Tutorial Notes 050326
MAIN TUTORIAL POINTS:
QUESTIONNAIRE AND NEW MOCKUP FEEDBACK
– Add a question to the questionnaire, ‘what do you think it is?’ Define it in a few words. At the beginning.
– Combine the questionnaire into one piece, so they can answer together?
– Could it be three tired 1) how they feel about colonialism now, 2) suggestions based on book, 3) how they feel about colonialism etc AFTER
– Exclusive parent and child space, to answer the questionnaire. Workshop later in Projections 2?
– Need to get this in front of people at this point for some simple, rudimentary testing to be able to reflect for 19th writing piece.
– Sam – suggestion for simpler kids phrasing ‘what would you take out or keep in?’
– Questionnaire laid out over two pages.
– Victoria – what about a grouped questionnaire, something that can they can do together. Some of the questions are serious, they may need a shared moment with a parent as a catalyst? Could this be columns, one document where they can fill the form together. Sam – this goes into the way your book works, the kids won’t do the questionnaire themselves. Perhaps leave just a complicated questionnaire at the end. Tutor agreed – child feedback, parent feedback. The passport itself has a dual communication style, s should the questionnaire.
– Tutor – simple questions, ‘what do you already know about the British empire?’. Then you can move quickly to feedback on the text, is it too long, what would you change? ‘Was it clear the way you used stamps?’. The simpler the better with the questions, were there too many objects?
Maybe pick out one spread. ‘When you first opened the book, did you understand what you needed to do?’, ‘Was there anything that confused you?’
GCD STUDIO DRAFT PAGE MOCKUP.
– Make images smaller – ‘Optimal Width: 1,200px to 2,048px is ideal for general content images and portfolio work.’
– Include all references – good idea.
– Rejig main image – swap bag to left, or maybe have it at the top.
– Tutor – well structured, well organized all content is there. Lose the section headings, you don’t need to say introduction – it’s implicit.
– Introduction is good
– Lose ‘Response’
– Me – could this be slightly simpler, flowing in between those two sections?
– Tutor – your goal is broader than encouraging positive design politics. You’re using design as your method, but encouraging acknowledgement and education. Clarify that bit.
– Keshavarz quote is good.
– Captions are good.
– Put the two spread next to each other, that would break up images.
– Tutor – the passport is introduced by letter- you could put that in the caption.
– Can you embed issue?
– Lose projection.
– Tutor – happy with length an over 200 words, broken it up with enough imagery.
– Me – condense words and simplify if you can, treat it like the introduction in the book, for example.
– Me – is there any value in bringing in some guilloché or something to decorate it? A textural element as a banner, for example?
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REFERENCES
– No new references this week.
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ACTION POINTS:
– Redesign questionnaire taking in the feedback above.
– Give out packs to families who have agreed to help.
– Tweak images and text for GCD studio page in time for Monday, as per feedback above (priority)
– Continue draft of Reflections piece, wait for feedback.
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TUTORIAL 260226
– Plan what to do next!
– Pack discussed – book, stamp, letter to parents, questionnaire.
– TESTING. Formal testing will take organization with school and permission from parents, so “soft testing” can be done at tis stage. Ethics consideration there. In first instance, create 3 copies of the publication at home, give to three families I know for remote feedback. Written data on efficacy and content.
– Professional feedback already done.
– May not have time within these two weeks, if not can use the audience reflection to write the proper plan out. Because of timescales, unable to execute but “this is the plan”, including ethics consideration of randomness. Think out loud in writing about what the pitfalls might be. Don’t want to pick the families, for example.
– Possible to do simple testing now.
– Tutor – really refined the typographic hierarchy, text now easily to follow. Could refine, cut out some , spread over pages.
– For final production, foiling properly with a plate again. Paper making (cicada books reference, gloss textured stock). Push Riso and outstanding production questions to later.
– For testing, publication as is it is ‘giving passport’ enough. Wait for later on more complicated production questions. And then only if critically or objectively a good idea.
– Tea spread is most resolved, you’re guided as a reader whist capturing peoples attention. Some moments of colour need to be stronger. Stamp areas for example.
– What about the question stamps on secondary spread of each item? They ask questions but it’s unclear what they’re referring to. Could that be refined? Have a go. Associate the questions in the steps with the imagery, like it did on tea spread, it’s clear ‘this is how people were shown in the ads’. Do they need to be there at all? They’re a little confusing. Refine the questions within the stamps. Maybe the stamps could have arrows in them to refer to the object!
Could they be discussion points? Make it all a bit more legible.
– (Poss commission the stamps properly eventually)
– Instructional/contents page – revise the first spread which introduces the book to give instructions on how to use it. Take ‘With this book’ para and place it on the opposite page. BE MORE SPECIFIC about the stamping, mention the objects. Include small versions of the title stamps on each item’s spread NEXT to their object on the contents page. Perhaps include a picture of the stamp itself?! “You’ll go on a hunt for histories through these objects that you might find in your house”. Early on in the pages of your book, you should teach people HOW to read your book. Free up that first spread.
– This is where the work should be.
– Keep letter as a letter format, it’s nice and personal. Could this be as an introductory item in a show or bookstore, akin to the way you get recommendation panels in bookshops. For now, include it within the packs.
– This isn’t the last time you’ll test your work.
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ACTION POINTS
– Revise contents in a new iteration according to notes above
– Make three copies, including letters and questionnaire, approach my daughter’s friends for soft testing.
– Continue GCD studio draft
– Consider Reflection on audience participation AFTER testing but before 19th.
Manifesto!
with Stephanie Jin
Tue, Feb 224, 2026
10:00–17:00
F205
TUTORIAL NOTES:
Really useful tutorial. I used it to rationalize and visualize a component to my publication that approaches the patients direct in the joint learning space with a kid. Other references I have found do this within the book, or on the back cover blurb, as an Afterword or Foreword. Today, I made letter written from one patient to another, anonymously. It explains the origins of the publication, the reason it exists and what it could achieve.
This could perhaps form part of a feedback system when I test the publication, within a small pack with the stamp etc.
Dear Parent,
I moved to a place where, years ago, a Brit drew a line in green pencil that divided an island and its people.
Whilst we were travelling around, my kids started asking questions like “where are the missing pieces of the Parthenon, Daddy” and “why to the Egyptians have pounds?”.
So, I had to tell them that our country had invaded places, taken other people’s stuff and actual people too.
It was all before I was born, but I felt awful having to say those things, guilty even. When I was their age, I never questioned why every map had the UK at the centre, or why there was something called the “Third World”, or the “Middle East”.
What did you learn about the British Empire at school? Like me, probably very little. I remember doing the wars in History, Shakespeare in English. It was all very patriotic. No one told me about the hidden stuff.
Britishness is complicated. I’m trying to be a good human despite the colonial history of the place I was born. It’s still there, under the surface. Maybe we can un-hide it. Start with this book and the kid that’s sitting next to you.
Because we want them to be better than us, right?
Good luck ,
Another Parent
Tutorial Notes 190226
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Main tutorial discussion:
– Love the stamps, whimsical moments starting to happen, house with objects and their narrative, but also the smoke coming out of house!
– Victoria – styling is meaningful with the theme, the fact that we are always working on the idea of the everyday objects around us. Stamp system good for titles, but concerned about size and hierarchy. Tea spread – need to refine it so it’s more obvious as title for example. Nice choice of stock with guilloche in the background
– Tutor – Refine first page text to mention objects specifically, perhaps put an object in the line itself. Could have the name of the object and the image embedded within the sentences.
– Tutor – TEA word mid spread, it has trouble flowing, make that more obvious.
– Sam – like vintager photos, kids will respond and associate with everyday objects, giving it that heritage feeling whilst connecting. The amount of stuff on the spreads, makes it feel even more like a treasure hunt.
– Tutor – As long as you present the problematic adverts with context, like the questions, keep it. What about publishers though? They can err on the side of caution, in academic setting we can err towards criticality. Discussed this moving form commercial publishing exercise into a piece of protest or soft activism. REFERENCING very important here. Makes sense to keep the content objective like this, rather than sanitizing it for release. Tutor – follow the instinct. BUT, lose the stamps in that area. Just keep stamps for collecting the objects, that’s it. No need elsewhere. The prompts themselves are enough, no need for spaces for written responses for example. The questions in the collection stamps should just be ‘Stamp here if you found the tea in your house’, just I’m case they haven’t read the text.
– Tutor – visual language is resolved, form is resolved, it’s just about the flow of it. Tea example above, flow between elements.
– Do the rest of the spreads, prioritise content over production at this point.
– Maybe some for of testing soon around midpoint, but not a priority.
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Action points:
– Complete spreads
– Make the dummy as best you can using home made methods for next week. Riso etc can come later.
– Draft GCD page text in time for Midpoint
– Testing with friends or at local market?
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New references:
None from tutorial this week, above file includes updated bibliography
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Production
– Paper samples in from Fedrigoni
– Full stitches binding done this time (red thread next time?)
– Machine stitch binding unavailable in publications, approach Fashion or do it at home
Tutorial Notes 050226
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Main tutorial discussion:
– It still alludes to a passport in many ways. Rounding the corners, foiling it can go on a step there.
– the devil is in the detail on this one, a set of minor decisions
– Move it towards a workbook – yes, can already see that happening with the stickers
– Illustrations and type are playful, go further, funnier, more playful. Using empire ads a good idea
– Text on the left side is unresolved relative to the illustrations
– Not a giant block of text
– Maybe think of it as a graphic novel with a continuing narrative that links? It’s already kind of moving in that direction.
– Dispersing the text
– You have the size and illustration style locked down, it’s now time to think about organizing the content. The text is feeling completely separate at the moment
– Interview with publisher – what other objects around a kids house would they put in? Connect the object to a modern context too. Global fast fashion, inequality, cheap labour etc.
– Flesh out the book a bit more, but the graphic don’t need to be this complicated. Distribute the text over multiple pages – where did this badminton shuttlecock get flicked to?
– Fingerprinting text for example, play with it, simpler. Just a line, first sentence only and then move onto the detail…
– Image of an official doing the fingerprinting.
– Moved away from day in the life structuring, backed up by the publisher, but it needs to link up
– Moment important, like going on a flight, capturing children and patents together.
– First page would be a dinner table with all the objects, or a house, ‘you may see these objects on your travels’
– MAP – pullout feels quite clunky to put together, just make it the last spread. A tipped-in heat of stickers.
– Binding discussed – could be stitched or hardback at this stage, likely the former.
– Sam – picture first words later, more stickers!
Work in progress peer review:
– “The word complex is important here; what degree of complexity has bee communicated at the moment? I think you can go a notch up”
– “how many kids actually look at their passports”
– “how do kids understand what passports mean? Could that be emphasized in some way?”
– “The artifacts of colonialism; how would you circulate this is a post imperialist country like Britain which doesn’t teach children about colonialism institutionally?” (*this could be the radical theme I have been looking for, could it all be in the placement?)
– METHODS “Love it! Very clear evolution of craft and production choices, feels very complex… Try to communicate more complex narratives like wars, battles, genocides, famines etc”
Action points:
– Writing – get it written, pick the objects, do a flat plan sketch and then get stuck in. Let the illustrations guide you.
– Prioritise the content for now, production later.
– engage with Tina Gaisford-Waller and local school on a testing level, advance those discussions
– poss title change, Where does it REALLY come from? (From Esther Waller, Chicken House)
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New references:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_9q-1SA9Sw
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Publications drop-in
– 2-up, 2 sided Riso possible on A3, needs to dry overnight if possible. So two sessions. Meaning 4 sessions for approximately 20 spreads? Tbc
– Riso not busy at the moment, give a week’s notice if you can
– Stitching discussion another day
– This will likely be a stitched card-back short length interactive zine of sorts, not a book (what defines a zine?)/ Now that map is not a fold out. Will need to consider binding in a sticker sheet, somehow? That’s the next question.
– Papers swatches discussed at for a first look, mimicking the passport texture but on yellow. Will this be enough or does it need to be a leather substrate. I’m thinking thickness is important.
Tutorial Notes 290126
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– Victoria looking forward to execution through Riso, it will converse well with guilloche patterns. Wondering about playful quality, interactivity, stamps, stickers, excited to see how that will work. How could that fit with commercial printing if it gets to that? (Victoria)
– Could this be a ‘pack’ of stamps, stickers, map, publication, as an activity for parents and kids to us together.
– Dual narrative – kids, informal, funny, base it on how I speak to my daughter. Include stamp device or equivalent for adults facts etc. Perhaps record myself talking to my daughter as reference? A bit fun, a bit serious, digestible tone.
Tomi…
– Age range? 9-12 discussed. Refer to professional contact. Year 7, primary age.
– Text works, explains things quite nicely, particularly where it talks about acknowledging harm of Empire.
– As we’re using familiar objects, how then am I able to open up a world or thinking? Tamarind example mentioned good, stamp communicates to adults but needs simplifying. Rephrase it. Do that thing like it kids’ movies where adults’ jokes above the kids’ heads. Text will need to have a balance between those two things, particularly the phrasing of it.
– Aesthetic will be fun and textured, engaging colours. A workbook would be a good idea, so things happening. Illustrations works well but there could be space for drawing, adding in information.
– Not sure that this passport format works in the same way that it did initially. Because it’s so loaded, it kind of limits what you can do with it (?). There was something about the foldout that wasn’t contained. If it’s on the table and we’re engaging with it, is it something about looking at scale, magnitude. So could there be a map in there? Being able to grasp the idea of vast histories, passport feels contained to meet that. Does the book therefore accompany other things, it’s one component of it, so when you travel places this is helping you understand? Through engaging with objects, clothes etc, that passport metaphor needs to feel more connected.
– Could it be an instruction book? A tipped-in map, sticker items plotting a journey where these things come from.
– Passports are permission, visually there’s so much going on. Is there a way of stripping back some stuff and focussing on other things.
– Communicating to children – different types of kids and families, white English, Indian etc. Does these need to be universal? Something to research. How to that inform how I approach it.
– What to these mixed conversations look like?
– In what way can I make this universal? Fictional?
– Play can be used to communicate complexity to the kids, to facilitate understanding without being reductive.
– It would be good to make sure that it’s not phrased as something from the past, as it’s still going on today. When the Queen die for example?
– Play and seriousness need to interlink. References have clear position. How radical or sanitized is it going to be? Do you want to be provocative about it? Decide, and then adjust the tone accordingly.
– This could work quite well as a workshop. As you’re profiting and making, what would this look like as a workshop? Is it just parents and kids or is it wider? Additional contexts?
– Clearly articulated annotated bibliography, woven into your practice which is great.
– References given – The Black Curriculum, Lit in Colour (Penguin Books)
– Not a GAME an ACTIVITY.
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Action points:
– Iterate an activity pack of sorts
– Organise research, approach a bunch of people too see who will talk to me
– Prepare a paragraph to explain the project
– Think about audience. Does this need to attempt to be universal or can it circle back to white British kids and their parents? If the way to improve attitudes adjusting the curriculum as well as something straight on.
– Uncomfortable Books? Like Uncomfortable Art Tours ref from Unit 2?
References I found:
https://www.thisisbooklove.com/shop
https://www.facebook.com/crdcFrome/?locale=en_GB
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THOUGHTS AFTER RISO EXPERIMENT
– Lovely light paper
– Nice imperfections
– Easy enough to execute
– 1.5 hours to make a 4 colour separation
– 1.5 hours to print with technician help
– Results are nice, but not as distressed as I would have liked. Why do I want it to be rough, is that appropriate? A question for later.
– Shelve this method for now until you have a more integrated prototype to play with. Large format printing for a map, for example?
– Consider Oakfield School, Avanti School, Frome Multicultural society. Is there something about keeping it local in terms of findings and knowledge? Is there something about keeping it local with audience as well? Lots of other sources look to change things on a grand scale. I just want to get parents and kids realizing this legacy like I did.
– Next stage should focus on primary research, but iterate format in the background. Perhaps push on the illustration as well.
Tutorial notes 220126
Current iteration of Enquiry question:
Can parents and children engage with colonial legacy together?
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Points discussed:
(Victoria)
– Like the visual language, the type, composition for HP sauce.
– Enable children to ‘spot’ surprising connections, hiding them before in Unit 2. Playful idea of spotting the detail.
– (Mark) Is there something there about playing with the book format – perforating, stamping, fingerprinting. Can I get the reader INVOLVED in the actual book itself?
– The spread designs need something fun about them, even though it’s a difficult subject. Reference of AKIDSCO books discussed – pared back, typographic design without any kids characters etc. Is that enough? It needs some kind of fun or engagement about it.
– (Tutor) picked out some spreads from Israel/Palestine book. ‘Look you have a really big date, 1947!’. Agree that it could be more appropriate for kids.
– (Mark) It’s the language of the books that appeals, it’s straightforward and balanced, it holds an appropriate note for the parents in the book itself. Can I take that template and add some fun to it?
Horrible Histories mentioned as TOO comedic, using toilet humour. Probably too funny.
– (Tutor) Conceptually, this is a pretty fully formed project. It’s really clear in terms of what it is you’re trying to do. You have an audience. Your query is quite clear, which is ‘how can we find a way to communicate complex colonial histories to children?’. That’s what is driving all of this, so your next steps are less about finding a question and more about experimenting within those parameters.
– (Tutor) First direction preference. Tutor teaches brief called ‘Obliteration’ where an object is deconstructed in past and future contexts. In a children’s book format, that is a compelling direction to go in. Passport format makes more sense. There aren’t typically maps inside passports.
– (Tutor) Format. Postcard size is slightly bigger. Nice that it’s slightly bigger and accessible. A4 is too big. Books near the cash register in a bookshop, or in a travel environment. (Sam) likes bigger, somewhere between A6 and A5, (Mark) B format paperback is an industry format, 129 x 198? Attractive to a publisher from a printing perspective.
– Cover foiling, keep it, rounded corners.
– Content. Illustrations are working really, really well. The stamps added are starting to align with the passport. Continue to make them by hand and add. Is that part of the reading experience or are they printed?
– Typography. Title page is beautiful but is probably type you use to advertise the project. Straighter type is aligned enough with the vernacular to fit. Serious front page too! Lots of type going on. Could bring classic or sans to the cover? Coat of arms a good idea, leather substrate good, corner cropping from publications.
– What will the objects be? (Mark) Sanghera book as starting point. Could this all be in a temporal box? A day in the life? Yes! Maybe there should be something about the passport for the day (Tutor). A journey through the day and the objects we encounter. (Victoria) tea in the morning etc! (Mark) I like that because its direct comment on the curriculum if its based on a school day. Could this go along with their day? Reading the book at certain parts of the day (Tutor), is that where the interaction comes in? Linear narrative good. Omer kind of activity that makes them go to the next page (could this be stcikqered, or ask a question on one page and give a answer on the next).
– (Tao) Chinese achievement passport reference. Possibly ask your kids to record their day, so you can align, rather than it being me dictating. Has to be a balance between the two – broaden content, balance between author and kids content.
– Your first passport? (Tutor). Could this go back to destinations?
Action points
– Prototyping – get into the guilloche, really explore how it’s sitting, go back to its origins and its duality.
– Consider the interactivity point, questions, stamping, buy some as an experiment? Try it out on the kids?
– Consider the content, rewrite to go around a day in the kids lives. Could I consult the kids? Playtime? Invited my child to record their life in a day. Use it to influence the construction.
– Consider riso printing? Go see publications about possible format, binding, foiling, corners (PPC).
TUTORIAL NOTES 150126
Question from end of unit 2:
Can parents and children engage with colonial legacy together?
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Proposed new question:
At a time of global uncertainty, can I encourage kids and parents to learn together using a print publication that asks what it means to be a global citizen?
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Points discussed:
– There is a space between children’s book and adult books for them both to learn together. Less about characters, colour, fantasy, animals, princesses and wizards, more about clarity of message.
– akidsco.com reference supplied, typographic, plain-talking books about difficult themes that put the children first, and have a note for grown ups at the end, along with discussion points.
– Space to challenge children’s publishing norms, one to look into with client.
– Miro board shown. Bringing in feedback form last term, conditional rules for working (new production for example), gathering references, ideas, thoughts on testing. This will be my point of reference going forward.
– Personal angle – should I keep that or step beyond that?
– Cartography – encouraging a journey through knowledge, look into this
– Testing – got an audience – local school, book group. Publisher
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Tutor:
– really clear project, but also full of tension.
– Imagining a publication and then applying into various colonial contexts – Cyprus, perhaps new locations? Alternative Travel books, unconventional locations. Place this under a seat on a plane, in a rich at the airport, guerrilla publishing.
– Got a good template for something, that needs rot be refined and then scaled to other contexts.
– Format of a ‘PASTPORT’ is interesting.
– Guilloche is working, but needs refining/developing. You lose me in the stamps though, they seem drawn rather than stamped. This probably needs to be rougher, more analogue. Trees, home, carrot works, but stamps would be better if made in person (side note – this has been a theme at different stages at my work, analogue and genuine, copy fake or something made by the user?)
– Refine this one as a first step. Can’t comment on content / narrative yet. (Worth a rewrite).
– Content – some parts of it can serve parents, some can serve kids. Sticker moments for parents, stamp moments for children. Could have other things like boarding passes, make it more of an experiential publication – unwrapping, can it act differently?
– Subject – don’t burden kids with ‘your ancestors did this’. (Side note: Don’t want to add to the pile of colonial BS!, there are enough books and I don’t want this to spill into white apathy, I didn’t engage with colonialism directly for years since school, my kids were on a path to do the same)
– Something about collaboration (Irene). Is this perceived as a closed outcome? What if this could be more like a workbook, to build together, collaborative between adults and kids. STAMPING opportunities, working into it. An activity there. AIM – getting PARENTS to look into it.
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Poss action points
– Look at the text, break it out and see if it can move in. Simpler language. Can two narratives or strings work at the same time?
– Iterate current design, could this hold a few different strands in it – stickering, stamping. Ultimately screen print a large format map? Give it a used feel. Does it need to be in a more standard book form but with stuff coming out of it like a sheet of stickers to build knowledge as you go? There is a point about interactivity here.
– Get into screen printing lab for induction next week.
– Get into the library and start looking at Cartographic alternatives, see how that informs ideation.
– Contact local bookseller and client to be there for ongoing queries, recommendations of references.