Beauty on every page

Each year, Stiftung Buchkunst awards books with the best designs. Are these 24 books distinguished with the “Best German Book Design” award considered exclusive items?
 
Organized by Stiftung Buchkunst ever since 1966 with the intention of promoting book design and book production, the competition has taken on a whole new meaning in the age of digitalization. As part of the annual competition, two expert panels choose the 25 “most beautiful” over the course of several stages. With exemplary execution, conception and processing, they are intended to showcase the possibilities in design and technology, as well as trends in German book production.
 
There are five winners in each of the five categories of literary genres. The distinguished titles are also nominated for the “Stiftung Buchkunst award,” which includes a 10,000 euro prize. Book lovers can marvel at the very multifaceted results of the competition in regular (travelling) exhibitions from the institution – at industry events, at houses of literature and at book shops.
 
Always a whole
Before a book is launched on the market today, the principle applies for every project that the design, features and technical finishing and processing should form a whole. When it comes to the books distinguished by the panels, the principle is “that the overall harmony of content, design and production go hand in hand,” states Carolin Blöink, marketing and PR expert at Stiftung Buchkunst. The publishing houses take all the details of the published works into consideration, for example the optics and haptics of the cover and paper, the headband and bookmark color, typography hierarchy and visual arrangement, along with page layout, print quality and finishing. This “triggers an emotional response among readers in different ways,” explains Blöink.
 
Impressive designs
At times, even passionate book lovers may get the impression that the distinguished works are in some cases books created specifically for the competition, or even experiments from designers and manufacturers. Some winning titles feature an unusual design – exposed, visible thread sewing, multi-page, fold-out protective jackets, banderoled loose-leaf compilations –, appearing unfit for planned or impulsive buys. But Stiftung Buchkunst objects. There don’t have to be any differences between the distinguished “beauties” and books in retail. The award-winning titles in particular could impress at all levels in retail, and “they aren’t about being as experimental or filled with features as possible, but are instead about effectively delivering the content to the appropriate audience,” the expert explains.
 
Common defining details
Usually, design details like the color scheme, choice of font or print space alone influence the overall effect of the work. Nevertheless, typical examples can be named in terms of finishing, processing and packing: With lots of glamour and glitter on the cover, young adult books are a testament to the audience’s great appreciation for opulence. Direct printing of hardcover book covers presents a new, very appealing possibility in design. With fiction, book edge coloring is no longer a rare finding, inviting readers to start collections. Taking cookbooks, picture books and photo books or music books as an example, layflat books are often must-haves. Individual pages or individual signatures, such as published love letters, aren’t classically bound, but instead banderoled. Belly bands around books often contain advertising for the publishing house, but also additional useful information. Overall, the books with the “Best German Book Design” aren’t exceptions in the market, but instead represent an interesting cross-section.
 
Frank Baier
Editor-in-chief bindereport