A book, alongside myriad changes and transformations that it went through from the past up until the present, also gave rise to its own new definitions. According to the definition provided by Unesco in 1964, a book is a non-periodical printed publication which consists of at least 49 pages besides its cover. It's "A set of paper sheets fastened together or bound in a cover" according to Grand Larousse Encyclopaedia; and "A set of printed pages bound together either as a hardcover or paperback" according to the 1968 edition of the same Encyclopaedia. Following the advance of technology, both the form and the purpose of a book has underwent changes. These changes paved the way for pursuits that are thought to be effective in relaying words and statements more powerfully.
The form of the book which has been used for centuries has provided the book and its reader a comfortable unity, considering parameters such as the hand's grip on the book, the turning of the pages, and the distance between the hand and the eye. In order for this unity to be strengthened, proper communication must be established between the author, publisher, and the graphic designer, either directly or indirectly. If this communication can be maintained efficiently, the book is transformed into a powerful tool of communication with the reader.
When variables that bring the book into existence such as form, paper, binding, stitching, pages, spine, cover, text usage, layout, and techniques of production are considered, Hybrid-Novel, one of the methods in which the text-reader interaction is employed efficiently, proposes new ways of reading the existent text through its new approach to the conventional book form, via modifications such as graphic devices like photographs, drawings and experimental typography. In this regard, a comprehensive study will be conducted on examples of Hybrid Novel like Extremely Loud and Inredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, and You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Egger, and the innovations they bring. This project's aim is to inspect "dimension", one of the variables which enable the book form to exist, and to help see and experience the interaction between the book and the reader from a different perspective.
“The book, as a communication tool which is always in a state of physical interaction with its user, and thus targets the senses - particularly the sense of touch, has not been able to use this quality to its full extent, has not been able to structurally improve over standardized materials and forms, and has largely been unable to meet its potential. However, when confronted with the increasing amount of electronic reading platforms of today, the printed book has taken the path to being printed less yet consequently acquiring a status of higher worth. It's right at this point that graphic design meets the newborn demand and raises its value, focusing on the potential and current role it has on the prospect of elevating the form and the content of book design to higher standards”. Is a book just an object? Can the variables forming the book, while supporting the content, help empower the message within? How can the attitude of designers and publishers affect the future of book form that has become unified with its content? Generally, the project aims to study works done that brought new approaches to printed books, by a London based publisher named Visual Editions and like-minded designers such Stefan Sagmeister, Irma Broom and Bruce Mau.
This project will be managed under three major phases.
Primary phase of first step, the historical process of the interaction between text and the codex form used since the past will be studied. During this phase the period starting with the discovery of writing, and leading up to the industrial revolution and the modern form of the book will be inspected. The three important sources to be used as reference are going to be "The Book Object, Book As an Object" by Burcu Dündar, who has done important related work; "Book As a Means of Visual Communication" by Melike Taşçıoğlu; and lastly "The Form of the Book" by Sara De Bondt and Fraser Muggeridge.
Secondary phase of first step, books such as The Story of Glittering Plain by William Morris, Un Coup de Des Jamais N'Abolira Le Hasard by Stephane Mallerme, “La Cantatrice Chauve” by Eugene Ionesco, “Twenty-six Gasoline Stations “by Ed Ruscha, “S, M, L, XL” by Bruce Mau, “SHV Think” Book by Irma Boom, “Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far” by Stefan Sagmeister are going to be amongst the ones particularly studied for the new ground they covered.
Third phase of first step, books will be studied from the London based publisher Visual Editions, which has taken as its motto "to make books with wonderful visual writing, beautiful production; books that are lovingly designed, designed to be read, and that those books are read by many not just by a few" and which fall outside of the convention with its ties to visual stories, and an interview will be conducted regarding the publishing policies they adhere to.
In the second phase of the project, possibilites granted by changing the form-dimension of the book experience will be applied to Franz Kafka's “The Metamorphosis” (Original name: Die Verwandlung) which was first published in 1915. Experiments on dimension will be carried out with the consideration of the parameters derived from the content of the book.
In the third phase, qualitative and quantitative research methods will be employed on samples created on these principles, and acquired data will be reported.
The target audience of the project are the graphic designers and publishers who've formulated and studied the future of the printed book and its fate.
A thesis comprised of the research and reports will be written, and collected data will be presented.
MAIN STUDY LIST ANA BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barthes, R. (2004). Yazı Üzerine Çeşitlemeler - Metnin Hazzı. (2th ed.). (S. Demirkol, Trans). İstanbul: YKY.
De Bondt S., & Muggeridge, F. (2015). The Form of the Book Book. (3rd ed.). London: Occasional Papers.
Dündar, B. (2011). Kitap Nesnesi, Nesne Olarak Kitap. İstanbul: Akın Nalça.
Eco, U. (1996). “The Future of The Book: Afterward”. (Ed.), Geoffrey Nurnberg, “The Future of The Book”. California: University of California Press.
Gabare, A. (1994). Kitabın Tarihi. (I. Ergüden, Trans). Ankara: Dost Kitapevi Yayınları.
Hallam, A. (2006). Book Design. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Howard, N. (2009). The Book: The Life Story of A Technology. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
Hübner, M. (2008). Fully Booked, Cover Art and Design for Books. Berlin: The Gestalten Verlag.
Keith, A. S. (2003). Structure of the Visual Book. New York City: Keith Smith Books.
Mallarme, S. (1996). The Book, Spiritual Instrument. New York City: Granary Books.
Manguel, A. (1997). Okumanın Tarihi. (F. Elioğlu, Trans) İstanbul: YKY.
McLuhan M. (2014). Gutenberg Galaksisi, Tipografik İnsanın Oluşumu. (3rd ed.). (G. Ç. Güven, Trans). İstanbul: YKY.
Taşçıoğlu, M. (2013). Bir Görsel İletişim Aracı Olarak Kitap. İstanbul: YEM.
Trucker, J. (2004). The Century of The Artist’ Books. New York City: Granary Books.
PHASE 1: JANUARY-APRIL: RESEARCH
Discovering of Writing and Its Effects to Books
Occurring of the book and its historical development
Analysing of Designated Books
Interview with Visual Editions
PHASE 2: FEBRUARY-APRIL: TEST AND ANALYSIS
PHASE 3: APRIL-AUGUST: THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION
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