Paola Carretero Publishing Career Program J S c h o o l F UA Fall 2013/Spring 2014
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
FLAIR BOOK PROJECT
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PublishingProject The Concept Research method Book Construction Competency Launch & Promotion Critical Analysis
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
The Concept
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
The Concept
This project was based on creating a coffee table book for an Italian interior design brand, during two complete semesters of a One Year Career Program. Starting from the Fall Semester 2013, the different students, including myself, were involved in all aspects of the creation and production of the book. From the art direction, theme, it’s design and layout, text and content, and the last editorial steps to put it all together. Every single step was lead and directed by the different professors of each faculty. At the very beginning, every student was assigned to create their own proposal in each class, then the clients (owners of the shop) decided which ones they preferred the most, and following that line, the professor focused the future steps to be developed from the style selected. Everything started to take a shape in the middle of the Fall Semester, and pretty much all the standards and guides were clear by this stage, following the opinion and suggestions of the clients. In the Spring Semester 2014, things were becoming less abstract and more literal, it was all about writing the content and coming up with the visuals (taking the photographs). After this stage, everything was almost tangible; it was just a matter of placing and putting all the pieces together. Not only did we were assigned to create this book, but also every step that had to do with it’s publication. As part of the project, we had one entire class focused on PR Strategies, in which we organized an event to present the new book, which is called: FLAIR.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
The Concept
About the book & the brand Flair is an interior design store in Italy, conceived by its two owners, Franco and Alessandra Mariotti, an Italian couple that had managed to success and stand out in the world of design & beauty. This book doesn’t look to advertise, or show each of their different products, as in the sense of a Catalogue. It looks to inspire and provoque the readers, dragging them into the history and essence of this interior design brand. The following lines show the style and feeling that we want to portray in the book:
There is more than only ‘decorating’ when describing what interior design really is. Every piece of furniture is looking far beyond just making a home look pretty. It is pure art, aesthetic.
But when it comes to FLAIR, even the art of design falls short. FLAIR is a lifestyle, a form of expression. Time less, exclusive and unique. It is the choice and creation of an environment that will surround one’s aura. Classic, luxurious, exquisite... Flair opens it’s doors, inviting to explore it’s different rooms and spaces. An intimate approach and evocative experience, showcasing the intermix of vintage and contemporary styles. With the turn of a page, readers will take a journey through the history, vision and essence of something that cannot be considered a brand, but a whole world… the world of FLAIR.
For those who appreciate art and beauty, and are seeking something else, inspiration becomes tangible... and printed in 192 pages.
“Just the right amount of wrong”
“Always a little bit aged and never perfect”
“The logic of rigour in the natural application of disorder”
“The beauty in imperfection”
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
The Concept
The inspiration for this book was taken from one of the most influential magazines of the twentieth century, called “The best of Flair” by Fleur Cowless. Introduced to us by our clients, Franco and Alessandra. Published in 1950, this magazine was lauded for its sharp mix of clothes, literature, art, travel, decor, theater, and humor. This unique publication was considered “the first magazine that became an art form”. Along with this artistic magazine, different coffee table books from the fashion world like “Dior: Inspiration”, are on top of the list of favorites of our clients and were very useful as a base to understand the “line” wanted.
Inspiration
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
The Concept
WHAT THE CLIENTS WANTED
WHAT THEY DIDN’T WANT
Artistic and creative writing. Evocative and
A guide or manual about interior design and
provocative experience.
home decoration
Heavy on visuals, less text.
A source of inspiration for those who appreciate art and beauty
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Heavy on text
A company catalogue
Paola Carretero
Research method
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Traveling to the different phases, centuries, styles, trends and history, this book is the personification of a dream, the living dream that Flair, as a world, creates inside their rooms and with each one of their pieces. Mixing the details such as 17th century architecture with 1940s shapes and lines, it takes you into the very specific details of its ability and passion for interior dĂŠcor and design. Flair is the catalyst that with this book engages our five senses and takes us into a synesthetic experience.
Research Method
Architecture, fashion, photography, design, paintings, literature, history and pretty much every expression of art itself, were the base to our research experience, each one of this fields along with specific decades, styles, trends, authors, artists and cities provided by the clients that belong to their favorite inspiration list.
As one of the main purposes of the book was to draw the main sources of inspiration and therefore become one to the readers, a lot of reaserch was done and the authors had to commit deeply into it. Specific places, cultural and historical references and important events are part of the essence of the FLAIR brand, which made the research method a primordial feature to the process of creating this book. The Research method was not only based on doing several interviews to the owners and creators of the brand, but also studying the different art fields that dress up the world of FLAIR.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Book construction
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Construction
ARCHITECTURE Constructing the book was all about displaying the essence of the store. The entire architecture and composition of the book is a tangible version of what we experience when we walk through the stores of FLAIR. Techincally speaking, its dimensions are 24cm for its width and 29cm for its height, measurements that place this publication into the category of a coffee table book. For the front and back cover, they are reinforced with a 2mm cardboard panel framed just up to the spine on either side. The covers feature an attractive black linen fabric, which engages the readers in a more interactive experience portraying the style of the brand, the fabric happening to be dark with the Logo in metallic color and texture which represents definitely the preference and style of the brand. Evocative, sophisticated but still not common. The use of black and dark colors is something that this brand definitely commits to, but combining it with “natural� objects and textures, which can also be perceived in the material used for the cover.
-300gr. paper of first cover -170gr. paperweight Amounting a total of 192 pages.
- MARGINS 10 MM: TOP-BOTTOM-OUTSIDE - 15 MM INSIDE - 12 RAWS/10 COLUMNS - GUTTER 4 MM
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Construction
LAYOUT & DESIGN The color used for the publication is in a CMYK format. As said before, the black fabric for the cover is a special paper in CMYK color that combined with a metallic hot print for a dark grey effect to the title. Color Palette: The four colors used in each chapter were based on a pantone reference first selected for the primary version of the book, and then the clients chose those closer to the CMYK equivalents. Photo on one page, squared text on the other page, is the basic layout of this publication. Most of the pages feature this format, while the others don’t differ too much on the style to keep the harmony through them. Title Chapter pages comprehend a picture related to each one of them on the left page, and then on the right page the Title + the color chosen to represent it. The four colors chosen for the different chapters were: - Sea Blue-Green - Hermes Orange - Siena Yellow - Ottanio - Ottane Blue-Green
The pages through the chapters were not only composed by this “image at one page + squared paragraph at the next page” but also of quotations and two spread image pages that can be on a white or black background. Using the squared shape was not only for a text arrangement purpose, but also for the pictures, images used throughout the chapters were also placed inside this shape. Another feature used to place pictures or just a regular shape not filled with image, was the polygonal shape. This shape sticks to the geometrical and lineal style used and preferred by the clients, but it is the object that breaks the “perfection” and “order” through the whole book. Symbolizing two important statements that these clients formerly believe in and impose to their brand which are “Never perfect” and “Just the right amount of wrong”, this polygonal shape clearly acts as a graphic representation to this phrases, since its lines are not equally measured and arranged, but they work in peace with each other. Just as the pieces of a room inside this unique interior design shop.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
ColorPalette
Construction
FL AIR color palette
Pantone 7713 Ottanio - Ottane Blue- Green
Pantone 7563 Siena Yellow
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Pantone 3265 Sea Blue- Green
Pantone Orange 21 Hermès Orange
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Construction
WRITING PROCESS This project was a collective writing work done by four five different students. Not only did the five students had a different background but their styles and skills were completely different, which made it succesful to combine them all and get the best of each one for our final result. The style of the writing used for the text of this publication is creative writing, which was tought and worked during an entire semester on a class called “Creative Writing” specially dedicated to this project. Short writing was also a very important thing to stand out, since this book was meant to display more images and less text. Captivating, short, catchy phrases and captions is something that can bee seen through the whole book. Since the work was done on a group collaboration system, the writing process was done by different “teams” assigned to each chapter, captions and sections, all working inside the same drive files for the final purpose of having their own time to get inspired and work on the writing, then share it with the rest of the group. Respecting the deadlines and schedule, each author sent their files and weekly meetings were arranged for the entire group to analyse and discuss what was done. The editor was not only in charge of sending feedback notes and corrections, but also mixing the different files together and creating one final equal voice including all of them. Since five different students certainly write in their own words and style. The idea was to do a collective project in which the final result could be shown in one tone.
TEXT: FONT & STYLE Text used for the chapter titles was Verlag-Light-22. For the Italian text Apollo MT-Regular-11pt was the font used, while for the English text it’s the same, but in “Italic”. One of the main things that stand out from each chapter is not only the squared shape used to display the paragraphs but also the Big capital letter that begin each one of them which was set in Big Caslon-Medium-11pt. The same font style was used for the quotes that were accompanied by an image or simply being displayed in a whole spread layout.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Construction
MY PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION My personal contribution to this Publishing Project involved research, writing, design and management. Since the authors were divided into two different groups, my group was assigned to write Chapters 2 and 3 plus the many ideas that were inserted into the sections combined with those from my colleagues. The creation of the four Chapter titles and concepts that float through these pages were also a product of our five minds with ideas and discussion made every day since the first semester dedicated to this project. One of the individual responsabilities I had, was to create and design the layout for the entire third chapter of the book. Positioning images, combining and displaying the texts and visuals, graphic illustrations and pullout quotes, was the main task for the layout of this chapter, but following the line given by our professor and receiving constant feedback from the clients. Management was something that also became one of my biggest responsabilities during the project, not only because of managing timing and deadlines, but also the management of presenting the ideas to the clients and being part of the team in charge of the final event for the Launch of the book.
RESEARCH
The Blending Magazine, the semester publication by the Florence University of the Arts, was definitely a project that helped me to develop my skills for the final book project. On the Fall Semester 2013, I was part of the group of students involved in various steps for the construction of the Magazine, regarding theme and concept development for the main layout features, articles and of course, cover.
LAYOUT DESIGN WRITING ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT
With a whole class dedicaded to “Lifestyle Magazine”, along with my classmates, we had to participate in creating different proposals and making decisions for the layout and graphics of the magazine. The use of different Adobe programs, specially InDesign, was something that we used daily for this publication, an advantage for all the team who also worked in the layout design of the FLAIR book project. For the Blending magazine, my personal contributions involved helping with the styling and concept of the photoshoot made for the Cover of the Fall 2013 issue, writing an article featured inside of the magazine, coming up with creative concepts for graphics to represent the theme. Plus, collaborating with the management of the whole magazine itself, collecting data, contributions and planning interviews, as well as for the Spring 2014 Issue, in which I wrote one article about Sports Management, featuring one interview and introduced a new feature or “breaks” happening to be advertisements about the different schools inside the FUA insititution.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Competency
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Competency
PROGRAMS & SKILLS
During the academic year 2013/2014, the program included seven different courses that worked around this specific publishing project. These courses focused on our preparation in aspects like Writing, Marketing, Publishing, Public Relations, Computer Graphics and Photography, intensive courses that made our skills improved and cover every single step of this project. Publishing and Editing Creative Process Concept development Research Method Writing Proposals Client Interviews E-book Market iBooks Author Persuasive Method
Photography Lightning Color Management Adobe Photoshop Adobe Bridge Photo Editing Printing process Concept Development Portfolio Creation
Creative Writing Writing Short Style Adaption Collective Writing Formatting of Text Critical Thinking Creative Process Analysis
Publishing PR/ Marketing Concept and Message Market and Target Book Promotion Media and Social Networks Digital Press Kit Event Planning Publishing Policy and Law
Computer Graphics Project Research Creative Interpretation Graphic Elements Adobe Illustrator Layout Design
Professional Book Production Layout Design Content Proposal Adobe InDesign Editing Image treatment Graphic Editing
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Launch & Promotion
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
Invitations
Launch Event
For the launch event all the students from the ‘PR for the Publishing Industry’ class had to propose their own version of the invitations. The different proposals involved diverse approaches to the style, colors and line of the shop. At the end the final result was a combination of a page layout from the book and a picture of the store (also used inside the book). As we can see, the arrangement of the text is exactly the same as one of the pages inside the chapters of the book, same paragraph square style, same fonts and use of the big capital letter to begin. It was our way to stick with the FLAIR essence but also to say: “We have something new”, because this style of paragraph setting and fonts, was never used before by this company. The layout of the own invitation gives you the idea of a book because of the paragraph setting style, but you confirmed this when you actually see a page of it.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Invitations
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
Proposals
Florence University of the Arts invites you to the presentation of the
enze
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Invitations
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Launch & Promotion
Final Version
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Setting
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Launch & Promotion
The event was held in the FLAIR store inside the Palazzo Gianfigliazzi-Bonaparte at Lungarno Corsini, 24r. The store, being divided into different rooms, was a good chance for us to spread out the different copies of the book, even when the main focus was in the centre room or “sala”. The books were spread through the store like actual pieces of it, even mixed with the other coffee table books they already have in their tables and shelfs. The main room was composed with a big table in which we had the opportunity to arrange a beautiful but “never perfect” layout with lots of books. Four of them being open on each different chapter title pages, taking advantage of the “color block” style that had a lot of impact among all the dark covers layed through the table. To finalize, we added one book standing up in a crystal shelf to expose the final masterpiece with honor and respect.
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
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Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
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Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion The event service and hospitality was provided by the students from APICIUS International School of Hospitality. With the guidance of Professor Nora Trakacs in charge of the hospitality and management, and the Food service by Chef Massimo Bocus, who created a Menu with gourmet finger food dishes specially for the event. A whole program dedicated to the culinary students to be prepared for the cooking and service of this particular evening.
MENU
The guests were not only the people involve in the publication of the book, but also clients and estimated ones from the owners of the shop. Also, different faculty members of the Florence University of the Arts. The event was private and the estimated amount of guests was not higher than 50 people. The service started to provide the guests with a welcome drink and appetizer. After the toast, courses were passed through the people and glasses of champagne also. The management of this food service was exeptional, considering the event was held in an interior design store, with delicate fabrics and pieces of furniture. Schedules about organization, setting and supervision were given with planification, weeks before the event, to make sure every student and staff member covered an area to make the event as successful as possible. Taking care of the glasses, guests at the entrance, and the display of the books were the main tasks. Not only performed by the Hospitality students but also the team in charge of the whole book project, which is my group from JSchool, Publishing Program.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
The guests from FUA’s insitution were students and faculty members from APICIUS International School of Hospitality, JSchool - School of Journalism, Communication and Publishing, Palazzi Association for International Education and DIVA School of Digital Imaging and Visual Arts.
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
After interacting with the owners, guests and of course, the new books, the evening lead into gathering in the main room where the Art Director, Editor and authors of the book, gave some words about the project and personal experience through it. Thanking the different faculty members, students, clients and each other, smiles and toasts made the night end with a “high note� definitely, accompanied by the delicious desserts served after the speeches. Different copies of the book were given to every student and directors involved in the creation of the book or in a few words: every name that made it to the colophone of the final printed book. As for the public, the owners of the shop are still deciding on how are they planning to sell it.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
DIGITALIZED VERSION
For a Digitalized version of this book my proposal will be to create a very evocative and intimate space inside the website of the FLAIR brand (www.flair.it) in the home page, next to the menu options, a simple but still attractive title using the same format used in the Book cover, same colors, same style, font and giving the texture feeling applied (the hot mettalic sylver color and material), with the words The FLAIR Book, written, just as the way we presented the product in the invitation for the Event. The other menu options are written in a white color font, this one will stand out and not only let the visitors of the website know that there’s something new going on with this brand, but also it will give that feeling of wanting to see what the book is about. After clicking the “The FLAIR Book” option and entering to this new platform, visitors now will be entering to the world of FLAIR, a book will show it’s cover (digital version of the book shown in this space), and after one click readers will flip through the pages of this publication. *But an important aspect to consider is that we want to provoque the readers and make them want to see more, not only to visit the store but also to read the entire book... So this digitalized version wont show the whole book, just a few pages with the most captivating quotes, text and images, in order to seduct our public.
If choosing one place in Italy to sell the printed version of the book, I would definitely choose the GUCCI MUSEUM, located in Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy, which counts with a Library, Gift Shop and Coffee Shop, in which readers can take a book without having the commitment to buy it, sit down, open it and read it. Coffee table books are the primary selection in this Library, Fashion, Interiors, Architecture and every expression of design are the main protagonists. The FLAIR book will fit just perfect in one of these shelfs.
This Digitalized version could be accompanied by different sounds or music to create ambiance, like the ones used in the store.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Launch & Promotion
TARGET MARKET
In my opinion, analizing the content, language, cultural aspects and information given by the owners of this brand, regarding clients origins and places of interests, a good target market to sell this publication would be, starting from America: In the United States: New York of course, since one of the stores is placed there and it surely counts with a wide public who share this interest for art, fashion and interior design; Central America: countries like Panama, Colombia, and in South America: Brazil, these are all countries with cities that share a passion for the European culture and beauty, and that are always seeking for international sources of inspiration. When it comes to Panama City, Panama, the audience of this sector loves and admires not only the European culture but mostly, Italian, people involved in the world of arts, feel a strong attraction to anything that comes from Italy, there has always been this huge fascination with the Italian culture that at times even transforms in imitation. Moving to Europe: countries like France, Russia, Turkey, Italy, places where a big amount of clients of FLAIR ome from, as the owners have told us, and not only clients but pieces of the store. The use of natural materials and sculptures is something that this store is known for and this is a factor that makes the Asian culture a perfect target for this book to be sold. Countries like: China, specially Hong Kong, has a big amount of people passionate for style and luxury; India and Indonesia, places with an exotic look and desire, precious and unique trends that go along with this stores’ style and can be of huge interest to the high class society in these countries. And to close the list, Dubai, synonym for luxury. Being 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East, there’s no doubt that Dubai would be a perfect target for this type of publication.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Critical Analysis
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
PROJECT 1 FLAIR BOOK
Critical Analysis
The project commited and achieved the expectating time of preparation and launch. The group work and collaboration went along very well and communication was effective. Relationship with outside students from other faculties was also succesful, there were no issues with transmiting information or keeping up with concept development and changes. Clients were always open to interviews, questions, giving feedback and providing extra information Art Director and Editor of the project did a remarkable job on guiding the whole team on the right direction and keeping a constant communication with the clients, something that therefore was transmited to the students. Clients ended up very content with the final result or printed version of the publication, as well as the whole team.
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero
Thank you
Publishing Career Program | J S c h o o l F UA | Fall 2013/Spring 2014
Paola Carretero