As part of my ongoing training I’ve been taking courses in Ryerson’s Publishing Program, which have often entailed work on manuscripts and other written documents. But this summer I took an excellent course on the fundamentals of book design and had a fantastic time learning how to design both interior page spreads and covers.
For the final project students were asked create a book of their choosing, imagining it from the ground up. Because I’m fond of walking in cemeteries and photographing the beauty I find in them, I proposed a book about the cultural history of several Toronto cemeteries. Here’s the front cover of my final project:
If you’re interested in seeing more, you can find the rest of my project at these links:
Please bear in mind that the contents of these pages are design examples only and contain placeholder text, not actual content. You can find out more about my Necropolitan Toronto design project below.
Necropolitan Toronto: The Cultural Histories of Four Urban Cemeteries
Necropolitan Toronto is a cultural history of the Toronto Necropolis, St. Michael’s Cemetery, Pape Avenue Cemetery, and Mount Pleasant Cemetery, told with photographs and text.
The book is aimed at a mainly Canadian market composed of Torontonians; tourists; and history, genealogy, and cemetery enthusiasts. It will be a 9 x 9” perfect-bound paperback, running 192 pages and be printed in four colours on acid-free TFC paper.
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This is a very attractive book. I am impressed at your photography and book-designing skills!
Thanks, Kirilaw. I really enjoyed putting it together and I’m glad you like it. And your timing is uncanny as I just got in from another walk in the Necropolis. It really is beautiful.