Had a great break though with learning some of our software today. May sound simple but new versions of software do make things a lot easier. Illustrator layers and swatch and graphic styles will really speed things up. OK we have used them in the past but now we are working in colour they really come into their own.
Working on preparing our style sheets and master pages so we can be more methodical and catch mistakes before they happen. The less thinking we have to do the better!
Looking forword to cooking an Extremadura lamb stew using a Penelope Casas receipt for our friend Daphne tomorrow. She has just come back from walking the camino for about the tenth time and is always full of great ideas. Must remember to get some extra wine in too, maybe some white port it has been ages since we’ve had any.
Our mocked-up design has a very skinny profile chart on each map page. We’re trying to decide whether to have the profile in a single colour, or to have the colours mimic the contour level colours (which we’ve pretty much finalized, now).
This weekend is Real Madrid - Barça. Ronaldinho seems to be underperforming, maybe due to the ridiculous headband he is wearing. Shame we don’t get the game in Canada. Everton v Sheffield Utd just doesn’t have the same appeal.
Spent an enjoyable morning laying out Spanish 1:50,000 maps on the floor and crunching numbers to try and figure out how many pages of maps we’ll need if we choose a scale of 1:100,000. Looks like 45 or so. We’ll use data from these maps, plus our own research and GPS data to compile the map book.
Here’s a rough cover design. We’re trying to get this finalized now for marketing/publicity purposes. The photo will change (right now it’s the same as the 2nd ed of Walking the camino de Santiago).
Typing one-handed holding a baby is a struggle!
Here’s a very rough idea of what a horizontal layout would look like.
This is a right-hand page. Left-hand page would have same orientation, but place names would be below map (ie place names would always be on outside page). Grey is going to be profile chart, yellow line is index map (where you are on the camino). We’d love to get some feedback
The map is obviously pretty hokey at the moment, just to have something to play around with. But we are interested in getting feedback on the fonts.
For a clearer look at the design test, see http://www.pilipalapress.com/CaminoMapTest.pdf
Finally we have got a couple of rough layouts. The big question today is the orientation of the page. Do we have the map start at the bottom of the page and work up to the top (as we do in our books) or do we turn the whole page so the book is held on its side with the map running left to right across the page with the narrow part of the page being the top and bottom and the long wide part being the left and right side of the page.
We seem to be heading for the turning. It has the advantage of having all the text and graphics orientated the same and it mimics the real camino better as you follow it along. Before we saw a mock up we were not convinced but now we like it.
Maybe we should post some images?
Now we need to work on choosing fonts and their sizes. Also colours. Tried reading about them in Designing Better Maps but fell sound asleep half way through.
Made a thanksgiving turkey paella as a east west fusion thing. Muy rico!!!! I wonder it will would catch on. You heard it here first.
I’m re-reading a couple of Edward Tufte’s books. He writes like no one else on displaying information graphically.
My favourite quote:
“Confusion and clutter are failures of design, not attributes of information. And so the point is to find design strategies that reveal detail and complexity - rather than to fault the data for an excess of complication.”
One decision we can all feel happy about is the newly instigated Pili Pala hiking day. Who needs an expensive retreat when we can wander the mountains, forests and shoreline around Vancouver?
It also gives us a chance to brainstorm map ideas. And to get over self-made technological disasters (guess who deleted all our files this week?).
Back to the map: We’ve now decided on a map book, and are using our guinea pigs to finalize format. Also finalizing map design - contours, rivers, colours, fonts. Our printer is getting a hammering and we’re arguing about the tiniest details. But I guess that means we’re all fired up with enthusiasm for this project.
Pulling all our contacts together and asking them what they think of our new project and do they think it will sell. The old fashioned straw poll. Our design seems very basic when you ask people to comment on it and their thoughts of a book verse a map. What happens if they say both are rubbish or they say design a map? Can our designers ego take it? This maybe another vino tinto night talking design.
The more we look into maps, the more we realize how much we don’t know about producing a map. This, and the nature of mapping a single trail rather than a broad area, are leading us to question whether a folded sheet map is the best way to go.
Maybe something in a book-type format is better? The format could be thin like a map, the binding on the short side, but this will involve an unusual format & binding which will increase production costs. And then questions about binding: Perfect bound sits better on a shelf, but requires a minimum page number; coil binding is better for flipping between maps, but how sturdy is it on a bookshelf, in a backpack or in a pocket? Saddle-stitched is cheapest, but can also look cheap.
And what about paper? Should it be on regular paper or waterproof?
I love this stage of design, when anything is possible, but as we’ve said already, we need to start making some firm decisions soon.