Author: pepper2023

Conceptual design describes the concept that one design can have multiple meanings. When used in the design of book covers conceptual designs can offer the audience an understanding of various topics that can be expected within its pages. This blog post will analyse conceptual design within the category of crochet/knitting books by finding a good example of conceptual design and an example containing no conceptual design, then providing an updated version that includes conceptual design. Good example The Power of Knitting written by economist Loretta Napoleoni is a book about the powerful effect knitting can have on empowering people, healing people, and bringing people together in our disjointed world. At first glance, the book cover shows a blue ball of yarn with a hand holding knitting needles in front, however upon closer inspection the illustration is a map of the world with yarn wrapped around it, meaning the reader must infer that metaphorically the world and yarn are both represented in this image. The subtitle of the book is ‘stitching together our lives in a fractured world’, having the yarn wrapping around the world gives a visual representation of yarn physically holding the ‘fractured world’ together. This is an excellent example of conceptual design; the image of the yarn/world has a dual purpose which connects to the meaning of the book title and ultimately the contents of the book. In addition to the conceptual meaning of the illustration of the world, the hand in front of the world is in a fist, which has throughout history been a symbol of power and protest (The Economist, 2020). This book is trying to convey a message about how powerful knitting has been throughout history and is backing this point up by incorporating one of the most recognisable symbols of power. In the illustration the powerful fist is being formed to hold knitting needles like a weapon, this could have an additional meaning of people using knitting as a weapon of peace.    Above all, this book cover will give the audience an appreciation of the metaphors created through the multiple meanings of the illustration because they are understandable. Mulken et al. (2014) state that “comprehension is a necessary prerequisite because otherwise the strategy may backfire”. Conceptual designs must be clear to understand because if not they will have less of an impact. Poor example There are no examples of conceptual design on the original book cover for ‘a little course in crochet’. The cover has images of scissors, crochet hooks, yarn and more, meaning the reader can understand what will be included in the book. However, the overall design is quite lifeless and does not pop. Introducing a conceptual design into this book cover would introduce a new layer of appreciation to the audience and hopefully make them spend more time looking at the cover, leading to a purchase of the book. However, introducing a conceptual design that is not too simple is also important as this can also affect the impact of the design, much like an overly ambitious conceptual design can do. For the revised version the text has included two conceptual design ideas. The first example shows the letter ‘o’ in the word ‘course’ has been replaced by the crocheted flower from the original book cover. The second example is that the stem of the letter ‘t’ in the word ‘crochet’ is a crochet hook with a sewing needle as the cross stroke on the ‘t’. It is important when replacing letters for conceptual design that you ensure the word is still readable, which in this design they are. These introductions of conceptual design in the revised version possibly are too simple; however, they do show an understanding of the idea behind conceptual design. References DK (2014) A little course in crochet. London: DK. Mulken, M. V., Hooft, A. V. & Nederstigt, U. (2014) Finding the tipping point: visual metaphor and conceptual complexity in advertising. Journal of Advertising, 43(4), 318-332. Napoleoni, L. (2020) The power of knitting. New York: Penguin Random House USA. The Economist (2020) A brief history of protest symbols, from cockades to raised fists. The Economist, Internet edition. 17 June. Available online: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2414023991?accountid=11528&parentSessionId=6LoPGjz0h5YW%2FeFvogTkUSi94MYIfk%2FqccEujC44Woo%3D&pq-origsite=summon [Accessed 26/10/2023].

Typography contributes to setting the tone of a design. It can assist the viewer’s understanding of whether a design is corporate, informal, classical, or modern. McCarthy and Mothersbaugh (2002) suggest that typography can affect how consumers process information, they also propose that typography can be an influencing factor as to whether the target audience of a design interacts with it. This blog post will be exploring how typography can improve or worsen crochet book covers by examining a good example of typography, then improving a poor example of typography and analysing the changes. Good example Mix and Match – Modern Crochet Blankets is a book filled with crochet patterns that allow the reader to create unique, modern blankets. Even though the title of the book uses a unique font, it is still clear and easily readable. The typography of the book title is a sans-serif font, much like crochet, sans-serif fonts have existed for a long time; according to Garfield (2010:42) “sans-serif lettering existed in the Ancient World” however they are viewed as more modern, contemporary font type, which is in keeping with the name of the book and therefore confirms that the reader can expect a modern take on crochet. The overall aesthetic of the typography is fun and creative. The typography used for the book’s heading makes use of conceptual design. The font used for the words ‘Mix + Match’ has additional linework that could be interpreted as crochet stitches, particularly within the word mix. Similarly, the usage of a ‘+’ symbol instead of the word ‘and’ could also be a symbol of a crochet stitch. In addition, the zig-zags, stripes, and strips made by the linework on the text act as an example of the patterns on the blankets that the readers will be making. The designer of the book cover has adapted the tracking in the heading, this ensures the space at the top of the book is filled whilst also assisting in the heading being clean looking and legible. The author’s name is at the bottom in a smaller cursive font, this almost appears as a signature which gives a personal touch to the book cover. The typography is colourful, each colour used in the heading and subheading has been picked from the colours of the yarn that is included in the book’s imagery. This gives a cohesive feel to the front cover. Poor example The cover of the book ‘Crochet Unravelled’ is not aesthetically pleasing, the colours are dull, the composition is not exciting, and the book would not stand out on a shop shelf or online to anyone. The books aim is to teach crochet basics to beginners, meaning that the target audience is probably a younger one. The typography used for the book title Crochet Unravelled is a bold serif font, which is a more traditional font. On the revised version the chosen font is sans-serif, the reason behind choosing this font is to appeal to a younger audience and give a more modern finish to the book cover. In addition, the corners on each letter have been rounded using Adobe Illustrator to match the texture of the crocheted pineapple on the cover. The font used for the revised version is called ‘Gambado’, this is a bounced font rather than letter-by-letter, which is a visualisation of how yarn would look when unravelled. On the original cover, the kerning of the heading is close and uneven, with some letters being closer to the next than others, for example, the letters ‘oc’ in crochet. Whereas, on the amended version the heading is more evenly kerned. The orange colour chosen for the text on the amended version of the book cover is to embrace the tropical feel of pineapples. References Bojczuk, C. (2013) Crochet unravelled. Essex: Pottage Publishing. Crick, E. (2023) Mix and match: modern crochet blankets. Exeter: David & Charles. Garfield, S. (2010) Just my type: a book about fonts. London: Profile Books. McCarthy, M. S. & Mothersbaugh, D. L. (2002) Effects of typographic factors in advertising-based persuasion: A general model and initial empirical tests. Psychology & Marketing, 19(7-8), 663-691.