The Good Design Book

Good Friday: Design Presentation

Today we send off our design sketches to HOW. Technically we’re only supposed to show three prototypical spreads, and there is actually no requirement to show more than one option. We’re showing about six spreads each for two different directions. We explored a third direction also, but for reasons I’ve already discussed, we’re limiting it to two.

My preference is for option B (below). It allows the work to be shown bigger and the text to be more prominent. I also think it pushes the medium of book design a little harder than option A, but without marginalizing the content.

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Good Friday: Good Thursday

Thursday night’s Cause/Affect event (conceived and sponsored by AIGA San Francisco) drew do-gooders from all corners for a celebration of good design. Cause/Affect is a biannual design competition that celebrates design undertaken for the greater good. Two years ago we made a strong showing with winning entries in three categories, and contributed to the winning collaborative project Oprah has one. This year we took home an award for our Everything is OK poster in the politics category, while MINE™ designer Tim Belonax received judge’s recognition for his shirt for Rosa Loves (the Rosa Loves organization will be featured in the book). Friends of MINE™ Volume, MOD and Hybrid Design also took home honors, and Academy of Art University made an extraordinary showing, sweeping the student awards category.

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It’s Good to Get Away

It’s good to get away every now and then. Last Friday I would have been due to post my weekly dispatch, but instead was en route to the Stanislaus National Forrest for a week of R&R. No internet, no cell phone, no Facebook, texts or Twitter. Ahhhh.

It turns out, though, that there’s a lodge a few miles away that does have internet access, so I tossed my laptops (yes, plural) in my pack, as well as my iPhone (and the iPhones of other happy campers eager to download a few messages) and biked up the trail.

Suffice it to say that not much is happening on the book this week. I took another look at the layouts before I headed out last week and found myself happier with them than I remembered. I’m going to spend the a couple of quiet afternoons by the lake thinking up alternate titles and the next Friday missive should be an account of us sending the first round off to HOW. Expect more design details then.

Good Design in Iran

This is a quick interstitial dispatch ahead of our regular Friday update.

Yesterday we received an interesting and somewhat sobering email from an Iranian designer. She wants to submit work to the book but is afraid her government may open and search a package destined for the United States. She writes: “I’m afraid I might put myself and my family in danger by sending my design.” That’s a chilling thought.

We’re setting up an anonymous FTP transfer for her so she can share her work and her views without fear of repercussion. Sounds like something that may make it into our reacting section. Regardless, we’re looking forward to seeing it, and of course we wish her well.

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.