Statement of intent

Statement of intent

Abi Beckram

The brief for the practical outcome is heavily informed by elements of theoretical arguments discussed within the second essay; investigating the impact of the internet on publications and editorial design, whilst analysing the future of printed matter within the industry. The essay discussed aspects of the decline of the print industry through the domination of digital media, yet also offered a counterpart against this standpoint; assessing the rise in demand for independent zines as a result of consumers desiring a personal and tangible product. The major question posed by both the theoretical work and practical outcome being: is print dead?   

The final publication argued against the latter, through exhibiting the value of printed matter and independent publications in the internet age. Within the second essay, the intimacy and human elements of printed publications are highlighted as the poignant reason for the recent zine revival; the growing demand for printed matter is ramified by the concept that the internet is ‘adept at compressing humanity’ (Mujukian, S., 2017). This ideology in favour of zines inspired the concept for the Garfield Minus Garfield poster-zine; the final outcome explored the transformation of an online source to a printed format, through adding intimate and personal elements to celebrate the humanity within a printed format. Consequently, this challenges the idea that the readership of printed matter has been ‘destroyed’ due to the accessibility of the internet (Wortham, J., 2017); the poster-zine format offers a playful and immersive user experience, that the flatness of digital media lacks. 

Additionally, the practical investigation used high quality paper stocks and packaging which contributed to the exclusive tangibility of print; sharing the argument that consumers desire physical interaction with publications in order to ‘break through the digital advertising clutter’ of the 21st Century  (Lisk, J., 2019). This argued the concept that contemporary readers are becoming increasingly willing to invest into independent produce in efforts to escape the oversharing of data that the internet causes; the Garfield Minus Garfield webcomic was perfect to translate onto a zine format, as it was set up independently, thus sharing the ideology of the value of independent/ niche publishers. 

Furthermore, through introducing physical interaction with the outcomes’ sticker sheet, the publication relays the argument that zine culture is ‘essentially about reclamation’ in which creatives can ‘define’ their own ‘narratives’ in a ‘radical act’ (The New York Times, 2017). Through settling on a poster-zine layout within the practical investigation, the final outcome was formatted to provide freedom for audiences; involving a sense of interactivity to play around with the poster or sticker elements. These extra features of the Garfield Minus Garfield publication aligned with the ideology that print is not dead, as the poster-zine is an example where consumers can physically interact with a publication and have fun outside the internet/ digital media; the poster side of the zine also exhibits the exclusivity that printed matter can provide, as the illustration would theoretically only be available in printed form. 

The contextual market segment of the practical investigation was also heavily influenced by the theoretical elements of the essay, as it contained the positioning of the publication within the industry. Within the second essay, the resurgence of zines is recognised as ‘hiding’ in independent spaces ‘outside of commercial publishing’ (Deighton, K., 2018); this relates to how the final outcome was contextualised in the setting of independent bookstores such as Village Books, thus linking back to the niche nature of printed matter. 

Overall, the final development of the practical investigation was pushed significantly by the theoretical elements discussed within the second essay; by focusing on the exclusivity and niche aspects of zines within their revival, the publication was backed up by strong conceptualisation of its relevance within the publication industry. Arguably, the final outcome could have used alternative methods of printing in order to relate to the personal nature of zines discussed within the essay; using screen printing for example would have pushed the design further in regards to its’ quality and nicheness.