The goal was to create a guidebook for a neighborhood in New York City, and to provide both accurate and relevant information for our theme, but also use type in order to convey the feeling of the neighborhood. I chose the East Village. Since in the 60s-80s it has been a major locale for artists and young people to mix and create art, literature, protests, and music, I chose to look at the work of art coming out of there from the period, particularly zines, as inspiration. This would avoid a look that is too "clean" and "gentrified," even though the real neighborhood is. But the point is to convince travelers of its authenticity! I also wanted to go even further and make this zine for a young punk vegan subculture, sometimes known as hardcore. Because it's for young people into the punk scene, which would like be very anti-capitalist and not have lots of cash, everything mentioned in the book is affordable (except for things that are meant to be done as window-shopping). My small guidebook curates a selection of vegan-friendly bars, restaurants, places to shop, while maintaining a sense of D.I.Y. and an edge that borders on "I.D.G.A.F".
My guidebook is largely modeled after handmade zines. I wanted the guidebook to reference the old punk scene of the neighborhood, but to make it more legible to read than the old zines, and to make the pages easily reproducible, and a tad more neat and contemporary. The main typeface used is Courier New, since these were the letterforms used in typewriters that were used at the times these zines (and screenplays, poems and novels) were made. In keeping with the DIY sensibilities of the zines, the goal was to have a book like this be easily reproducible. I used a composition notebook for the cover, purposely bound with staples and tape. A book like this would be freely given out (or would cost only a few cents) at any music venue or nearby cafe. It could also be cheaply mailed out to youth in the suburbs or other cities, or even better, be downloaded directly from the internet and printed at home for maximum convenience.
