The Good Design Book

Good Friday: Designing the Book

This was a busy-ish week for the book. I spoke with two potential contributing writers both of whom I’m very excited about. I expect to announce a couple of our writers next week.

We had some welcome support from our friends at various blogs who have graciously helped spread the word about our request for submissions. Thanks especially to Steve and Stephanie at UnBeige, Armin Vit at Under Consideration, Dexigner, and our new friends at DESIGN 21. One of the most challenging parts of putting together a book like this is assembling a representative selection of compelling work. Of course we have our resources (and with them our prejudices), but getting the word out to new and interesting designers is essential to the diversity and relevance of the book. If you’re considering submitting work for consideration I encourage you to do it early. When I worked on my last book about 50% of the work came in just before the deadline. The other 50% came in just after.

Also this week, we took our first good hard look at some design options.

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Big Mail Day

It’s only been about five days since we sent out our official request for submissions and already the interest is high. We’ve had a number of emails and twitter messages from designers, students and even some writers, looking for ways to contribute to the book. Today the first official submission arrived in the mail. Actually, it arrived over the weekend while we weren’t here, so all we have is this little pink slip from the post office. Something to look forward to tomorrow I guess.

The advance check arrived from F&W today as well — not nearly as exciting since I already know what’s inside — but still very much appreciated.

The rest of our book-related mail was all of the e-variety, including one from Emily Pilloton about her Learning Landscapes project. While this is primarily a graphic design book, we’re also including examples of product and experience design, of which this is a prime example. I first met Emily earlier this year at AIGA San Francisco’s do-gooder design conference, Compostmodern. It’s nice to find our paths crossing again so soon.

Good Friday: HOW to get a book deal

This is the first of my regular Good Friday installments. Each week I’ll chronicle the progress and the process of writing and designing the book. Since this is the first post, I’ll have to play a little catch up.

In the summer of 2007, I spent a week in rural Alabama, advising to Project M. Walking down a quiet country road with Brian Collins one evening, we got to chatting about how transformative our time in Alabama had been.

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John Bielenberg to Write Foreword

Celebrated designer, lecturer and former AIGA National Board Member, John Bielenberg, will write the foreword to The Good Design Book. John is the mastermind behind Project M and one of the founding partners of C2. John’s work touches on all six categories featured in the book, particularly the notion of problem seeking (a term coined by Brian Collins while on a trip to Project M in rural Alabama). We’re very excited to have John on board. It will be some time before actually has to write anything, so stay tuned for future updates.

John Bielenberg | Photo: Michael Weymouth

Graphic Design takes on Critical Causes

Designers frequently describe themselves as “problem-solvers.” We apply our creative talents to finding new and innovative solutions to common questions. These questions may include how to best articulate a corporate brand, how to connect with a particular audience or how to communicate across cultural boundaries. The question may just be about how to sell the most widgets. Each of these are worthy pursuits and each involves a certain kind of problem solving — what Charles Eames described as “design addressing itself to the need.” But in our current age there are problems that are larger than brands, consumers and widgets. There are needs as fundamental as water, education, peace, equality, justice and hope. These are the needs that we must address. These are the problems we need to be solving. These are the issues that require Good Design.

Doing good work that also does good is part of the ethos of the design profession. This book celebrates that work and the good people who create it.

The book will showcase and discuss approximately 70 projects that address a range of critical causes — from poverty to education, from the arts to social justice, from ecology to bioethics. The book will also include essays from some of the very best good designers, expanded case studies on select projects, and resources to help you become a better Good Designer.

We’ll keep you up to date on our progress as we go, share some sneak peaks into the design process, and listen to any ideas you care to share.