Design Process: The Journey of the Untextbook by Nitisha Mohapatra

The Journey of the Untextbook By Nitisha Mohapatra

Contents The Un-textbook ......................................................................................................................5 The Design Process .................................................................................................................6 Meet ..............................................................................................................................................8 Research ....................................................................................................................................10 Target Audience........................................................................................................12 School visits ...............................................................................................................16 Stages of Growth in 6-8 year-olds ....................................................................26 The world of books .................................................................................................28 Features of the Un-textbook ..............................................................................37 Content ........................................................................................................................38 Conditions and Constraints of Textbook Production ..............................................42 Production ................................................................................................................................46 Think Ideate Finalize ............................................................................................................52 Printing Pricing Marketing ..............................................................................................112 Final Thoughts ......................................................................................................................116 Bibliography...........................................................................................................................119

The Un-textbook The English Un-textbook for Early Learners, was designed by Nitisha Mohapatra as part of the Undergraduate Professional Diploma Program for the academic year 2015 under the project Untextbook. Students in this project worked in collaboration with Katha, a non-profit organization and publishing house, to pitch ideas to the Central Board of Secondary Education for a friendly new English textbook. Over the course of the Un-textbook project, students developed individual design concepts and ideas based on the content provided by Katha. The project was carried forward based on the feedback that the students received from Katha and in-house design specialists. This book focuses on the design process that Nitisha underwent to create the Untextbook.

sketch

research

Brainstorm ideas for each chapter and make rough sketches

use the internet, journals, books etc. Visit schools to observe, collect, collate and analyze information. Research on the content, font & layout.

grid meet

Create a grid for the textbook. While ideating, take the grid and margins into consideration. Keep a holistic view of a textbook in mind.

Meet Katha and discuss the design brief and othter requirements

ideate

The Design Process 8

Ideate, seek constant feedback and slowly move to finalization

refine Make the needed changes based on feedback recieved.

feedback

deliver

present the textbook explaining the rationale behind each concept and why it is relevant. Recieve feedback.

deliver the files the katha

finalize finalize on the illustrations and layouts. Move towards designing the textbook

present present the final outcome explaining the rationale behind each concept and why it is relevant

meet

The Design Brief PREMISE There seems to be no joy in learning from an English textbook; hence, it is hard to get children to read, comprehend and appreciate literature even at an early learning stage. Most main stream English textbooks in the India are dull; they lack creativity and are aesthetically unpleasing. Hence, children prefer story books and picture books over textbooks. Unfortunately, in a country like India, most children in main stream CBSE schools have little or no access to story books or picture books. Educators and learning experts suggest that if the child crosses that age without having that requirement met, it would be well nigh impossible to breach that gap created by that unmet need. OBJECTIVE Katha and Srishti have taken the initiative to transform the English textbooks in

terms of its content and visuals, making the textbook come alive and communicate to children at a personal level; making the textbooks work as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;un-textbook. The aim of this project is to design the English textbooks for grades 1 and 2 in such a way that it helps in the cognitive growth and development of early learners. The textbook must nurture the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination and challenge them to think critically, thus it neccessitates that the textbook be relevant and sensitiv in a memorable manner. SCOPE The scope of this project includes redesigning the English textbook for grades 1 & 2 for the CBSE curriculum. The textbook will also be sold in retail outlets accross India. The task is to help early learners appreciate art and literature from India and around the world.

research

The Plan and Purpose My research consisted of a systematic study of the world around textbooks, specifically English textbooks. Once I decided to pick the target audience (Grade 1-2, 6-8 year-olds) for my textbook, I began to look through story books, picture books, textbooks and visuals styles that are relevant for this age group. My preliminary research began with visiting schools. The aim was to collect information, establish facts and reach new conclusions. In order to back up my argument, my secondary research began with the study on the cognitive growth and development of 6-8 year-olds. Soon after that I began to conduct my research on the written content that was provided by Katha, for the textbooks. The content research helped me generate a visual style that is relevant and attractive to early learners.

Since the Un-textbook is to be published and adopted by CBSE, I felt the need to study the process of publication. And this was how i learnt about the conditions and constraints on textbook productionfinancial resources, publishing, printing, pricing, distribution and marketing. Hence, I followed a systematic process of gathering information, channelling it and drawing insights in order to come up with a visual style that will suit the content and target audience.

target audience. 14

Choosing a Target Audience After studying the English textbooks that CBSE schools in India follow, I decided to pick grades 1-2 to be the target audience, specifically because there seems to be a greater need for exciting content and creative design solutions to draw 6-8 year olds to study and appreciate literature. Hence, as a designer, this is an ideal age group to work with since I would be able to showcase my skills and creativity as a visual communicator and illustrator.

visually attractive and fun to read so that they grow into passionate learners and creative thinkers. Diversity in the content will offer a different perspective and will teach 6-8 year olds how to appreciate art and literature, not just from India but from around the world as well.

I feel more connected to this age group because it was at the age of 6 that I developed the habit of reading. Textbooks have never been friendly in the Indian Education system, especially for the early learners. The main aim of introducing a reformed textbook was to bring the textbook alive with visuals, colours, typography and layout. It is important for early learners to study what is relevant,

grades 1-2 early learners

They are shaped by their surroundings (factors that influence them are: family, friends, technology, games/ sports, language, books, culture and traditions). They may seek independence sometimes but they still need approval, love and support from their loved ones.

They are curious; they learn to negotiate and make logical groupings. They reason logically and they sometimes have a problem changing their mind

They like building new relationships and making new friends. They spend more time with friends and turn to them for help. And slowly their “me” turns into a “we”

They describe themselves based on academic, social and athletic achievements. They compare themselves with others but they do understand their strengths and limitations

They prefer same gender friendships

They possess the ability to learn as many as 20 new words daily

they like reading and listening to stories; they think for themselves and develop individual opinions. they compare things in the story to personal experiences.

most develop an increased attention span at this age.

school visits. 18

School visits For my preliminary research, I wanted to visit schools that follow the CBSE curriculum. The aim was to be sensitive to the expectations that teachers and early learners have from a textbook. At a personal level, I wanted to experience and analyse the English textbook through the eyes of a child in a classroom setting; I believe that being in such a position would help me come up with sensitive design solutions for the Un-textbook. Though it would have been ideal to experience and study English textbooks at different schools, I was fortunate enough to visit one school because of the lack of time. Hence I got the opportunity to spend two days at Ashok International Public School. Ashok International Public School (AIPS) is a secondary school located in Jalahalli West, Bangalore. The school is owned and supported privately by the Ashok group of Institutions. The vision of this institution is to bring academically excellent and

globally competent individuals into the world. Children from all walks of life attend this school. Being a small public school, the school might not be popular in Bangalore city but it is well known in the area where it is located. I got the opportunity to spend two days making observations, taking notes, meeting teachers and interacting with students. The infrastructure of the school seemed very basic. They had everything that a small public school needs. However, there was something exceptionally interesting about the school playground. The playground full of equipments that demonstrate applied physics. Amused, I watched children play around with the equipments; none of the children read the information panel that explains the physics behind the motion but I realised that learning through experimenting and experiencing is a lesson well taught.

I decided to visit the school library to get an idea of the kind of books that students read (especially 1-2 graders). The library at AIPS was a dull space. Except for the magazines and newspapers, most of the books were locked up in steel almirahs. When I asked the librarian to show me the books they have for grades 1 and 2, I saw more of textbooks and exercise books than story books. This showed how limited the options were. In general, the library had a poor collection of books.

At the AIPS, I was greatful to be allowed to sit amongst the 1st and 2nd graders during their English classes. I sat at the back of the class and took notes on what I observed.

Observations GRADE 1: • Over excited and inquisitive children. • They get distracted easily and have trouble focusing if they are disinterested in what is being taught • They seek attention. • Like being challenged. • Love animated objects in books, specially talking animals. • Teachers emphasize on reading. They ask the students to constantly follow what is being read in class. • The teacher reads the stories out first, then makes students act out the story, then move on to the assignments and the exercises. • There is a lot of emphasis on good handwriting and memorization • Students are taught how to connect

things in order to remember things. • 1st graders are sharp and expressive in the way they talk. • Sadly, none of them seem to have access to story books. • There is a lot of emphasis on interacting with the book, peers and teachers. GRADE 2: • Calmer, better behaved than grade 1. • Boys and girls sit separate. • Grades begin to matter • Emphasis on spellings and vocab. • The teacher reads the stories out first, then makes students act out the story, then move on to the assignments and the exercises. • None of them seem to have full access to story books. • They make the effort to speak in English, though most of them still can’t frame sentences properly After carrying out silent observations in grade 1-2, the teacher gave me the time to

interact with students. I decided to slip into a casual conversation and gradually move on to interview children.

Interview Questions FOR CHILDREN 1. What excites you about school? 2. Where are you from and what language do you speak at home? 3. What is your favorite subject? Why? 4. What do you like watching on TV (cartoons, tv shows, movies etc.)? 5. Do you listen to music? What kind of music do you listen to? 6. What games do you play? Do you play video games or do you go out and play? 7. Who is your favorite cartoon character? 8. What do you do in your art and crafts classes? What do like to make? 9. Which is your favorite story book and why? Does anyone read stories to you?

10. Who helps you with your homework? 11. Hoe often do you go to the library? Do you go there apart from your library period? 12. Do you like your English textbook? What do you like or dislike about your English textbook? FOR TEACHERS (IF THERE IS A NEED) 1. What grades and what subjects do you teach? 2. Does the number of students in a class affect the quality of teaching? 3. As a teacher, what are you most passionate about? 4. What kind of teaching methods do you follow? Do you stick to what is in the book or do you come up with innovative methods to help the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs? 5. What sort of visual aids do you use for the students? 6. Do you allow your students to look beyond what is in the text and illustrations? How do you engage the students?

7. What ethnographic background do your students come from? Do you think you attend to all of their learning needs? 8. How do you encourage your students to read? 9. Do you spend time analysing the content in a textbook with your students? Photographs, illustrations, text etc. 10. What kind of books do you see your students read these days? 11. What do you remember about your school textbooks? Is there anything that stood out from Â the textbooks you followed? 12. Do you feel a sense of nostalgia when you look at textbooks now and remember your time at school? 13. What do you think an ideal textbook should look like? What would you as a teacher like to see in a textbook and what do you think your students would like to see in their textbook?

The Interviews I began with grade 1 first. The interviews did not go as planned. I began my interviews with a casual conversation to make the students feel comfortable. While speaking to the children, I noticed that most of the students were struggling to form sentences in English. They came up with the words but could not form sentences. I was struggling to get legitimate responses from the students. But I still tried. The teacher explained to me that most of the children come from homes where English is never spoken; a few of the children in class were taken in because of the Right to Education Act. These children were very different from the children at an international school or a well-known public school. That is when I realized that the persona of my target audience needs to be taken into consideration. Since I was unable to receive qualitative information, I decided to conduct a

question and answer session with the entire class. I asked the interview questions and called upon students who raised their hands, to answer. However, the responses were similar because students kept repeating responses they had heard from their peers; there was nothing unusual. And hence, I had to rely on the interviews I conducted with teachers. The teachers for grades 1-2 sounded apprehensive about the number of children they have to teach in a short time. Unlike other International schools where the number of students in each class is restricted to 20, this school does not pay much attention to the strength of the classes. There are around 35-40 children in a class and it is impossible for a teacher to pay attention to each child. The teachers concluded that there is no scope for collaborative or need based learning in small schools. Since the textbooks are not child friendly, there is a growing need for a teacher to teach students everything but not entertain questions and concerns. Children at this age lose interest in

things very fast and so it is important for textbooks to attract attention and make learning in schools fun. ACTIVITY When I reached Grade 2, I decided to do things differently. I gave them a small task: the task was to “look at a few books from the library, tell me what you like and dislike about the book/stories and then close the books and draw what you remember from the books.” The aim was to analyze the way children from this specific age group think, remember and respond to visuals. Through this activity I gathered that: • Children were more inquisitive when it came to brighter images • They like books with big fonts. • When asked to read the stories they were able to read but were not able to comprehend what they were reading. • When it came to drawing, most children drew their favorite cartoon characters. Some drew what they remember from their art books and

others drew what they could. Keeping all this in mind, here are a couple of the drawings that the students worked on. I had trouble getting answers out of the students at AIPS but I was particularly happy that I got the opportunity to sit and interact with teachers and students in the class room.

It would have been ideal for me to visit other public and private schools to gain a different perspective on things but due to the lack of time, I was not able to organize any more field visits. I decided to make do with the information that I had received until now and began to use books and the internet as the source for information. The education sector in India is vast and there are a million public and private schools that have adopted the CBSE curriculum. Every school is different and every school has a unique student body. Designing a textbook for a large target audience is quite a tricky job. Hence, began my rigorous study of textbooks and the cognitive growth and development of 6-8 year-olds.

Stages of growth in 6-8 year-olds According to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Future School Strategies in the Classroomâ&#x20AC;? handbook, 6-8 year-olds undergo growth and development in different areas. Hence educators and learning experts suggest that 6-8 year-olds need time, perseverance and space. Educators and learning specialists also say that if we know the capabilities of a child and yet do nothing about it, then we are creating a huge gap in the cognitive growth and development of the child. If the child crosses of age without having satisfied that need it would never be possible to obtain that need in its fullness.

personal, emotional, social growth and development

physical growth and development

language growth and development intellectual growth and development growth and development of aesthetic appreciation and value

the world of books. 30

storybooks A story book is a book containing a story or collection of stories intended for children. Storybooks meant for reading; they may or may not have illustrations that support the text. The text, to varying degrees, is essential to the enjoyment and understanding of the story

picture books A picture book is a book that tells a story solely through illustrations and very little text; they are meant for 3-8 year olds.

textbooks A textbook on the other hand, is a collection of knowledge, concepts and principles of a selected topic or course. It provides organized units of work and gives coherence to things taught in a classroom. It is an important tool wielded by a teacher. But a textbook is only as good as a teacher using it. It is one of the many tools in a teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arsenal. A good textbook gives

wings to a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination and arouses his/her curiosity to know more. It is effective if it opens new vistas of learning and expands the horizon of things academic.

Story books and Picture books As a class, we looked at a couple of story books and discussed what we liked and disliked about the books. This was a good time for each one of us to share what kind of books we liked when we were children and why. During this session, I took notes on the books for reference sake. I found these books evocative, not just in terms of the content but also the concept, the visual language and the form. Each of these books were highly evocative. They had a well defined story line. The books had beautiful illustrations that were open to the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination. The use of various mediums to created a positive impact on the aesthetic look and feel of the book. In most of the books, it felt as if the illustrations get you to read the book and I feel that that is exactly what I would like to do when I work on the visual language for the textbook.

Textbooks I visited a school library to look at the CBSE textbooks for grades 1 &2. I browsed through the textbooks to look at the content, context, layout, illustrations and overall aesthetics. I found that most of the illustrations were emotionless and static in nature. The illustrations lacked perspective and creativity, offering no scope for the child to think beyond. The content lacked purpose and value. Overall, the textbooks were dull and unattractive; which is not a very good thing for children.

While looking at various textbooks, I came across the XSEED textbooks. I found that the XSEED curriculum is known to raise student and teacher performances by offering a complete academic solution for schools. XSEED empowers children to learn and gain confidence by asking questions. Looking at the unique illustrations, the bright colours, the big and friendly font sizes, and the great paper quality, you can tell that these books have been designed to attract and capture young minds. Hence the XSEED books stood out as an ideal textbook for 6-8 year olds.

It was then that I remembered the Oxford University Press textbooks that I had seen a couple of years ago. The New Mulberry English Course book for grade 4 quotes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The lessons have been carefully conceived to develop the communication and critical thinking abilities of learners and to give them the essential skills for their ethical and emotional development. In addition, a wide range of exercises, based on multiple intelligences and different learning styles, allow learners to explore their individual interests and abilities.â&#x20AC;? The aesthetics of the book are impeccable. The vibrant colours, great paper quality and the diversity in the content give the book a charm of its own

the untextbook is different! It is full of poems and stories from around the world It is fresh It is colourful It is fun It is encouraging It will make you think It will make you talk And it will help you grow to love the English language

Features of the Un-textbook The illustrations in the un-textbook need to capture the Ahh! Factor; every page should to have a new burst of energy. The illustrations should include a broad range of characters in a natural manner; children with learning disabilities, children with glasses, children with hearing aids, children who are handicapped etc. The characters must portray positive traits. For example: no unhealthy posture. The un-textbook should break stereotypes; a mother should not always be seen in the kitchen, a father should not always be seen working etc. The layout should be flexible. The untextbook should have large margins for breathing space and for notes; large, complex sentences/paragraphs should be broken down so that it is easy for a child to read.

attention; the text should look friendly and interesting; big titles and word play will be fun and attractive; the font size for the text should suit the age group. The un-textbook should bring in the element of surprise so that children are given the freedom to think and allow their imagination to go wild. They say that one should not judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to children, that phrase does not hold good. Children judge a book by the cover. Hence there is a need for aesthetically appealing textbooks. Learning needs to be fun even when a teacher is not around. And most importantly, the un-textbook should differentiate itself from storybooks and picture books.

Typography must be given special

content. 40

The Content Since the content for the book was provided by Katha, the Un-textbook is a conscious and well balanced compilation of short stories and poems. Over the past twenty years, Katha has been working with children, parents, educators and learning specialists to generate relevant and sensitive content for children’s books, effectively resulting in high performance, attendance and retention rates. Katha’s mission is to “enhance the joys of reading for children, thereby helping every child realize his or her full potential.” Keeping that in mind, Katha believes in producing books that celebrate cultural diversity.

CONTENT FOR THE UN-TEXTBOOK Train in the Rain (Poem) Baarish Ayii (Poem) The Dinosaur (Short Story) I’m Ki’s Dog (Poem) Big Whale (Poem) Moon (Poem) Once I saw a Baby Moon (Poem) My Magic Pot (Short Story) Clouds (Poem) Morning wind (Poem) Who has seen the wind (Poem) Uphill Climb (Poem) Downhill Racer (Poem) A Hobu Repays a Kindness (Short Story)

The Untextbook has been sensitively designed to meet the needs of an early learner. It consists of stories and poems from around the world that are empowering, engaging and fun.

The research and analysis for each and every chapter for the un-textbook was documented on huge sheets of paper in order to showcase the systematic study of content. This was done to help generate concepts and ideas that are contextually and visually accurate for the written work. Given below are a couple of points that helped me come up with concepts: • Author/Poet’s profile • Plot and Theme • Context in which it was written • How does the context influence the work • Author/poet’s perspective • Student’s perspective • Teacher’s perspective • Mood of the story/poem • Visual elements that support the mood • Learning outcomes Here is an example of the content research done on Roger McGough’s poem, Uphill Climb.

While brainstorming concepts for each chapter, I had to be mindful of Kathaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision and what was expected of the untextbook. Content research works best when the purpose is to gain insight into a precise and focused topic. And given the contextual background of each written piece, I had to look at ways to make each chapter fresh, colourful, fun, encouraging and academically beneficial.

conditions and constraints of textbook production. 44

When designing a textbook it is important to understand the conditions and constraints of textbook production. I stumbled upon an article that explained everything there is to bringing out a textbook. “The Elaboration of School Textbooks” by Roger Seguin from the Division of Education Sciences, Contents and Methods of Education, UNESCO. I found this article very helpful while producing the Un-textbook. Here is a brief on the topics that I found most helpful while working on the Un-textbookThe world of textbooks is vast and the production and distribution of school textbooks is a huge investment. The conditions and constraints of textbook production depend on the need for the textbook, financial resources, publishing, printing, distribution, circulation and marketing. NEED FOR THE UN-TEXTBOOK There is always a need for good textbooks: Surveys that have been conducted over the

years have suggested that there is a need for textbooks to be studied in depth and that are sensitive and relevant to the age group for which it has been designed for. NEED FOR FINANCIAL RESOURCES Drafting manuscripts, publishing, printing and distribution require a lot of time and effort. According to UNESCO, it does not end here; “financial resources must be anticipated and guaranteed if there is to be continuity of production. Continuity can be ensured either by selling books at a price families can afford, or by allocating a budget which will cover the difference resulting from a retail price lower than production cost.” Given that India is a developing country when it comes to education, free distribution of textbooks is only possible when a stable state budget is sufficient to cover the costs, hence this needs to be thought through during the production, printing and marketing of the book.

PUBLISHING Publishing a school textbook is a complex affair with many modalities to consider. This includes examination of the visual graphic and material aspects since the composition of the text should impact positively on the various processes of reading, visual perception and memorization. During the publishing phase, the most important decisions like planning, coordination and control of different stages of production take place. Given that this is a textbook, the choice of illustrations should not just depend on aesthetics and there has to be a balance of text and image because the aim of a textbook isn’t to show pretty pictures; it is to teach, educate and inform. Illustrations in a textbook have precise objectives which differ from illustrations found in a picture book or story book. Roger Seguin’s article explains the aim of textbook illustrations in a precise manner- “Illustrations for school books assume varied appearances, techniques and styles (photos, drawings, diagrammed

etc) which, by virtue of their tangible, realistic nature, contrast the abstraction of prose. Illustrations are useful in parts of a text giving information about items or events which are not encountered in the pupils’ daily life or in the school setting, the region or even the country. They show the pupil more evocative and more accurate representations of the outside world, human life, geographical environments and landscapes with which he is unfamiliar.” Hence illustrations must be clear, accurate, evocative and must have a positive impact on a children. It is during the publishing process that the shape of the book, the cover and various other sections are decided. The format or size of the textbook should be practical for mass printing and easy for students to handle. Which means that even though it is ideal for textbooks to be hard-bound it is not practical is hard bound books are expensive to produce and heavy for children to carry.

production

Production covers copy editing, design, layout, printing and or e-book coding of the finished textbook. The book production process officially started when Katha delivered the edited book manuscript along with the pagination. We decided that since the un-textbook will be mass produced, in order to simplify printing, the book should be A4 in size. After the size of the book was established, the design of the book followed; first on the list was figuring out the margins/grid and then was the font. After that was done, I was able begin sketching and ideating for each chapter.

pagination

illustrations

fonts

layout

Pagination

Fonts

The pagination of a book indicates the sequence of the book and the pages or space assigned to illustrations. The pagination for the un-textbook was first decided by Katha but once I was familiar with the content for the book, I pitched my ideas to change the sequence of chapters in the un-textbook. As things progressed, I was given the freedom to do so. I made a dummy book and finalized on the number of pages and the sequence for the Untextbook.

As a class, we combined a document consisting of font options for the textbooks from grades 1-8. Fonts were recommended to Katha based on the research done on fonts for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books. Our research suggested that when selecting a typeface for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s text, it was important to look for a warm, friendly design with simple, generous letter shapes.

Layout The layout and font were both collectively decided in the classroom. When it came to layout, there were a two things that came to mind, based on the research: Flexibility, since the book must look dynamic Large margin space, so that there is space for doodles and notes.

For young readers we recommended: Sassoon Primary Gill Sans Infant Bembo Infant Plantin Infant Tusar Deco Burbank Infant letters Out of this, Sassoon Primary, Burbank and Infant letters were chosen for the Untextbook.

Here is what helped us select our font: • Avoid non-traditional letterforms. • The counters (the enclosed shapes within characters) should be rounded and open, not angular or rectangular. • Select typefaces with large x-heights since they are generally easier to read than those with short x-heights. • If possible, select fonts with one-story ‘a’s and ‘g’s since children learn to write this ‘a’ and ‘g’ when they write alphabets. • Select either a sans or serif designs to avoid any extremes that could impair read¬ability. For example: NO condensed or expanded typefaces, which make character recognition more difficult. Select a book or medium weight; stay away from hairline or very bold weights. Italics should be easyto-read and not overly condensed or stylized. • The type for headings and titles could

be made playful in style, colour and layout since there are a few words to read. Decorated typestyles, lots of color, and curved and jumping baselines can all be used to attract and entertain young readers. Keeping it light and fun is the key to keeping a young reader interested and turning pages.

Infant letters These are customised letterforms used mainly for headlines and Titles. Our recommendation was to use this font style for some of the Headings and Titles for Grades 1 and 2. Instead of using infant letters for the entire title, I decided to make one letter in the title standout using an infant letter.

Burbank Burbank, designed by Tal Leming, comes accross as a font that is modern, heavy and playful. The final family is a coordinated collection of 20 fonts, to handle tasks from big to small, wide to condensed, light to

black and countless styles in between. Burbank is ready for anything from hyperbolic headlines on outdoor billboards and in major magazines to miniscule matters in tiny classified advertisements to textbooks and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books. Hence this font was used for the titles in the Un-textbook.

Sassoon Primary Sassoon Primary was designed in 1995 by Rosemary Sassoon. Rosemary Sassoon, a designer for many years, has been mainly concerned with letterforms. Additionally she specialised in the educational and medical aspects of handwriting. After discovering that no one had found out what kind of letterforms children found easiest to read, she spent two years of research on the subject before designing the original Sassoon Primary typeface. Sassoon Primary has been used worldwide for the teaching of phonics, reading and handwriting. The forms have soft, round forms which give text an almost

BURBANK BIG REGULAR (BOLD) Burbank Big Regular (Bold) burbank big regular (bold)

SASSOON PRIMARY Sassoon Primary Sassoon Primary

ornamental character. Based on the research done on fonts, I chose Sassoon Primary to be the font used for body copy.

think ideate finalize. 54

I start drawing, and eventually the characters involve themselves in a situation. Then in the end, I go back and try to cut out most of the preachments. - Dr. Seuss During the course of this project, I maintained a visual journal that expressed my entire thought process. It consisted of a bundle of things that helped me generate ideas. My personal thoughts on content and sketches are all recorded in this journal. Once the size of the book, the pagination and layout was decided, I began to visually brainstorm ideas for the illustration. I picked the poems and short stories that I liked the most and worked my way through. I worked on character sketches and thumbnail sketches first. Once I felt that I had come up with promising ideas, I began to create multiple sketches for each promising idea. I began to explore various visual style for each illustration. Once the concept and style was approved, I began to finalise on the illustration.

The Dinosaur by Augusto Monterroso

When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there. SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread (could make more, if the concept for the illustration is approved) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Augusto Monterroso Born on December 21, 1921, Guatemalan writer (Spanish) He created a sub-genre known as “the ministory” LITERARY MOVEMENT: Boom Generation, Latin American Literature Magical Realism: chiefly Latin-American narrative strategy that is characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements into seemingly realistic fiction; hence presenting the extraordinary as everyday occurrences. Some scholars

have posited that magic realism is a natural outcome of postcolonial writing, which must make sense of at least two separate realities—the reality of the conquerors as well as that of the conquered. Prominent among the Latin-American magic realists are the Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Brazilian Jorge Amado, the Argentines Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortazar, and the Chilean Isabel Allende. LEARNING OUTCOMES Encourages children to develop their own interpretation of the text; children will emerge as creative and independent thinkers, They will learn to articulate since they will come up with stories of their own. Hopefully they will turn into good analysers of the text and illustration MOOD Suspense Element of wonder, curiosity Excitement/fear (depends on the dinosaur, lighting of the room, the expression on the

boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face) SETTING Guatemala, anywhere VISUAL ELEMENTS: Little boy: 6-8years old Dinosaur: size, shape, colour. No clue as to where the little boy and the dinosaur are; open to interpretations. Developing the character of the dinosaur required time, patience and character building skills. I used the character of well known dinosaurs as references for the character of the dinosaur in the Untextbook.

Character sketches

I decided to use features of a herbivores dinosaurs to suggest that the dinosaur is friendly. The features of a herbivores dinosaur include: long neck (for some), 4 legs, horns, bony frills, plates/spikes/ clubs, long tail. I wanted the dinosaur to be green in colour because most children are familiar with friendly dinosaurs that are green in colour. Also, the dinosaur in the grade 3 un-textbook is green and I wanted to maintain that consistency.

For the character of the little boy, I decided to go with a child of any nationality since the story does not suggest anything. I brainstormed ideas for the features of the boy and decided to sketch in order to come up with a character that is promising.

Initial sketches

I wanted to move towards finalizing the above illustration but the feedback I received from peers and faculty suggested that the surprise factor in the illustration was not convincing enough and the shadow of the dinosaur might scare children. That is when I came up with the following concept. I broke the illustration down into two parts so that it captured

the sense of excitement and surprise well, making the act of turning the page fun. The opening page would have “when he woke up,” and the next page would open into a double page spread with a huge dinosaur and the text saying “the dinosaur was still there.” The illustration that follows the thumbnail on the next page gained approvals. 63

I’m Ki’s Dog I am Ki’s dog. This is my daily diary 6:00 am: Morning walk. I love it! 7:00 am –Get ready for school with Ki! I love it! 8:00 am –Mmmmm … FoodI love it! 9:00 am – A snooze! I love it! 12:00 am - Got rubbed and petted! I love it! 12:30 pm - Milk bones! I love it! 1:00 pm - Played with Ki! I love it! 3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! I love it! 5:00 pm - Got to play ball! I love it! 7:00 pm - Dinner! I love it! 8:00 pm –heard story with Ki! I love it! 11:00 pm - Sleeping on my bed! I love it!

SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread OBJECTIVE This lesson is introducing the child to the idea of making a list, or introducing him/ her to the sequence of things. This is one of the first lessons of planning, a life skill that the children comes in handy, no matter what profession you choose to go in. The illustrations could either capture the idea of discipline or the fun that may come along with discipline. CHARACTER The name Ki suggests that the dog’s owner is Korean. The dog could be of any breed. Could be a retriever, a maltese, a cocker spaniel, a husky, a beagle or could also be a street dog.

Ideation

The aim of the illustration on the right was to capture the aspect of fun. This illustration alone shows determination and discipline. The fact that the illustration does not reveal the breed of the dog and the background of the dog is acceptable because some things should be left to the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination. I did not want to illustrate each action described in the text because it leaves no scope for imagination. I felt that this was a promising illustration for this chapter.

The Final Illustration

Big Whale Maori BIG, big whale Long, long whale Very fat whale! Whale flick your tail! Whale spout your water! Whale swim under the sea!! SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread POEM BY: The Maori CONTEXT “Maori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. On the basis of oral records, archaeological finds and genetic analyses, historical treatises place the arrival of Maori in New Zealand in the thirteenth century AD. The origin of Maori has been reliably traced to the islands of Eastern Polynesia, and their journey to New Zealand occurred in a number of epic waka (canoe) voyages over a significant

period of time. These journeys established Maori as daring and resourceful adventurers, and as one of the greatest navigating peoples of all time.” Maoris share an interesting relationship with whales. whales are considered sacred and are also believed to be the descendants of Tangaroa (the God of the ocean). The Maoris were dependent on whales to lead them to their settlements. VISUAL ELEMENTS The chances of seeing a big, fat, friendly whale are thin. So what should the big fat friendly whale look like? What should it be doing? The illustration for this piece must capture the whale’s spirit. There are a couple of words in the poem that might be hard for a child. Words like “spout” or “flick.” It is essential to use visual cues to communicate the meaning of these words.

In my sketches I wished to communicate the enormity and spirit of the whale. I worked towards making the visual style reflect the whale in action. I wanted words like “spout” and “flick” to be illustrated in order to creatively represent words that are hard to understand. Hence the final illustration had all of the above features.

Final illustrations

Moon

Chanda Mama, round and fat, Tell me how you manage that Small to BIG to BIG! you grow What’s your secret? Let me know! You only come when it is night, With lots of stars to make it bright, When it’s day why don’t you glow? Chanda Mama — where do you go?

Once I Saw a Baby Moon

Once I saw a baby moon Come peeping at my door It smiled a smile at me and said, ‘Can I sit on your floor?’ ‘Please come; I said to baby moon That peeped in at my door She turned and brought her friend the Wind Who came in with a roar! Soon Dada came. And Nani, too To see who slammed the door. They stayed to play with moon and me And the wind that had the roar.

SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread each. OBJECTIVE Capturing the moment when a child looks at the moon. What comes to a child’s mind? What does the child do? What questions does the child have? How do adults respond to those questions?

Based on those questions, create a scenario that every child can relate to. Capture the essence of the moon; the moonlight reflecting on the landscape might be a promising concept.

Initial Sketches

Instead of working on two separate illustrations that would be facing each other on a two page spread, I decided to work on a single illustration that would accommodate both poems. The previous illustration almost looks like a site map; the reflection of the moon on a landscape offers a unique perspective to the readers. The interaction between the text and image gives the spread a well-balanced and complete look. I was hoping that this illustration could be finalized. However, the feedback I received, suggested otherwise. Though the illustration is a great one, I realized that comprehending the complex idea behind it might be difficult for a 6-8 year-old. Hence I decided to revisit my initial sketches and develop two separate illustrations for the poems. This meant that I had to do something to prevent the illustrations from contradicting each other on a double page spread. I decided to increase the number of pages dedicated to the two chapters.

Final illustrations

I worked on the above illustration still hoping that it would accommodate both the “moon” chapters on a double page spread. However, once the layout

was done, the illustration began to look overwhelming and didn’t do justice to both the poems. Hence, the two chapters were split and given a double page spread each.

The good part is that the final illustrations capture the essence of the moon; the concept of the moonlight reflecting on a surface was well accomplished. The

thought and effort that went into creating a setting for both the poems was extremely effective.

Clouds By Aileen Fisher

Wonder where they come from? Wonder where they go? Wonder why they’re sometimes hanging high And sometimes hanging low? Wonder what they’re made of, And if they weigh a lot? Wonder if the sky feels bare up there When clouds are not? SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aileen Lucia Fisher was a well-known American writer known for her children’s books; including picture books, poetry, prose, biographies, bible themed books, plays and articles for magazines and journals. Fisher’s poems for children are stuffed with curiosity and love for the workings of the natural world. In a review of Runny Days, Sunny Days

(1958), New York Times reviewer Anzia Yezierska proclaimed that Fisher “lights the commonplace moment with wonder.” Fisher once said “Poetry is a rhythmical piece of writing that leaves the reader feeling that life is a little richer than before, a little more full of wonder, beauty, or just plain delight.” Her poems have been anthologized many times and are frequently used in textbooks. OBJECTIVE This is a beautiful poem that encourages children not just to answer questions, but to question answers. It also infers to the notion that there are no right answers. The poem is full of questions that I pondered upon when I was a child. Hence, this poem inspired me to create something personal. The poem evokes a certain feeling that would encourage children to experience nature. And I would like to do the same though the illustration of the clouds touching the mountain side.

Aileen Fisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Books

Initial sketches

Final Illustration

Who Has Seen the Wind By Christina Rosetti

Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling The wind is passing thro’. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads The wind is passing by.

SPECIFICATIONS: 2 page spread accomodating both poems. ABOUT THE POETS: Christina Rossetti is one of the most important female writers of the 19th century and is remembered for her “acerbic love poetry, vivacious ballads and nursery rhymes.” Abhi Subedi is a Nepali

Morning Wind By Abhi N Subedi

Morning wind Where do you come from? How long was the night You had to cross To reach my dooryard?

poet, playwright, linguist, translator and critic, who writes in Nepali and English. Both Rossetti and Subedi’s poem on the “wind” are marked by symbolism and intense feeling. The wind is personified in a beautiful way in these poems and the illustration must reflect the wind’s emotions.

Initial sketches

Train in the Rain

Barish Ayii

ChukChukChukChuk Sings the train, RhimJhimRhimJhim Sings the rain, ChalaChalaShalaShala Sing the trees, Shooo…Whooooo… Sings the breeze. ChukChukChukChuk Sings the train, I’m so happy in the rain!

Rain comes pouring chham chham chham Chhata and me go jham-jham-jham! Whoosh! I slip and swoosh! I go! Chhata flies! With me below!

SPECIFICATION: 2 page spread each

because most of the words and phrases are familiar.

ABOUT THE POEM “Train in the Rain” and “Barish ayii,” written by in-house writers at Katha, hope to capture the excitement that the rain brings along. The communication of this excitement through onomatopoeia, gives the poem a sensational ring. The diction is well suited for early learners who are trying to familiarize themselves with a new language. Children may relate to this poem 92

OBJECTIVE The illustration for these poems must communicate the essence of the rain in a playful manner; the sound, movement, the emotions must all come together to build a convincing scenario. And the visual treatment for the illustrations must be impactful enough to assure that the rain brings excitement.

Initial sketches for “Train in the Rain”

Final illustration for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Train in the Rainâ&#x20AC;?

Initial sketches for “Barish Ayii”

Final Illustration for “Barish Ayii”

My Magic Pot By Mala Marwah This summer, Ma prepared a wonderful mango pickle and put it in a small jar. It is amma’s special recipe. From this pickle, I took a bit of the oil, spicy and sour bits of mango and some masala and put it in a little lunch box. Then I left with Daadu for the fair. At the fair, I put half of the pickle in a large leaf bowl and gave it to Choudharyji. He really liked mango pickle and was very happy to take it. He gave me a pair of new rubber slippers. Wearing them, I could walk fast and far. Now thorns could not prick my feet. At the other end of the fair, Daadu bought me a black clay pot and a wooden stirrer. He also bought me some channas. On reaching home, I boiled some channa in the clay pot.

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Then squeezed some lemon juice, chopped some green chillies and sprinkled some curry leaves over it. As soon as the channas were ready, Magistrate Chacha turned up. He asked, “What is there in your pot, little one?” I said “Sour and spicy channas.” “Let me also taste some,” he said. Daadu, me and Magistrate Chacha sat and ate the channas together. After having the channas, Magistrate Chacha smiled and brought out a small packet from his Jeep. He gave it to me and said, “I bought this for my daughter, but now it is for you. I’ll buy another one for her.” Excited, I opened the packet. Inside it was a colouring box and a small paint brush. I was really happy! I took white sheets of paper and then, till the dinner was cooked, I drew and

coloured. The next day, Daadu and I, took these drawings to show to Magistrate Chacha. He liked my drawings. He said, “Ah, very nice! They are beautiful!” Then he asked me, “Would Munna beti like to study in a school?”

gifted me the slippers ... So I got the pot in which I made the boiled channas that Magistrate Chacha liked so much. Now you understand why I call the little clay pot that Daadu bought, my magic pot?

“School?” Daadu began thinking. Then he said, “I’m not sure if her parents will agree.” At first Amma and Bapu said no, but after some time, they agreed. I jumped with joy! Now, wearing my new rubber slippers, I walk down to the district school a kilometre away. There I learn to read and write, make pictures, learn to colour them, sing and play. And yes, I also learn to make clay toys and mats. I can’t tell you how happy I am! And this happened because, I gave a little pickle from amma’s jar to Choudharyji, who

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SPECIFICATIONS: 3 double page spreads.

The number of illustrations depend on the space. OBJECTIVE This will be the first short story in the Un-textbook. Design sensibilities must be applied to the layout of this reasonably long piece of writing so that children do not loose interest. The illustrations must guide children through the story. Since

Initial Sketches

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the story portrays a series of events that take place, it would be great to develop illustrations that depict that sequence. Cues suggest that the story is set in rural India; this must be highlighted to emphasize on the cultural aspect and be inclusive of communities in rural India. The story is inspiring; it encourages children to be gracious and caring human beings who are grateful for the little things in life.

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Final Illustrations

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A Habu Repays a Kindness Adapted from a Japanese folktale from Okinawa. One day Azami went to the sea to fetch some water. As Azamiwas returning with the pot on her head, she heard a crackling sound. She looked closely and saw it was a fire. “Fire! Let me run away!” she thought. Just then she saw a poisonous Habu snake trapped inside the flames. Its eyes looked so sad. What if it bit her? She was scared. But she felt sorry for the hobu. She quickly put out the fire with the water in her pot. And stood there as the snake disappeared into the forest. As usual, Azamiwent to work in the fields, the next day. She was carrying her baby because she had no place to leave her. So, as usual, Azami left the baby under a tree

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and went to work. The baby kept crying. But how could Azami leave her work? But soon the baby stopped crying. When the mother went to check, she saw her baby playing with a Habu, happily! It was the same Habu she had saved! The Hobu smiled. “You are kind.You saved my life, I came to promise you that no snake will ever harm you or anyone in your family Ever!”

This is a traditional Japanese folktale from Okinawa that has been orally passed on over centuries. The story has been translated to continue the tradition of passing stories on. Similar to any other Japanese folktale, this folktale offers a life lesson; the story is encourage children to be kind. Similar to the previous short story, it is crucial that the layout for the story helps children concentrate and guides them through. It would be great to look at japanses art work for reference. However, the illustration must be sensitive to the age group.

Ukiyo-e paintings

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Initial Sketches

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Final Illustrations

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Uphill Climb

Downhill Racer

By Roger McGough Wheeee Three Two One go. another have to top the to back way the all climb the is part boring only The

By Roger McGough Down the snow white page we slide. From side to side we glide. Pass obstacles with ease . Words on skis. Look out! Here comes a poem in a hurry!

last chapter in the book is all about FUN! I began to brainstorm ideas for this chapter but finally decided to go with a simple layout like this. These are poems that need no artwork. I realized that it would be ideal to leave the poem as is since it has captured the fun aspect.

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printing, pricing, marketing

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Once the spreads were designed, it was time to bring the book together. I worked on the contents page first so that the sequence of the book would be well defined. I then went on to adding all the technical design elements, for example the page numbers, chapters, infant letters etc. Once all that was done, it was time for copy-editing, typesetting and proofreading. The final adjustments were made and the un-textbook was taken to be printed. PRINTING Printing presses print the pages of the book; printing presses have different attributes, from simple typographical presses to offset printing presses, with different size formats, according to the complexity and speed of printing. The number of colours determines the complexity of printing and can require high performance machines to obtain good quality results Of course, prior to printing I had to look into the preparation of text, composition, page layout, width of composition etc. Proof reading is an essential part and must be dealt with thoroughly. The last operation is the

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binding and covering. There are option for binding, the cover can be soft bound or hard bound (of course this will affect the costing of the book). Since this is a college project and the Un-textbook was not being printed in bulk, the book was printed using a digital printer. When the Un-textbook is published by a publishing house, it will be printed using the traditional offset printing press. PRICE The cost for printing the book is not the only factor that determines the cost of the textbook. It is important to consider the cost of comparable tiles, the look and feel of the textbook, the subject matter, the affordability, the demand for the textbook etc. Most publishers have sales, marketing and distribution forces affecting the price of the book since they know what the market can bear and what customers can afford. When it comes to textbook pricing, customers want competitive book pricing that is in line with other textbooks. Hence the price cannot be drastically different

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from the market value. When it came to the Un-textbook, the cost of the book was determined by the type and quality of paper, the number of pages, the complexity of page-layouts and illustrations and the binding.

Whats next for the Un-textbook? Finally, publishers of the Untextbook will take care of the printing, sales, marketing and distribution of finished product. Here is how brief on what happens after the Untextbook is finalized and mass produced DISTRIBUTION Distribution of the textbook includes delivering the textbooks to school at the right time. Conditions that need to be taken into consideration during distribution: â&#x20AC;˘ Warehouses or depots must be safely sheltered from rain, humidity and insects and have sufficient space for

storage. • Transportation of the books from warehouses to stores and schools must be done on time • Connectivity of cities, towns and villages make deliveries faster and convenient. CIRCULATION AND MARKETING Several systems are used for marketing and circulation • Sale of books in bookshops or selling points at a normal commercial selling price. • Sale through normal commercial circuits, but at a price fixed by the government. • Free distribution to pupil by the ministry of education. Of course this means that the government will underwrite the cost of production.

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final thoughts

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When I ponder over the work I have done for the Un-textbook, I feel a sense of contentment. While picking a project this semester, I chose to take the Untextbook project because I was passionate about textbooks and wanted to take the risk of exploring the subject even though I possessed limited knowledge on itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production. I strongly believe that the Indian Education system lacks creativity and encouragement; it teaches children how to answer questions but does not teach them how to question answers. Designing a textbook that would encourage curiosity, cultural diversity, creativity and critical thinking fascinated me even though working with or for children had always frightened me. I convinced myself over time that I had the skills and mind to communicate with children and be sensitive to their needs. This project surprised me.

team. I was able to see growth in my design thinking approach and execution during the production phase. My illustrations went from being literal to conceptually strong ones. Similarly, my drawings improved once I brought in various perspectives. I began to enjoy illustrating and I knew that if I am passionate about something and enjoy the work, I will begin to produce quality work. I was patient and persistent during the feedback sessions and I believe that the articulation of concepts and ideas that came out of my project has really taken learning to a different level. I have been amazed at the work that has come out of this project and I hope that if the Un-textbook is published, it would revolutionize the Indian education system with its creativity, charm and effort.

I was never an illustrator to begin with, but I grew into one. As the project progressed, I began to familiarize myself with the process of working with a publication

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Bibliography “Facts About 6 - 8-Year-Olds.” Michael Cohen Group, LLC, 1 Nov. 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <http://mcgrc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Facts-About-6-to-8-Year-Olds2. pdf>. “Growth and Development, Ages 6-8.” Education.com. Advocates For Youth, 12 Nov. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Growth_ Ages_Six/>. Kunnunkal, Fr. T.V., Jose Paul, and Radhika Srinivas. “Identifying the Key Components of a Pre-School Curriculum & Clarifying Integrated Growth, Exploring the Key Components of a Pre-School Curriculum: Operationalisation of the Goals and Objectives.” The Future School Strategies in the Classroom. I ed. Vol. I. Delhi: Education Planning Group 4, 1995. 2-12. Print. Kunnunkal, Fr. T.V., Jose Paul, and Radhika Srinivas. “Language Curriculum for the PreSchoolers: A Perspective.” The Future School Strategies in the Classroom. I ed. Vol. I. Delhi: Education Planning Group 4, 1995. 61-98. Print. Salisbury, Martin. “The Picture Book, Character Development.” Illustrating Children’s Books. Barrons Educational Series, 2004. 62-92. Print. “What Children Do With Early Graphics.” The Beginnings of Writing. 41-54. Print. Seguin, Roger. “The Elaboration of School Textbook Methodological Guide.” Division of Educational Sciences, Contents and Methods of Education, 1 Dec. 1989. Web. 4 May 2015. “Book Pricing Basics: Setting the Retail Price For Your Book.” Mill City Press. Mill City Press. Web. 6 May 2015. 121

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This book was designed as part of the Undergraduate Professional Diploma Program for the academic year 20142015 under the project Un-textbook. Copyright ÂŠ Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology.

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