ADV @ UNDERCONSIDERATION Peek here for details
BROWSE
Client
Self-Promotion
Quantity Produced
1,000
Production Cost
$415
Production Time
2 weeks
Dimensions (Width × Height × Depth)
11.25 in × 16.5 in
Page Count
20
Paper Stock
Newsprint
Number of Colors
–
Varnishes
–
Binding
–
Typography
Lettering: custom stencil with spray paint
Type: Courier New, Granite.
This zine is spot on in its message, with a name to cleverly match. The interfaces of flagship sites such as facebook and twitter pervade nearly every aspect of human existence nowadays. This is a clever poke at the way we interact with media.
The publication is an examination of life as a template-based experience. It points out ways we systematize human life, from naming our children to online dating to death rituals. The design draws on vernacular common to templates by incorporating “submit” and “like” buttons, and spaces for the reader to leave feedback. There is also a wacky mad lib style obituary section, a make-your-own standardized test, and a color-by-number cemetery scene. The zine is therefore a “symbolic template;” usable but for no purpose. It pokes fun at contemporary concepts like “prosumerism” and “interconnectivity” as ideas that sometimes serve to dehumanize people rather than improve quality of life.
The use of print to begin with is part of the zine’s irony. There is a visceral quality that comes with touching gritty paper and feeling the ink rub off onto your fingertips. It’s an experience that has an authenticity to it. It can’t be reproduced online. Newsprint can be tricky to work with because it’s hard to achieve subtle gray values. So this zine was designed with mostly high-contrast imagery: digitally distressed screen captures and spray-painted typography (from a handmade template). The medium isn’t a precious object, so readers may feel inclined to interact with it more.
This post was published in the original layout of FPO so all images are smaller. Project descriptions as well as production lessons are quoted in the main content area.
About
FPO (For Print Only), is a division of UnderConsideration, celebrating the reality that print is not dead by showcasing the most compelling printed projects.
FPO uses Fonts.com to render Siseriff and Avenir Next.
FPO is run with Six Apart’s MovableType
All comments, ideas and thoughts on FPO are property of their authors; reproduction without the author’s or FPO’s permission is strictly prohibited
Twitter @ucllc
Sign-up for Mailing List
Mailing list managed by MailChimp
Thanks to our advertisers
About UnderConsideration
UnderConsideration is a graphic design firm generating its own projects, initiatives, and content while taking on limited client work. Run by Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit in Bloomington, IN. More…
blogs we publish
Brand New / Displaying opinions and focusing solely on corporate and brand identity work.
Art of the Menu / Cataloguing the underrated creativity of menus from around the world.
Quipsologies / Chronicling the most curious, creative, and notable projects, stories, and events of the graphic design industry on a daily basis.
products we sell
Flaunt: Designing effective, compelling and memorable portfolios of creative work.
Brand New Conference videos / Individual, downloadable videos of every presentation since 2010.
Prints / A variety of posters, the majority from our AIforGA series.
Other / Various one-off products.
events we organize
Brand New Conference / A two-day event on corporate and brand identity with some of today's most active and influential practitioners from around the world.
Brand Nieuwe Conference / Ditto but in Amsterdam.
Austin Initiative for Graphic Awesomeness / A speaker series in Austin, TX, featuring some of the graphic design industry's most awesome people.
also
Favorite Things we've Made / In our capacity as graphic designers.
Projects we've Concluded / Long- and short-lived efforts.
UCllc News / Updates on what's going at the corporate level of UnderConsideration.
Related entries
Elbow Grease Magazine
Best of Local Magazine
nomad Magazine
ARCMTL + LA SERRES - Objets flottants Arts vivants Edition
Unfiltered Magazine