'Collected Poems' - Synopsis

Banjo Paterson was one of Australia’s best known and most popular poets, famous for his verses on the Australian outback and his experiences in the bush.
‘Collected Poems’ contains well over two hundred individual pieces but what is most compelling about this collection is the opportunity to delve into the mind of Paterson beyond his ‘outback’ label. Be prepared to be taken on a journey where you will cry, laugh, learn about Australia and begin to understand the mind of Australia’s most loyal poet.

'A Town Like Alice' - Synopsis

Back Cover Blurb:

Jean Paget, a secretary in a shoe factory in England has come into a vast inheritance from an uncle she never knew. In exploring the many decisions that come with money Jean decides to build a well in a Malayan village, where she spent several years during WW2. It is this decision that sends Jean on a journey into her past and takes her to Alice Springs Australia in search of long lost romance. Throughout her journey in Australia, Jean visits the town of Willstown and discovers that quality of life in ‘Alice’ is just an anomaly, and life for women in the outback is elsewhere very rugged. After falling in love Jean remains in Willstown and endeavors to used her inheritance to help improve life in the outback for women.

Book Cover Critique 3

GOOD COVER DESIGN
The Seven Days of Peter Crumb – Johnny Glynn
Designed by: Gregg Kulick




• Is the text in a logical ordering (i.e. title, subtitle and authorʼs name).
The text on this cover is in a very logical order with the title stated first followed by the authors name. The text has been placed in a very cleaver and effective way, being used as the ‘image’ on the cover also.

• Does the font used suit the subject of the book?
The font that has been used is suited to the subject of the book. The placement of the type is used to convey the storyline of the book. With the text being placed as a list that has been crossed off suggests that this is a list of victims.

• Is the text clear and easy to read?
Although the text is crossed out with a hand-drawn line it is still very clear and legible. The choice of a san serif font has been very effective.

• Does the image used on the cover correctly convey the meaning of the book?
There is no ‘image’ as such on this book cover. The text has been creatively used in place of an image. The text image very effectively conveys the meaning of the book, as mentioned earlier it suggests a list of victims or something to that likeness.

• Is the image engaging (ie. would it make you want to pick this book up in a book store)?
The fact that this cover only uses typography as its image makes it very appealing to me. The fact that it is black, white and red also makes it striking and very eye catching. If I were in a bookstore I would pick up this book.

• Is this a text or image dominant layout?
The text is definitely the most dominant in this layout as it is what creates the image. If it were not for the text the cover would not be effective at all.

• Do the image and text work well together?
The text creates and works as an image very well. The only suggestion that could be made was to make the font one that appears more like handwriting. This could give the feel of a ‘hit-list’ more depth.

Book Cover Critique 2

BAD COVER DESIGN

Sexy Librarian – Julia Weist
Designed By: Kristian Bjornard





• Is the text in a logical ordering (i.e. title, subtitle and authorʼs name).
The text on this cover is in a logical order although the subtext below the book is in a different perspective and look very out of place.

• Does the font used suit the subject of the book?
The text does not really suit the subject of the book. The font does not suggest anything ‘sexy’ at all and quite harsh and bold. If I was to create a cover for this I would use a serif font that was a bit more feminine and soft.

• Is the text clear and easy to read?
The text is very clear although with the fish net texture behind the text the readability is hindered as the text starts to appear a little blurry.

• Does the image used on the cover correctly convey the meaning of the book?
The image on the cover is very simple and literal of the meaning of the book. In some instances this could be effective although I don’t think that this image says enough about the story line of the book, leaving too much to be imagined.

• If the image does not convey the meaning of the book; what would you suggest
as a better alternative?
I would suggest better treatment of the type and a more intriguing image to make this cover more effective.

• Is the image engaging (ie. would it make you want to pick this book up in a book store)?
I don’t think the image on this cover is engaging at all. The fish net texture is a quirky addition although I think it still needs a lot more to make me want to pick it up in a book store.

• Is this a text or image dominant layout?
The image and the text again battle for dominance in this cover although I woud have to give it to the text as the most dominant in this layout. They have used a very strong bold font which is difficult to miss.

• Do the image and text work well together?
The perspective of the text that has been placed on the cover of the book in the image is not in the same perspective and the book which looks quite awkward and out of place.

• How could the ordering be improved?
The ordering of the text and image could be improved by using better treatment of the type so that it works with the image.

Book Cover Design Critique

GOOD DESIGN

Columbine – Dave Cullen
Designed by: Henry Sene Yee



• Is the text in a logical ordering (i.e. title, subtitle and authorʼs name).
Henry Sene Yee’s design for this novel is simple, clean and mysterious. The only text that has been used is the books title COLUMBINE. Only having this one word on the cover draws the eye directly to the title stimulating interest in the book. I don’t think that not naming the author hinders the design as the simplicity of the text is what draws in the viewer.

• Does the font used suit the subject of the book?
The simple font used for the title suits the subject of the book as it is somewhat haunting creating a sense of mystery around the events that occurred in the school on that day.

• Is the text clear and easy to read?
The only text on the cover is situated towards the top and right in the middle of the empty space. Although the text is in a very predominant position, its colour can make it fade into the background making it difficult to read. However, this suits the look and feel of the book and its content.

• Does the image used on the cover correctly convey the meaning of the book?
The image on the cover is excellent in correctly conveying the meaning of this book. The book is based around the events of the columbine school shooting and the distant photo of he school on the front cover is powerful and confronting.

• Is the image engaging (ie. would it make you want to pick this book up in a book store)?
The way the image is only in the bottom third of the cover makes it eye catching and appealing to the viewer. This cover makes me want to pick up with book and it is very mysterious and engaging.

• Is this a text or image dominant layout?
The text and image battle for dominance on this book cover. Although the image is the first aspect that is seen by the viewer, the text, once noticed, is very dominant and intriguing.

• Do the image and text work well together?
The image and text work very harmoniously together on this cover. If there was any more text the cover would not work as effectively as it does.

• How could the ordering be improved?
I think the only thing that could be improved on this cover is the contrast of the background and the text. Although it is effective how the text fades into the background I think a little more contrast would still be effective.

La Zuppa Soups

1.What audience is the advertisement trying to appeal to?
The advertisement for La Zuppa Soup looks to be aimed at a general middle class audience with busy lifestyles. This is made evident through the use of words like ‘home-made’ & ‘Guilt-free.'

2.How is the product positioned in the Ad? Does the company use a photographic image of the product?
In comparison to the champagne advert, this advertisement positions the product right in the middle of the page as the main element of the design. The product has been photographed although the quality of the image fairly poor.

3.How is the taste and texture of the product communicated?
The taste of the product is communicated through the images on the product packaging. The packaging shows images of the ingredients and flavours of that particular soup. The texture is something that is not really communicated through this advert.

4.How do the headline and tagline of the advert help to draw in the viewer?
The headline in this advertisement is very eye catching and simple, making it draw in viewers. The simplicity of the tagline intrigues the audience to look and read further into the product and advertisement.

5.In your opinion is the advertisement effective?
In my opinion this advertisement could be a lot more effective if I showed the actually contents of the packaging as a hot bowl of soup. In doing this, the advert could be more appealing as the audience will create a need to soup!

G.H MUMM Champagne

1.What audience is the advertisement trying to appeal to?
This advertisement is trying to appeal to an up-market, affluent audience. This can be seen by the use of an image where the people are dressed in expensive evening ware drinking champagne.

2.How is the product positioned in the Ad? Does the company use a photographic image of the product?
The product is positioned in the lower right hand corner of the advertisement and it seems to be a part of the image that takes up the entire page. Although there are other things in the image the product has been positioned just the correct amount of distance away from the other elements in the image to make it sit on its own and stand out.

3.How is the taste and texture of the product communicated?
The taste and texture of this product is communicated through the big band of red bubbles that take up the entire middle band of the advertisement. The bubbles represent the bubbly consistency and taste of champagne. The use of the red to display these bubbles is consistent with the brand logo as they use a red ribbon band across the middle of their bottle design.

4.How do the headline and tagline of the advert help to draw in the viewer?
There is no real headline is this advertisement although the tagline reads: :The art of Improvisation.” This tagline helps to entice the target audience as it describes the champagne as an art… art being one thing that may be an interest to this type of audience.


5.In your opinion is the advertisement effective?
In my opinion this advertisement is relatively effective. Although, more emphasis could be placed on the message and placement of the product within the advertisement.