zines

My friend Sarah and I went to Berlin not all that long ago, and whilst 'researching for college' around Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg, we came across a lot of zines. We found it quite funny at the time, just because it's a bit of an art faggy type thing to buy/make. But we still secretly admired.

For part of our FMP (final major project to all you non art students) we are required to make some kind of lookbook or 'brochure' as the tutors put it. So I thought, why not a zine? I like the handcrafted feel to them, like its something that some art kid lovingly slaved over on their bedroom floor with crappy resources and cost them the loose change they found between the sofa cushions the other day. Personal. And being more of a zine than just a lookbook, I can include different things all relating to my brand and the concept etc. Very self indulgent of me but then, when can you be self indulgent if not during your FMP, non?

I was researching them in the library today to get some ideas and came across a great book called Fanzines which had an archive of all things zine, as well as where they're headed today such as 'e-zines' and the movement towards more glossy, fashion zines. I'd like to keep an element of what zines are originally all about, but a bit more slick and professional.

They would work as a great promotional tool in the right context. My customer would definitely appreciate it, and it will go with my brands ethos. I feel like brands nowadays are expected to give so much more to the customer, probably because of stiff competition, but this is a nice way of doing it.

Some zine related images I found;

Things to include;

Photographs
Found images
Illustrations
Working drawings
Images taken from research pages
Written things, quotes relating to concept etc.
Something interactive with customer.

Now I need to get nifty with InDesign!