Essay 1 Crit Notes

Essay topic: 

What is Publishing and Editorial design? What are some of the key developments? What functions does it perform?

To begin the essay and research, it's key to understand what publishing and editorial design are therefore I researched their general definitions to highlight key focuses within each sector. Publishing encompasses the preparation and issuing of materials - the most important to focus on is books, magazines, etc. Editorial Design is focused more on the design choices within these materials such as typography and layout. These are all dependant on the target audience and social climate of the date of publication.

Initial ideas for the essay:

• Looking ahead at essay 2, I might want to produce glossy, garish mass produced magazines or a really high end magazine or a zine. I preferably would want to do zines which include riso/cut paste methods for zines and the punk era and its effects on zine making. Therefore need to cover magazines and zines within the essay.

• To begin the essay, I'd highlight the importance of communication and where publishing and Editorial Design arose from. This can go back to cavemen/communication to how the need for communication has  changed to become mass produced. 

• The essence of why communication is important.

• Modernism and mass production.

• Zines - the idea of self publishing and why they were important - Punk era. Completely contrasts mass production. one-off zines.

• Can talk very broadly about how media has affected publishing/creation of published artifacts much more efficient and quick but at the same time the internet and mass communication has been a difficult curveball for publishers to work around. Are they going to try keep up their sales in print format? 

• Online articles, blogging, ebooks.  All important developments in the evolution of publishing. Don’t need to get into the discussion of exactly what that means in terms of the industry as a whole - how different titles have tried to negotiate around that. 

• Industrial Revolution

• It will be helpful to reference actual publications.

• Can talk about why machinery/printing presses look different ways and why and why they dont and what they affect - Editorial Design. The importance of efficiency in mass production.

• Ultimately the first essay is meant to represent an overarching definition.