Karishma Menon Visual Communication Design Diploma Project Proposal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Project Type: Client Based Name of Client/ Company:

Tulika Publishers Areas of Work: Books for Children Location: Chennai Address: 13 Prithvi Avenue First Street, Abhiramapuram, Chennai 600 018 Client Mentor: Radhika Menon / Sandhya Rao Contact Number: 91-44-24981639 / 24671117 E-mail: tulikabooks@vsnl.com Website: www.tulikabooks.com Stipend: Rs 10,000 per month

Designing a Book for children on different Indian Festivals Background Tulika is an independent publishing house producing quality books for children. Their focus is to inculcate and instil the values and spirit of life to the young children of India, through our culture, heritage, and images of India. These are beautifully encapsulated into stories which are part of the traditional folklore; some of which we as children may have grown up with. The books are designed very artistically, and the images make it visually more appealing to the reader. With the progress that India is making and moving on to become a super power in the near future, it is of paramount importance that our generation next is aware of its own unique countrys heritage, religious rituals, celebrations, festivities & culture, as they will be the ambassadors of our culture & heritage. In the years to come, when they could be working abroad or travelling often across the globe, these stories which they have grown up with will help them to celebrate and share the joy of being Indian. The Design Brief: The project requires planning & executing the entire layout design for a book for children on the festivals of India. The idea germinated from a diary of Indian festivals that Tulika published several years ago. It was very well received. Having done in-depth research and having collected invaluable information,Tulika are now planning to publish a wonderfully illustrated informative book. The book will be a unique and stimulating experience for the readers, both young and old. It is the kind of book which will educate the reader by getting them involved with its own style and content. It will be a combination of information and stories/poems and illustrations. It is primarily targeted for children of 8 years and above, and will be of interest to people of all ages. With all the special inputs planned for it, it will not just be another information book, but a unique, stimulating experience for readers, young and old. This project also requires designing and packaging of the books. I would need to design a few packaging templates for books according to their different sizes, as per the clients requirements, and according to their existing image and brand profile. Intent and Need:

Tulika books attract attention and stands out on shop shelves with their vivid colours and imaginative illustrations. The books are well laid out and even the black and white editions are attractive. In the new designs that I will incorporate, I will try to enhance the overall presentation and packaging of the product The book on the festivals of India is interesting for kids and adults alike, as the information and visuals will be comprehensive and interesting. I must mention many Indians do not know the significance of many of our festivals.

 This project will be a challenge as designing for a childrens product requires a different kind of skill sets, concepts, strategies and outlook. The designs of layout, information, graphics & design elements have to be carefully prepared, keeping in mind the target group that the particular book is catering to and yet making it interesting to all age groups. The importance of layout design is also very important. It should be easy to read, in its presentation and page consistency. Research Questions:

1. What is the different reading pattern that a child would follow ? How can they be explored while designing this book? 2. Who should this book target? The parents or the child? 3. How important is it for me as a designer to understand the other aspects of publishing a book? Production, Sales, Marketing, Costs? 4. What are the other informative books in the market? Is there a gap to be filled? 5. As Tulika does multi-lingual books, will that be a challenge for me? How can the design cater to the various segments? 6. What are the aspects other than visual communication I need to take into consideration while designing a package? (Material, Accessibility, Budget etc) Approach and Process: Research I will have to do a research on layout design for childrens books. I will also have to go through Tulikas library to understand and observe the way their books are integrated. Content I would need to read and understand few of their story content, to understand their presentation concept. Understanding and Visualising I need to visualize from a childs point of view, after talking to children about what kind of design they would find interesting. Conceptualising Creating & developing concepts for design Arranging As there is so much content I will have to arrange the content in suitable order with the guidance of the publisher. Design Designing & creating information graphics and other design elements to support the text content of the story. . Layout The laying out of book pages. This has to be done tastefully, in keeping with the story and packaging of the story. Templates for Book Packaging Creating packaging templates for books of different sizes

Materials / Resources: Materials and resources will be provided by the client. Besides my access to their research, I will need to do my own research through the internet and other libraries. There will be other books which I will refer to that are recommended by the client, to give me a good idea as to what concepts they have in mind. Books from Tulikas Library. Books on Layout Design and Designing for Children. Talking to Children. Learning Outcomes: 1) This project will be my first experience, working for a client 2) It will give me an insight into the clients perspective, and help me understand how they select and execute designs, through their body of work. 3) The foundation and exposure I have got from the school will help me to meet challenges of design from time to time, and with more experience I hope to excel in my creations. 4) From a creative perspective I am eagerly waiting to unleash my learnings, into my own creations. 5) To further understand the nuances of designing books. 6) Understand & relate as to how to perceive design, from a publishers point of view. 7) To create an interesting combination of information, layout and package designs, will be a new experience in itself. 8) The project will give me an opportunity to explore and experiment my own design skills in order to get the best result. 9) It will help me understand a targeted audience better and know how they perceive design. 10) Gaining Feedback and Guidance from different sources will help me improve and polish my skills. It will always be with me and perhaps applied in future. Why this project? : Tulika is a publication house dedicated to enhancing the knowledge of children about our countrys culture and glory. This will offer me a very good opportunity to learn and understand our culture. It also gives me the indirect responsibility of spreading vital knowledge, which is part and parcel of our culture and gives us the uniqueness of being a proud Indian. It is going to be challenging to design for kids (targeted audience is kids of 8 years and above), however I must keep in mind the information would be of interest to all age groups. The information should be laid out in such a way that it is easily accessible to a reader, especially if they are looking for specific information. The information imparted will be under several chapters with visual content, thus making the book easy to read and enjoyable. The overall design package has to be practical as well

as attractive. It has to look uniquely different, to make it stand out in the book store shelf. I intend to use a design of my own to give it my own touch. My interest in layout, information and package design, and my training at Srishti will give me the skills to deliver this project to the satisfaction of the client. It would give me great satisfaction & joy to see my designs materialise into a finished product once the books are published and hit the stores nationally. Observation: The project seems promising and will add to my experience, knowledge and skills.