okay, hi mellifam. hopefully everyone's in good condition and safe in their homes! anyway, i want to address something. while looking through the aff (because i was bored in quarantine) i have found a place with an interesting au, they're close now but i still decided to snoop

and check how the feel of the place was by looking at their base. honestly, i wasn't going to dig deep but i saw they also made a yearbook! now that's not a surprise since their concept was a school au but in sea. but what surprised me was the actual yearbook and what was inside

now, i usually brush things off but this one i can't seem to simply say, "eh, it's fine." because it is NOT. i've made the last mellifluous yearbook for a year on and off until i was comfortable with it. inspiration does not come easily especially when you want to impress people

so i took my time with it. oddly enough, while checking ours and theirs it is VERY SIMILAR. from the layout, my chosen colors, # of pages & even my watermark at the very end. i'm up for collaborations, getting inspired by things but this--this isn't INSPIRED BY, it is COPIED BY.

i am extremely upset and appalled by this. i made this yearbook design EXCLUSIVELY for mellifluous and to see someone bluntly copying it just makes me feel like shit. i would understand if the "maker" at least messaged me and told me that they were inspired

by what i made but NOTHING. and to think i was so impressed by the au that they've thought of. now, i'm just disinterested.

I'll be posting the side by side as to why i think it was copied. you be the judge.

EXIBIT 1. doodles on the yearbook spread.

EXIBIT 2. Q&A spread. they might not be the same layout but if you're thinking of a yb idea why would it have a q&a? wouldn't it be an essay or a quote only?

the mellifluous MAGAZINE IS A MAGAZINE FORMAT. it is only called yearbook because WE HAVE BEEN PRODUCING IT FOR 3 YEARS.

EXIBIT 3. collages. this is so funny because this part of the magazine I DETESTED and to see it copied just makes me very confused. you could have showcased yours better since it looks like you have more pictures than we do but no. had to copy everything!

ok my illiterate ass spelled exhibit wrong and only realized it now LMAO moving on.

EXHIBIT 4. Even the page heading...lmao at least you changed the award image i guess.

EXHIBIT 5. "at least there's no explanation!" yeah.. haha..No.

EXHIBIT 6. love that you've added images to make it look "different". still same vibe though.

EXHIBIT 7. THE FUNNIEST THING EVER.... EVEN MY SUPPOSEDLY WATERMARK...

to this person, i suggest you read austin kleon's "steal like an artist". i get that NOTHING IS ORIGINAL and everything can be stolen especially if it's an artwork but at LEAST NITPICK what you like from a design, DO NOT COPY EVERYTHING that's just STEALING.

i'll be honest, this layout isn't 100% mine but it is heavily inspired by a magazine that I own. I TWEAKED and MADE IT MY OWN. added my own flare from it but i did not copy every single detail of said magazine.

so what now? i've made this thread for whoever is still here in mellifluous so that you'll be AWARE that things like this happen. it's so funny because mellifluous has been closed for what, a year and people still look through our things.

IF EVER, this person who made the other yearbook is FROM mellifluous, please do dm me. my dms are open, you've got heaps of explanation to do lmao. if not, @voyagebase @jinsoulbve @sintilates dm me.