Weekly Wrap-Up & Preview: January 31
January 31, 2014An interview with acclaimed Dutch book designer Irma Boom on her most recent work, a live appearance by Boom at an event co-presented by AIGA/NY and Designers & Books, and a visual tour of the history of cover design at the 60-year old literary journal The Paris Review were highlights of this past week. Next week we look forward to a unique in-studio and online book signing with graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister—which will also feature a student-led interview and some free temporary tattoos of Sagmeister “maxims,” courtesy of Tattly. And we’re celebrating our three-year anniversary at Designers & Books on February 1. Look for our special anniversary posts this coming month.
Weekly Wrap-Up

Dutch-born Irma Boom is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost book designers, and is the youngest person ever to receive the prestigious Gutenberg Prize for a body of work. Her books are distinguished by her experimental approach to formats and a willingness to take design risks. Here she talks about book-making and her life in design.
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Since its founding in 1953, cover design has helped define the cultural significance of The Paris Review.
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Recently named Global Head Design for Bloomberg LP, the Milan-born architect and industrial designer Emanuela Frattini Magnusson has been creating award-winning products for over 25 years: as founder of her own firm, EFM Design; for Tibor Kalman; and for many leading international manufacturers.
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A selection of 10 books designed by Amsterdam-based book designer Irma Boom that have appeared on the book lists of our contributors, featured publishers, and booksellers. Boom’s work also includes special limited editions such as her recently produced all-white ink-less book for the perfume Chanel No. 5.
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Happy Lunar New Year! These 15 books on China and various aspects of design come from our designers, commentators, notable books contributors, and featured publishers and booksellers.
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Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister answers a few questions about the updated edition of Things I have learned in my life so far (2013, Abrams), its online offshoot, and a little bit about what he’s learned (so far). We also reprise his popular book list for Designers & Books—now updated with some new commentary.

To celebrate the publication of the updated edition of his book Things I have learned in my life so far (Abrams), internationally renowned graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister hosted a book signing and student-led interview at his studio and online on February 6. Presented by AIGA/NY and Designers & Books. Watch for our photo wrap-up coming soon.
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Announcements
Now is Better by Stefan Sagmeister
Now is Better
By Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: October 2023
Combining art, design, history, and quantitative analysis, transforms data sets into stunning artworks that underscore his positive view of human progress, inspiring us to think about the future with much-needed hope.
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Design Emergency: Building a Better Future
By Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: May 2022
Rawsthorn and Antonelli tell the stories of the remarkable designers, architects, engineers, artists, scientists, and activists who are at the forefront of positive change worldwide. Focusing on four themes—Technology, Society, Communication, and Ecology—the authors present a unique portrait of how our great creative minds are developing new design solutions to the major challenges of our time, while helping us to benefit from advances in science and technology.
Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World’s Most Creative People by Debbie Millman
Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World's Most Creative People
By Debbie Millman
Publisher: Harper Design
Published: February 22, 2022
Debbie Millman—author, educator, brand consultant, and host of the widely successful and award-winning podcast “Design Matters”—showcases dozens of her most exciting interviews, bringing together insights and reflections from today’s leading creative minds from across diverse fields.
Milton Glaser: POP by Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Milton Glaser: POP
By Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: March 2023
This collection of work from graphci design legend Milton Glaser’s Pop period features hundreds of examples of the designer’s work that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange
Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall
By Alexandra Lange
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: June 2022
Chronicles postwar architects’ and merchants’ invention of the shopping mall, revealing how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in their cultural ascent. Publishers Weekly writes, “Contending that malls answer ‘the basic human need’ of bringing people together, influential design critic Lange advocates for retrofitting abandoned shopping centers into college campuses, senior housing, and ‘ethnocentric marketplaces’ catering to immigrant communities. Lucid and well researched, this is an insightful study of an overlooked and undervalued architectural form.”
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition) by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition)
By Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Publisher: Letterform Archives Books
Published: October 2023
This facsimile edition of Die Fläche, recreates every page of the formative design periodical in full color and at original size, accompanied by essays that contextualize the work, highlighting contributions by pathbreaking women, innovative lettering artists, and key practitioners of the new “surface art,” including Rudolf von Larisch, Alfred Roller, and Wiener Werkstätte founders Koloman Moser and Josef Hoffmann.
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