Two steps forward, no steps back, but a bit further to go

The next incarnation of the 'stuff' book is coming close to being finished I think. Using the same format and four different typefaces as the previous version, and reintroducing elements from the first draft, gives the book a much more lively, appropriate feel.





The 'Stuff of dreams' reverts to being set within the landscape format of the page and the asides retain their asterisks and daggers denoting their relevance to a particular part of the text. The brackets have been dropped—they were probably mostly resposible for creating too much visual noise on the page for what is, after all, a comment that is slightly tangential to the main thrust of the text.





Elements of the academic essay are allowed to explore more playful typographic settings, with changes in leading, line length and subversion of the grid all being utilised where appropriate to the content. These interventions are fewer and more minimal than the first draft and consequently the book does not become fragmented and lose a sense of rhythm as the pages are turned.





Without the rigid system of text positioning attempted in the previous version I was also able to integrate or isolate the different strands of content more productively throughout the book.





I have begun to introduce quite formal elements within the design. Folios are positioned in the outside margins and the opening of the book conforms to a traditional staged delivery of title, half-title, contents, etc. Here the type is centred and predominantly set in Monotype Modern condensed and it is embellished with occasional red fleurons. I'm not quite sure at what point and why I took this design decision—it seems to have been made subconsciounsly. But I think it is about wanting the book to seem quite 'usual' at first, but then on entering properly it begins to break with convention and the reader has to engage both physically and mentally to draw the strands of text together. In a sense this parallels the idea of the project about people's homes and their stuff—most houses alomg a row look not too disimilar, but on enetering what changes a house to a home is how it is lived in, how people interact with the space and how their lives unfold within it. To this end I am wondering whether I should perhaps formally bind the book with a traditional cloth and board cover.





However, before I get to that point I need to start exploring the idea of book as object. To really bring the work to life I want to introduce physical elements that engage the reader and their senses further. Picking up on ideas from the texts I think the book pages could explore a range of media—perhaps pages made out of used, saved wrapping paper or used envelopes. These envelopes could even contain items. I am interested in engaging the reader in such a way that they have to physically explore the space of the book as they would the space of the home. Hiding things in folds or inserting hidden leaves, etc would all add to the experience. As Bachelard says 'a house that has been experienced is not an inert box.' Just a little something to be getting on with along with everything else then...