The future of publishing: discuss

Recently I saw this... and I was amazed and wishing I was eight again and could take this sort of thing for granted...

It certainly does redefine the experience of reading, or is it playing? or watching animations?... all of the above? The good news is, I think, that as we get more sophisticated and gadgety, publishing companies seem to agree in the need to produce good design matched by quality printed material. And they are printing some eye-catching collections, so that those like me who still don't have an I-Pad can cherish a different kind of toy.

So, in my last visit to the book shop (oh yes, as much as I love the internet and its comforts I still like walking into bookshops and finding unexpected jewels) I found Faber & Faber's Poetry Collection 2010. (I know I'm a bit late, it's from over a year ago but I just saw it!).

The cover designs are inspired by 1960's styles and the project involved a group of very talented illustrators and printmakers, with Peter Clayton, Sarah Young , and Ed Kluz amongst them.

The covers are truly beautiful and the books are finished with equally nice touches such as the printed endpapers. I'm not that big on poetry but in this case I'll make an effort.

You can read more about it on the F&F blog The Thought Fox

*all images above from the F&F blog, Vimeo link from Moonbot Studio's website.

Full circle

Some days you start checking something important on the web, and then you find a link that looks interesting, maybe an image that intrigues you, and then before you know it you have visited more than 20 blogs and websites that you had never seen before.

Today was such a day and somewhere down the line I came across some extremely neat and interesting work by Swiss designer Rosario Florio. Clean layouts, plenty of white space and beautifully crafted typography, I'm glad I took a web detour.

If you have a spare couple of minutes do take the time to check the website, in the meantime here is one of the featured projects: Printed In, a magazine made from blog entries, blog articles given the editorial treatment they deserve (or aspire to deserve) and restored to a physical medium... Call me sentimental but I find this project quite touching. As much as the immediacy of the internet cannot be disputed, there is a cultural disposition to printed matter that I cannot -and in all honestly, do not want to- avoid, and that inclines me to appreciate and trust the content further.

And if you don't really care about my melancholic disposition, just enjoy the work...

found via Print & New Media blog after a few twists and turns...

*all images from Rosario Florio's website.

So much to catch up with

That I hardly know where to start. Let's consider this post something of a three course meal:

Our starter, I think, should be enticing enough to open our appetite without spoiling it completely. So, how about a piece of delicious and dreamy work by Maria Fischer, in particular her book project Traumgedanken ("Thoughts on dreams"), a collection of literary and scientific texts on the subject of dreams. Connected networks of threads and words form vague and fragile patterns representing the elusive nature of dreams.

Then, for our main course the amazing 10 minute animation The Thomas Beale Cipher by Andrew Allen, an intriguing story as beautifully detailed as stylish. A feast of textures and vintage patterns that will delight the senses and while engaging the brain since it includes 16 hidden messages to help you solve the riddle, a challenge that cannot be refused!

And finally for dessert, some letterpress eye-candy from the expert hands of Studio on Fire designed by canadian collective Point Form. Printed to perfection on duplexed French Poptone Sweet tooth and Lemon Drop card, as tasty as it sounds. Yumm!

*image credits in order: Maria Fischer from her website, Andrew Allen via Vimeo and finally Studio on Fire from their blog.