Welcome to my reflective journey through the Publication Design project. This log captures my daily experiences, challenges, and growth as I develop my skills and ideas.
Today I began exploring the project brief and researching publication examples that inspire me. After that i chose a book that attracted me from the library. We were given cues on the basis of which we had to describe our book. It was done in pairs of 2 and 16 people in a group!
<aside> Key Learnings:
</aside>
On the second day of our session, we were asked to bring a magazine, tracing sheets, and a set of scaled pencils. The task was to precisely replicate a magazine spread by tracing it as accurately as possible. While the process was time-consuming and, at times, physically tiring, it offered a meditative quality that allowed me to slow down and really observe the finer details of visual layout and composition.
We then had the task of designing it digitally as well.
<aside> Key Learnings: What are margins, spine, gutter space, etc. Why are they important.
</aside>
Masterclass by Sukruti Anah Staneley, Creative Director at The Caravan on grids , margins and composition of a magazine. Learning how to add baseline in indesign.
<aside> Key Learnings:
What went wrong: Struggled with working on last activity for the day in indesign.
Class by satyam sir on using AI for publication design.
Theme finalisation for the book. Then discussion of topics with the mentor.
<aside> Key Learnings:
What went Wrong: struggled to decide upon a topic. Initially i wanted to make a book on crying but i ruled out that idea and landed on a topic i resonated with more with the help on my mentor.
HOLIDAY !!
Book cafe date at eureka bookstore in GK
<aside> Week 1 Summary
Created mindmap for my topic - Forgotten festivals of india. I came up with around 10-12 forgotten or lesser known festivals of india and did research about these festivals.
<aside> Key Learnings:
</aside>
Personal Note: The list of these festivals is very vast and so it is important to identify a few festivals falling under a specific type.
Continued creating Mindmaps and moved on to my final topic - lesser known fertility festivals of India.
<aside> Key Learnings:
Wednesday
Made mood board on Miro to decide the visual elements , text font and colours for my book.
<aside> Key Learnings:
</aside>
Thurday
Decide on the spread wise content for my book.
<aside> Key Learnings:
</aside>
Teacher remark - Take only 1 festival for now and make 8 spreads on that festival only.
Made physical mockups for my book - Thumbnails
<aside> Key Learnings:
</aside>
Teacher Note: Add margins!! Start with digital iterations.
Week 3 marked a significant transition from exploration to refinement. The primary focus this week was finalising the physical size of the book, which proved to be a crucial decision as it directly influenced layout, pacing, and the reader’s engagement with the content. After experimenting with multiple digital iterations, I settled on a size that felt intimate and respectful of the subject matter, allowing the rituals to feel personal rather than encyclopaedic.
This week also involved extensive digital layout iterations, where I tested variations in margins, image-to-text balance, and rhythm across spreads. Through this process, I became more aware of how subtle design decisions—such as white space and alignment—could either enhance or distract from the narrative. Iterating digitally allowed me to refine these elements before moving into final production, saving time while strengthening conceptual clarity.
Book draft final 2-compressed.pdf
A major milestone this week was the finalisation of the book cover. Translating the theme Rituals Once Remembered into a single visual required careful consideration. I aimed to create a cover that conveyed nostalgia, reverence, and cultural depth without appearing ornamental or stereotypical. This process helped me better understand how a cover functions not just as an aesthetic element, but as an entry point into the publication’s emotional and conceptual world.