This document provides instructions for a typography assignment to design a 6-page concertina booklet. Students are asked to: - Select a favorite quotation to use on every page except the last. - Design each page to explore different typographic elements and layouts, manipulating size, style, and arrangement of text. - Physically construct the booklet by binding 6 A5 pages together in a concertina fold and encasing them in a heavier paper cover. - Submit a photo of the physical booklet along with PDFs of the designed pages.

1. Introduction to Typography 1 VDIS10020: Assessment Task 1
Tutor Cal Swann
Design a concertina booklet

2. The main purpose of this task is to explore
the layout of typography from its simplest
form – as one size of type and its relative
position in a white area – to quite complex
elements, in a series of pages.
Also, in order to emphasise the traditional
nature of print, you should design this as a
concertina booklet of six pages. The Chinese
tradition of a concertina fold, exploiting the
quality of materials in paper and board, is
used to escape the confines of a screen.
Typographic forms are deceptively complex
shapes. This project aims to increase your
awareness and appreciation of the minute but
significant differences that make up the range
of typefaces and sizes that are at your
disposal.
Make up a small ‘Chinese’ handbook, overall
size 210 x 150 mm (A5). Sew or glue into a
cover 6 pages on a concertina fold as the
sample overleaf. You will use this to stick your
A5 pages on, constructed via InDesign and if
possible, printed on the same stock as your
mock up.
It is up to you to select paper/materials, but
you should bear in mind the contrast of the
pages with perhaps a heavier weight stock for
the cover. You might also think about what
can go through your printer but don’t let that
stop you feeling some good paper...
The visual forms must only consist of
typographic elements, that is, letter shapes or
parts of letter shapes. Choose a favourite
quotation that you can use on every page –
The tactile quality of printed material, the
(except the last).
feel of paper and a three dimensional object
that is intended to be held in your hands, is all
part of this experience.

3. This is an example I’ve made as a mock up. I cut 2 sets
of three A5 pages out of nice cartridge paper and stuck
them together down one spine with sellotape on the
back to make the 6 inside pages folded in concertina
fashion.
Then I took a heavyweight ochre cover paper and made
a slightly larger fold to encase the white pages. I tucked
in a short flap front and back too, just for the feel of it.
Go to a good art materials supplier and choose a few
nice papers to play with. Get away from the computer
screen for a while and feel the three-dimensional thing.

4. Page 1: Set the quotation in one size of type
only, taking care of how you use the white
space of the page. You can use a symmetrical
or asymmetrical layout, whichever you like.
Page 2: Use the same quotation with two
sizes of type. Contrast the sizes to achieve a
dynamic layout within the A5 area.
Page 5: Exploit the varying elements you have
used so far, any combination – but add colour
as the main focus of attention.
Page 6: Use your own name to make a visual/
verbal pun by finding word/s or phrases –
anything goes but you can use typographic
material only.
Page 3: This time employ a contrast of style of
font as the main attraction to your design.
The exercise is entirely visual. There is no
meaning to any of the collage pages except the
Page 4: Find a block of copy as several lines of last page, which is a contrast to the others in
text* and make a collage characterising the
that it must convey a message of some sort
texture of that text with your ‘heading’ of the about yourself.
quotation (or just parts of it). It doesn’t
matter what the text is, this exercise is just
Have fun!
manipulating typographic elements, the
sense is not important, the visual balance is
what we are exploring.
*Placeholder text (the Latin stuff available on
InDesign for fill-in) will do.
Submission can be by a photograph of your
mock up, together with a PDF of your six
A5 page designs, date TBA.