Collaboration: Zine research

Zine
A Zine is a non-commercial, non-professional publication that does not have the intention of making a profit, but with the main aim of adding unheard voices into the mix. Zines are usually made out of interest and passion, are self-publushed by the creator and often have elements of photocopying. 
They are thought to provide a voice outside of the mainstream, on the margins of society. Zines appela to the youth because they have a much more honest intention and lack the narrow perspectives that carefully designed books might have. 

"Zine-making isn’t about rules or knowledge; it’s about freedom and POWER."

Zines can communicate rebellious words and strong ideas, sharing energy and passion towards a particular topic. 

Handmade method:
Zines are often handmade and although my final outcome will be digitalised and then produced, some of the handmade elements could drive my design decisions. As this method only uses one piece of paper (fig.1), there are lots of layers behind the images that could be used to hold personalised messages or writing that reveals more about the content in the book. Figure 2 shows with stickers hwo things could be added behind the pages, encouraging the reader to dig deeper about the content but without explicitly publishing it, it means that they have to engage and find it themselves. This is something that could be very effective within the book I am creating. With the amount of content that is being included this folding method would not work but the idea of hiding little messages within the book is soemthing that I think could be effective in regards to the message focus of the publication. 

fig.1

fig.2

Transitory Flatspace by Anne Vieux (fig.3) uses holographic pages to explore our perception of colour and space in the digital landscape. This effectively showsn the importance of material considerations and the different meanings that can be illustrated. 

fig.3

Why should photographers create zines?
The photographic book is the best medium for photography, juxtaposing and sorting pictures into a flow in order to tell a story or instill an emotion in the viewer can be achieved. This can be hard without a designer or a low budget, so a zine is an accessible way for someone to create this object and distribution is much more efficient. Zines can still achieve the high quality finish by using thick paper, good printing and well thought out layout combinations. The creation process requires a large body of images and text if needed, in order to then finalise a concept. It is recommended to print out the images and lay them out in physical format to see which sequencing is going to work the most effectively, this feels different to the images being on screen. Throughout the design process also keep printing out the book pages in small to ensure that as a whole there is consistency throughout visually and conceptually. 

Examples
Aint-Bad Magazine
This magazin explores the cities of Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. The minimal design works well to present the images alongside some appropriate text. Taking on a more minimal magazine format for the photography collaboration may work effectively to present the information in a more formal and organised manner, whilst still being able to experiment with page layouts.

Home Zine - Tallulah Fontaine and Carla McRae
This focuses on the people who make us feel at home, exploring the home and belongings. The fairly minimal layouts, muted colours and relaxing photography, the zine portrays that comforting, relaxing homely feel. The illustrations work well to add that personal touch you would expect to see within the home, althought this works well it will not be appropriate for the collaboration I am doing.