rawr . .: DMF Final Project. Booknesses

When looking back on the whole of the course, I noticed that there was a reoccurring theme that was stressed. This was a theme of simplicity in our work. At first, I saw this as confusing and almost detrimental to the creative process. However, in retrospect, I see that this emphasis was actually the most important thing that we had to learn during the course. Above all of the effects and other pieces of digital alchemy that we have learned, the application of those skills in a simple way was the most challenging thing to learn. In the past, I fought the idea of simplicity with every vestige of my artistic being since I thought that the conveyance of an idea had to include as many possible pieces and layers as possible. Even though this may work for the amateur level, it takes a true professional to be able to convey the same ideas simply. It was this aesthetic idea that we learned the whole term that set the precedent for the production of my book.

At first, I wanted to base my book on a “ye olde style” Nintendo instruction manual. Unfortunately, this idea had to be scrapped due to the fact my production schedule would have extended until about Christmas due to the immense detail that would have been applied to creating an entirely original 8-bit sprite and background set. So, with the due date set, I had to go with a secondary idea. Plan B was born when I bought a new deck receiver for my car. When I looked at the instruction manual, I noticed the design was eye-catching as well as simple. Doing something in a similar fashion would be close enough in line to my original idea that I decided to shift my plans. Also, this format would allow me enough creative space to do what I wish while utilizing my newly acquired emphasis on simplicity.

Most importantly, I made the decision to switch in enough time to maintain a steady production schedule. Still, the one important thing about my production schedule on the whole is that I was able to have enough time to alter the plans for the book mid-schedule, alter some of the ideas, and still be able to convey the right idea in a proper fashion by the time everything was due. The moral of this part of the story is to overestimate your time in order to handle any problems that may arise. As an addendum to this moral, I also learned that the original idea is not always what ends up being printed. This makes me wonder about a lot of printed media and what it looked like on the drawing board.

With the book now complete, it is difficult to say what I am going to end up doing with the finished product. In all honesty, I don’t think that I am going to do much with the completed project. However, out of this project, I now have some excellent graphics that I can use for further projects. For example, the design for the front cover and the mural in the center of the book are two pieces I know I will be using in the future. And I hope those make it into a Plan B, because in this field, Plan B is normally what ends up being used.