Book Layout Research and Planning

When I asked for feedback from my friends, one of the things that was noted was that I should have a blank spread before the pages start. This is common in books and I think it's a good way to introduce the book. Billie recommended 3 artists, Nobuyoshi Araki, Julie Cook & Gideon Mendel, and showed me examples of their blank spreads:

I really like the text paragraph in the last one, which is a statement from a different artist to the author, which related to the rest of the book, however, I like how the first two examples leave more negative space. I think this is a good way to start, as it acts like a title screen in a film and introduces the audience to the content. I've made a few examples of what I'd like to do for my own blank spread:

I think it could be nice to have one of these either side of the two chapters, as it will break up the book a bit more and give the reader a bigger indication of the two sides of the family. If I do this, I can use a quote from either side of the family too. The first is a quote from Grandpa Read taken from his interview, and the second is a quote from my mother about Granny Irwin. I'd like them to have a really simplistic layout, with an indicator of who said each statement.

I want to have some sort of blurb on the back of the book, which I've made using my original project proposal:

My FMP is focused on the themes of family and identity. I aim to create autobiographical pieces by exploring the relationships I have with my relatives,

After my grandmother passed this winter, I became curious about my family’s history and the lives of my relatives.

I want to interview my grandparents as part of my research, and find out what their lives were like when they were young, and see if photography played a similar role in their lives compared to the role it plays in mine.

I’m also interested in exploring self-portraiture in the context of family and identity, and possibly comparing these images to any self portraits I see in my grandparents photos.

And here's what I've come up with:

After my grandmother passed away this winter, I became curious about my family history. In particular, I wanted to know more about my grandparents, as they haven't been very present in my life. This book is focused on the themes of family and identity, exploring the relationships I have with my grandparents, and how their lives have affected mine.