you smile. I witnessed
solution. Working in a professional environment was a
the power of fun-filled positive attitude and open
reality check about how important management and
conversation in a team during this internship and how
communication skills are. You can not escape them,
much it helps to get the job done the right way. It's
you need to embrace them. This internship was a game
healthy to enjoy the work that you are doing, it breathes
changer for both the graphic designer and a person
life into it.
in me. The learnings always go hand in hand. Just like design, it does not work in isolation. So apart from the
Be vocal:
uncountable learning moments about graphic design, I
Voice your opinions, voice your concerns, voice your
find it necessary to notice how your learnings reflect in
suggestions. It is essential as a designer and as a
your life. Here's a list of things I've consciously learned
human being to address the issues you have identified.
to be in the last few months:
Nothing will change if it gets unnoticed. It takes courage to put your point forward but it's not as difficult as it
Be a sponge:
seems. You always should speak up.
These last few months have thrown humongous amount of information at me. I entered a completely
Be confident:
new environment and I survived, nay, I thrived. It was
As we become a spongy, observant, Bob the speaker
possible only because I tried to absorb everything I
who is good at what he does, we get one thing without
thought was helpful for me to grow. The thing with
any efforts—confidence. Confidence changes the way
sponges is that even after getting dry they do not forget
you work and it shows. I can see myself deleting first
how to grow again.
three paragraphs of this document when I first began writing it but now here we are at page 208!
Be an observer:
What changed? Confidence! Confidence in your
Be present in the conversations and observe everything
ability, confidence in your passion, confidence in
that's happening. It's essential to keep your eyes wide
your aspirations!
open to not just look but to observe and get inspired. There are millions of opportunities for us to learn and
Be realistic:
grow, if you are a keen observer you'll find them and
One thing that actually can not be sugar-coated
you'll find your own way to success.
whatsoever is be realistic. Design is an opportunity to make an impact, to change something for good so be realistic and be practical. Plan, manage and execute your vision to perfection and it is possible only if you are grounded by reality. Dream big, dream bigger than the sky but then start working on how to escape gravity as well.
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Just open your arms, put a smile on and be ready.
NID Journey The very last part of this document. Looking back at the
My journey started with scorching heat of June and
last three years. Exercising the most important lesson
now its taking a new turn in the same season, three
I've learned from NID 'Reflecting back'.
years later. The sun is the same, the peacocks are still waiting for the rain, this beautiful love is standing in
Reflection. It's not about judging your actions, it's
front of me just like it always did, the only thing that has
about learning from them. It's not about praising your
slightly bettered is me.
decisions, it's about growing through them. It's not just about how far you've come, it's about how you've
I see myself more aware of what, why and how now.
come here. It's not about how tough it has been, it's
More aware about repercussions and consequences of
about how tough you are now. It's very funny, this word
my decisions. A little more managed and manageable.
'reflection'. It's just you, all alone, standing in front of
More unafraid than ever. More honest with intentions.
you, observing, absorbing, gaining confidence, and
More open to life. I see myself looking at me now with
getting better, on your own.
satisfaction of making most of what little time I got here. I feel humbled with a heart as big as it can get.
Reflection. It's about acknowledging how many people
I know everyone has a unique experience at NID and
have left their impressions on you. It's about being
no one can compare one to another. For everyone it
aware of the effect this brick-red and green has on
has something. I strongly believe that this space, these
us. It's about reliving the moments that made these
people, this inexplicable positivity, they have magical
three years an era. It's about being aware about this
powers that grant your deepest wishes without you
tremendous opportunity. It's about being honest and
asking for them. My NID has taught me exactly what I
shading a drop of tear without any fear.
needed to learn.
Reflection. It's about finding the 'me', once again.
It taught me to be more me than I was ever before.
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
209
210
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’
Bibliography
Websites
Project Documents
Cyrus Todiwala & Tony Singh, The Incredible Spice Men,
penguin.co.in
Redesigning the Caravan Magazine by Pupul Bisht
BBC books (2013)
penguinrandomhouse.com
(2015, B.Des., Graphic Design);
google.com
Sponsored by The Caravan magazine,
wikipedia.com
guided by Tarun Deep Girdher
Rick Stein, Rick Stein's India, BBC books (2013)
gettyimages.com Pooja Dhingra, The Big Book of Treats,
imagesbazaar.com
Visual aids on self governance communicating at
Penguin Books (2014)
shutterstock.com
the grass roots level by Tarun Deep Girdher
nounproject.com
(1997, SLPEP, Graphic Design);
Pankaj Bhadouria, MasterChef cookbook,
identifont.com
Sponsored by Unnati,
Shine Group (2013)
pentagram.com
guided by Pravin C. Sevak
bookcoverarchive.com Pankaj Bhadouria, Chicken from my Kitchen,
facebook.com
Indian by Design by Rhishikesh Kedare
Bloomsbury (2014)
instragram.com
(2014, M. Des., Graphic Design);
youtube.com
Sponsored by Studio ABD,
pankajbhadouria.com
guided by Tarun Deep Girdher
Meera Sodha, Fresh India, Fig Tree (2016)
covervault.com Nigella Lawson, Simply Nigella, Chatto & Windus (2015) Peter Mendelsund, Cover, PowerHouse (2014)
Identify Shuddha by Ishita Jain Image Credits
(2015, B.Des., Graphic Design);
Documentation photos unless mentioned are shot by
Sponsored by Green Goose Design,
Parag Chitale using Moto G3.
guided by Tarun Deep Girdher
Paul Buckley, Classic Penguin Cover to Cover,
Covers, marketing collaterals, sample pages are
Penguin Books (2016)
courtesy of Penguin Random House India.
The Motorcycle as Muse by Vishnu M Nair
All the images used in 'The Secret's in the Spice Mix' are
(2017, M.Des., Graphic Design);
courtesy of Charu Samarth.
Sponsored by Codesign Brand Consultancies,
Timothy Samara, Making and breaking the grid, Rockport publishers (2005)
guided by Tarun Deep Girdher Credits for personal images
Ellen Lupton, Thinking with type,
Aman Bharadwaj (page xvii)
Branding for Imaginea Design Lab by Tripti Shrivastava
Princeton Architectural Press (2010)
Devika Gulati (page xix)
(2017, M.Des., Graphic Design);
Akangksha Sarma (page xx)
Sponsored by Imaginea Design Labs,
Tripti Shrivastava (page 161)
guided by Dr. Tridha Gajjar
Nadine Monem, Font the Sourcebook, Black Dog Publishing Ltd. (2008)
Parag Chitale | Graphic Design M.Des 2014
Graduation Project | National Institute of Design
211
212
Designing ‘The Secret’s in the Spice Mix’