Title: Designing books: Practice and theory
Authors: Jost Hochuli and Robin Kinross
Publisher: Hyphen Press, London
Published: 1996, reprinted in 2004
Read more about Designing books: practice and theory here at Hyphen’s website
Available: At Powell’s, $30, in paperback
Designing books: practice and theory is as much a reference manual as it is a design text book or a collection of essays.
The book’s author, Jost Hochuli, is a Swiss typographer, book designer, writer, and editor. Reading Designing books feels like being told “the way things were and always should be” by a wise uncle who speaks in stilted blurbs. Perhaps this is a result of this book’s status as “in translation” sometimes replacing Hochuli’s “style and tone.” But these are really interesting, compelling stilted blurbs.
The book is divided into three parts. Parts one and two deal with practice and theory, following through with what the subtitle promises. Part three showcases examples of designs where theory and practice have been executed successfully.
The illustrations are shown in a very simple palette of greyscale + red, and laid out side by side with similar designs, or as multiple pages from the same project, with footnotes providing information about content and authorship. In his introduction, typographer Robin Kinross writes:
“It may be that only a few passages here are of a directly practical kind, such that a designer may want to have this book open on the desk, as she or he works. But this book is for anyone concerned with books. it is intended to prompt readers of all kinds to active reflection, and reflective action.”
I have found this assessment to be true. This is inspiring content. To further exemplify Designing Books‘s call to action, I’d like to point out that amusingly, within the first page of the first section, Hochuli quotes Kant:
‘Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity…The moto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!’
This sets the tone for the rest of the book. Hochuli asks the reader to look at his designs (as well as those of Jan Tschichold, Max Bill, Emil Ruder, Heinz Edelmann, and many others), read his text, and then GET TO WORK designing books. He implores the reader to understand this book by reading the theory, seeing the practice, and then boldly creating new work of his or her own, with little else to guide the way.
Designing Books reads like a manifesto for the Swiss school of typographic design, as well as a collection of excellent observations and insights useful to anyone interested in books and how they look.
