Writers Craft Anthology 2010

Writers Craft Anthology 2010 was designed and printed for free by Hambly and Wooley for a high school teacher who thought her student’s work was exceptional and wanted to publish it. I think it is great that these kids were able to get their work published and the fact that the design of the book is also exceptional makes the whole thing even better! The spreads are fun and playful with a sort of DIY feel, like on the spreads that use the lined paper as a visual element or the ripped paper on the last page, which is appropriate because it is a book of student work. Also I appreciate the use of bright and bold colors, which symbolizes the bright minds and futures of the gifted young students whose work is displayed. –Donna Zitelli

10 Years with Fontsmith

Fontsmith is a type foundry. To celebrate ten years of making typefaces, Fontsmith produced a collection of stories from their team of designers discussing their creative processes. The covers of these slim booklets look so great together, especially when collected together in their slip case. The written content was by Thompson Brand partners. Inside, the designers at Fontsmith talk about how they designed their fonts and the history of the company. (I was unfortunately unable to find an image of the inside of the booklets. They are only available as limited edition to industry professionals so that may be why.)—Charis Poon

Wildwood

Wildwood is a book written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis. The book is about a young girl named Prue McKeel living in Portland, Oregon who discovers another world (within a forest called the Impassable Wilderness) across the bridge from where she lives. Wildwood tells her adventures through gorgeous illustrations and an imaginative, enchanting story. The book, though being fantastical fiction and about children, is appropriate for all ages and as enjoyable for anyone. The combination of vivid prose with vivid drawings is perfect.—Charis Poon

Bicycle Portraits

Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler photographed portraits of over 500 cyclists in South Africa and recorded their stories. They are now attempting to publish the 165 best of these interviews and photos in three books called Bicycle Portraits. The books are designed by Gabrielle Guy and have an absolutely beautiful addition to them: hand-painted watercolor maps by South African artist Gabrielle Raaff for each individual cyclist. The photographs are gorgeous and the book as a whole is a compelling compilation that illustrates South African cycling culture. (Bicycle Portraits is currently pending publication depending on Kickstarter funding.)—Charis Poon

Material Works Catalog

Material Works Catalog is a publication made by Pils Kubben with Frode Skaren and Thomas Kjelberg for the fine arts BA students' Material Works exhibition at The National Academy of the Arts in Oslo. I love the simplicity of the catalog graphically, allowing the four differently colored covers be striking visual elements and the blue text to stand out elegantly. The inside of the catalog displays the work of the students well in the sense that the design of the layout showcases the beauty of the images rather than overtaking it. The use of just one typeface in one size with the additional element of a bar for highlighting information is a great example of minimal design standing out. In a side note, the invitation and poster for the exhibition work very well with the catalog and share the same look and design choices. (see on Flickr)—Charis Poon

The poster for the exhibition

The invitation for the exhibition

The Feature Well TOC:

Fashion, Transparency, Intimacy

Interview with Daan Roosegaarde

by Arie Altena

14 pgs/ 7 spreads

The Venus Project

Jacque Fresco

16 pgs/ 8 spreads

Future Project

Judy Natal

24 pages/ 12 spreads

The Future of Food

Alana Goodman

10 pages/ 5 spreads

“F” Magazine Cover

Chicago Children's Choir 2011 Annual Report

I saw this publication at the AIGA 365 Design show that is currently going on. This one in particular caught my eye with the cover and then when I opened it I was even more intrigued. On the AIGA website, the designers describe the project as follows: “Every year we donate our time to create an annual report for a cultural institution that is widely known across the world as a benchmark for commitment, quality and dedication. Their only request is that we present the highlights of the year and further solidify the charisma of the Chicago Children’s Choir.” Their goal to show charisma through the design is right on target. That is exactly what I thought of when I looked at the publication. The typeface, the pictures they chose to show, the colors, etc definitely reflect the charisma and personality of the children in the choir. The typeface especially was well chosen. It is a modern serif with a handwritten quality that reflects a fun, innocent, kid-friendly feeling, which is appropriate for a publication about the a children's choir. The designers said, “Our approach has always been as much if not more about the message than the visual. This year we wanted the visual language to feel urban, human, intimate and uniquely Choir.” As you look at the images below, you can see that this was a success. –Donna Zitelli

Helvetica and the New York Subway System

This book talks about how Helvetica unites the once unorganized New York subway system. The book is very structured and merges images, texts and annotations into one spread so readers would see the images being discussed without having to turn the page. This is a colorful and resourceful book that the readers can learn a lot from, it’s also about how a typeface can have such a huge impact on society. —Sara Chou

Biography in Books

Biography in Books is a miniature scaled designed by Irma Boom. This miniature book contains a complete overview of Irma Boom’s oeuvre, with commentary and more than 450 full colour illustrations in 704 pages with printed edges. Boom is one of the most widely renowned book designers in the world today. The book was designed by Irma Boom for her retrospective exhibition at the The Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam Library. — Sara Chou

Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color and Space

Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color and Space is an exhibition catalog curated by Alma Ruiz. Suprasensorial presented five large-scale environments that exemplify the artists’ temporary or eventual abandonment of the two-dimensional plane for new aesthetic propositions and more subjective forms based on notions of light, color and space and a new object-viewer relationship. The book design reflects the participatory nature of the exhibition as the reader is invited to participate actively in order to fully experience the book. It is essentially a bilingual catalog that uses colored gels to block out the language you don't want to read. I admire the creativity that went into this catalog and the interaction between the readers and the book. —Sara Chou

Designing at 360º

The book, One Hundred at 360º, highlights many different artists and designers. The book travels through many different mediums and helps to highlight the beauty of printed design. The book manages to vary its style, and it offers a multitude of design thought processes. From heavily illustrated to typographic, the book covers a wide range to help inspire many artists. Books such as these have a great aesthetic to them; the layout is designed in order to compliment the work, rather than upstage it. The book also uses a three-column grid for the artist directory. Art Books such as these help to better expose readers to the other designers in the field and it helps to establish a ground for inspiration. —Michael Leng

Saving the World 24/7

Ideals Creative 2007 annual report is called Saving the World 24/7. It combines handwritten type, illustrations, and fun patterns with friendly sans serif type. Even the graphs are fun and friendly. It looks as if a group of free-spirited and fun-loving group of people designed it and that is exactly what the they want the viewer to deduce about their company. The design of the publication resembles a sketchbook or a storybook, which gives it an aura. There is a sense of authenticity and realness which is comforting. It makes the viewer trust in the company. Instead of being very cold, technical and factual, the design of this annual report is warm, fun and inviting, which is a good way to attract clients. – Donna Zitelli